You’re sitting there with your coffee, the grid is nearly full, and then you hit it. A four-letter or five-letter gap for a phrase that basically means "disregards" or "doesn't care about." If you've ever typed in "thinks nothing of nyt" into a search bar at 8:00 AM on a Tuesday, you aren't alone. It’s a classic piece of "Crosswordese" that feels perfectly natural in a 1940s novel but feels like a total brain-teaser when you're staring at a black-and-white grid.
The New York Times Crossword is a beast of its own making. Edited by Will Shortz for decades—and now navigating a digital era where the "Connections" game and "Wordle" often steal the spotlight—the daily puzzle still relies on these idiomatic phrases that trip up even seasoned solvers. "Thinks nothing of" is one of those linguistic gymnastics moves. It’s an idiom. It’s a vibe. It’s often the difference between a Gold Star on the app and a frustrated "Reveal Word" click.
The Linguistic Puzzle: What Does "Thinks Nothing Of" Actually Mean?
Language is weird. In the context of the NYT Crossword, "thinks nothing of" is usually looking for a synonym that captures the essence of nonchalance or routine. Think about the way we use it in a sentence: "He thinks nothing of running twenty miles before breakfast."
It means he finds it unremarkable. He DARES. He USES. He EATS it up.
But in the grid? Usually, the answer is DARES, DOES, or even OKS. However, the most frequent answer for a clue like "Thinks nothing of" is actually the word DARES. Why? Because to think nothing of a challenge is to dare to do it without hesitation. Crossword constructors love these because "DARES" has high-frequency letters (A, E, and S) that make it easy to bridge other words.
Sometimes the clue is more literal. It might be looking for OMITS or SKIPS.
It’s all about the "crosses." If you have the "D" from a vertical clue and an "S" at the end, "DARES" is your best bet. If the word is shorter, say three letters, you might be looking at HAS. "He thinks nothing of it" becomes "He has no qualms." It’s subtle. It’s annoying. It’s exactly why we keep playing.
Why the New York Times Crossword Loves This Clue
Constructors like Joel Fagliano or Robyn Weintraub—the heavy hitters of the NYT puzzle world—don't just throw words in a box. They build a narrative. The phrase "thinks nothing of" is a gift to a constructor because it can be interpreted in at least three different ways:
✨ Don't miss: Charcoal Gas Smoker Combo: Why Most Backyard Cooks Struggle to Choose
- Audacity: To have the nerve (DARES).
- Frequency: To do something habitually (DOES).
- Disregard: To ignore the weight of a situation (SLIGHTS).
Honestly, the NYT puzzle is a test of your ability to code-switch between Victorian English and 2026 slang. One minute you’re answering a clue about a TikTok trend, and the next, you’re trying to remember a synonym for a 19th-century idiom.
Deb Amlen, who writes the "Wordplay" column for the Times, often points out that these "filler" phrases are the connective tissue of a good puzzle. Without the "thinks nothing ofs" of the world, you wouldn't be able to fit in the long, flashy 15-letter "spanners" that run across the middle of the grid.
The Evolution of Crossword Logic
Crosswords have changed. Back in the day, clues were almost exclusively definitions. "Large boat" would be "SHIP." Simple. Now, clues are mischievous. They use puns. They use misdirection.
When you see "thinks nothing of nyt" style clues, look at the punctuation. Is there a question mark at the end? If so, the answer is a pun. If there’s no question mark, it’s a direct synonym—though "direct" is a generous word when talking about the Friday or Saturday puzzles.
Let’s look at some real-world examples from past archives.
In a 2018 puzzle, a similar clue led to DARES.
In a 2022 Sunday edition, the phrasing was slightly tweaked to "Think nothing of," leading to IGNORE.
The "nothing" in the clue is often a literal hint. Constructors love to play with the concept of "zero" or "null." Occasionally, the answer involves the word ZERO or NIL, though that’s rarer for this specific phrase.
How to Solve "Thinks Nothing Of" Without Cheating
You’ve got a few empty boxes. You’re tempted to pull up a solver site. Don't do it yet.
🔗 Read more: Celtic Knot Engagement Ring Explained: What Most People Get Wrong
First, check the tense. "Thinks" ends in an "S." Therefore, the answer almost certainly ends in an "S." This is Crossword 101, but it’s easy to forget when you’re frustrated. If the clue was "Thought nothing of," you’d be looking for DARED or DID.
Second, look for the "prepositional trap." Sometimes "thinks nothing of" is part of a larger phrase. Is the answer actually part of an idiom like EATS (as in "eats for breakfast")?
Third, consider the day of the week.
- Monday/Tuesday: The answer is probably DARES. It’s straightforward.
- Thursday: There might be a "rebus" involved, where "NOTHING" or "ZERO" is squeezed into a single square.
- Saturday: All bets are off. The answer could be ACCEPTS or something equally obscure.
The Psychological War of the Grid
There is a specific kind of "Aha!" moment that happens when you solve a clue like this. It’s a dopamine hit. You’re not just finding a word; you’re decoding the constructor’s intent.
When people search for "thinks nothing of nyt," they are usually looking for a quick fix, but the real value is in understanding the pattern. The NYT puzzle is a repetitive language. Once you learn that "Aga" is a Turkish general and "Ono" is Yoko, you start to see the "thinks nothing of" clues as familiar friends rather than obstacles.
It’s about mental flexibility. You have to be willing to throw out your first three guesses. Maybe it isn't "DARES." Maybe it’s BRAVES. Both fit. Both start with a consonant and end with "S." This is where the "crosses" come in. If the second letter of your word is the third letter of a vertical clue for "Apple variety," and you know that’s FUJI, then you know the second letter of your horizontal word must be "U."
Wait. Neither "DARES" nor "BRAVES" has a "U" as the second letter.
💡 You might also like: Campbell Hall Virginia Tech Explained (Simply)
Back to the drawing board. This is the "thinks nothing of nyt" experience in a nutshell. (By the way, if the second letter is "U," the answer might be USES).
Strategies for Friday and Saturday Puzzles
If you are tackling the late-week puzzles, "thinks nothing of" becomes even more deceptive. The constructor might be using "nothing" to mean "O."
I’ve seen puzzles where "thinks nothing of" was represented by a word that literally wraps around an "O" in the grid. It’s brilliant and infuriating.
The best advice for these high-level grids? Walk away. Seriously. Your brain continues to work on the word associations in the background. You’ll be washing dishes or walking the dog, and suddenly, "DARES" or "EATS" will just pop into your head.
Actionable Tips for Your Next Solve
Next time you’re stuck on this specific type of clue, follow this workflow:
- Count the letters immediately. If it’s 5, "DARES" is the statistical favorite.
- Verify the tense. Ensure your answer ends in "S" to match "thinks."
- Check for "vowel-heavy" crosses. NYT constructors use these phrases to balance out grids that have too many consonants. If you see a lot of J, Q, or Z nearby, the answer to "thinks nothing of" will likely be full of A, E, I, O, or U.
- Read it aloud. Sometimes hearing the phrase "He thinks nothing of..." helps your brain fill in the blank naturally.
- Look for the "O." If it’s a themed Thursday puzzle, check if "nothing" is being used as a visual placeholder for the letter "O" or a blank space.
The NYT Crossword isn't just a test of vocabulary; it's a test of persistence. Whether the answer is DARES, DOES, OKS, or BRAVES, the real win is the fact that you're engaging your brain in a way that most digital media doesn't require anymore. Keep the streak alive.