Alternatives to essays

Latest answer — June 03, 2025

43 Across

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NYT Crossword

This clue's Tuesday, June 03, 2025 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Angry Birds and Snapchat, for two
  2. 5Session at the pool
  3. 9Cheery goodbyes
  4. 14Gentle
  5. 15Goal of some bodybuilding exercises
  6. 16Delete
  7. 17Place to keep safe during an emergency
  8. 19Tickle
  9. 20Input for a fax machine
  10. 22Hosp. hookups
  11. 25Ref. work with definitions for "colour" and "aluminium"
  12. 26Expensive theater boxes
  13. 27Andy Warhol's "Campbell's Soup Cans," e.g.
  14. 29Each star on the American flag represents one
  15. 31Layer that a hovercraft floats on
  16. 33Sound heard in a stalactite cave
  17. 37Sings nonsense syllables
  18. 38Pointy-eared inhabitant of Middle-earth
  19. 39Mexican marinade
  20. 40Grp. sending radio signals into space
  21. 41Measure of how much sky is visible
  22. 43Alternatives to essays
  23. 45"Wow, cool!"
  24. 46Secondary area of study
  25. 48Modern filmmaking tech, for short
  26. 49Texting format, in brief
  27. 50Easily awakened individual ... whose bed may feature a 20-, 31- and 41-Across?
  28. 54Plastic bit on the end of a shoelace
  29. 55Disappointing awards season outcome for a critically successful movie
  30. 59Beach
  31. 60Villainous hideout
  32. 61Documentation for a foreign traveler
  33. 62Rose
  34. 63Smooth as ___
  35. 64Word with floor or flight

Down

  1. 1Electric guitar attachment
  2. 2Vegetable often added to fried rice
  3. 3Author
  4. 4Hits the slopes
  5. 5Mean ___ (rough urban area)
  6. 6Sought the favor of
  7. 7How tied games may be settled, informally
  8. 8Office note
  9. 9It may be left holding the bag
  10. 10Site of an apocalyptic final battle in the Bible
  11. 11Brownish shade
  12. 12Stubborn animals
  13. 13Prognosticator
  14. 18Where most songs use their titular lyrics
  15. 21Custardy dessert
  16. 22"No bid"
  17. 23Raise, as a concern
  18. 24Jack who ate no fat
  19. 28Zorro, Superman or Indiana Jones
  20. 29Grain storehouses
  21. 30Vegan protein source
  22. 32"___ if I know!"
  23. 34Wanders
  24. 35Skyscraper construction piece
  25. 36Long Beach, Charleston and Baltimore
  26. 39More sore
  27. 41Pixar film that revived the song "Life Is a Highway"
  28. 42Place for boxers to exercise
  29. 44Decomposed
  30. 46Alt-rock band They ___ Be Giants
  31. 47Shelter in a chilly landscape
  32. 48"The Ten Commandments" director ___ B. DeMille
  33. 50Lad's counterpart
  34. 51Online chuckles
  35. 52Actor Morales
  36. 53Invitation initialism
  37. 56Zero
  38. 57Country with the most Olympic medals
  39. 58Prohibit

Crossword clues, hints, and answers

Across

  1. 1. Angry Birds and Snapchat, for two — Answer: APPS
  2. 5. Session at the pool — Answer: SWIM
  3. 9. Cheery goodbyes — Answer: TATAS
  4. 14. Gentle — Answer: MEEK
  5. 15. Goal of some bodybuilding exercises — Answer: TONE
  6. 16. Delete — Answer: ERASE. Hint: Sometimes you just need to wipe the slate clean! 🧽
  7. 17. Place to keep safe during an emergency — Answer: PANICROOM
  8. 19. Tickle — Answer: AMUSE
  9. 20. Input for a fax machine — Answer: SHEETOFPAPER
  10. 22. Hosp. hookups — Answer: IVS
  11. 25. Ref. work with definitions for "colour" and "aluminium" — Answer: OED
  12. 26. Expensive theater boxes — Answer: LOGES
  13. 27. Andy Warhol's "Campbell's Soup Cans," e.g. — Answer: POPART
  14. 29. Each star on the American flag represents one — Answer: STATE
  15. 31. Layer that a hovercraft floats on — Answer: AIRCUSHION
  16. 33. Sound heard in a stalactite cave — Answer: DRIP
  17. 37. Sings nonsense syllables — Answer: SCATS
  18. 38. Pointy-eared inhabitant of Middle-earth — Answer: ELF
  19. 39. Mexican marinade — Answer: ADOBO
  20. 40. Grp. sending radio signals into space — Answer: SETI
  21. 41. Measure of how much sky is visible — Answer: CLOUDCOVER
  22. 43. Alternatives to essays — Answer: ORALS
  23. 45. "Wow, cool!" — Answer: OHNEAT
  24. 46. Secondary area of study — Answer: MINOR
  25. 48. Modern filmmaking tech, for short — Answer: CGI
  26. 49. Texting format, in brief — Answer: SMS. Hint: Think of how you quickly send messages on your phone! 📱
  27. 50. Easily awakened individual ... whose bed may feature a 20-, 31- and 41-Across? — Answer: LIGHTSLEEPER
  28. 54. Plastic bit on the end of a shoelace — Answer: AGLET
  29. 55. Disappointing awards season outcome for a critically successful movie — Answer: OSCARSNUB
  30. 59. Beach — Answer: SHORE
  31. 60. Villainous hideout — Answer: LAIR
  32. 61. Documentation for a foreign traveler — Answer: VISA
  33. 62. Rose — Answer: STOOD
  34. 63. Smooth as ___ — Answer: SILK
  35. 64. Word with floor or flight — Answer: PLAN

Down

  1. 1. Electric guitar attachment — Answer: AMP
  2. 2. Vegetable often added to fried rice — Answer: PEA
  3. 3. Author — Answer: PEN
  4. 4. Hits the slopes — Answer: SKIS
  5. 5. Mean ___ (rough urban area) — Answer: STREETS
  6. 6. Sought the favor of — Answer: WOOED
  7. 7. How tied games may be settled, informally — Answer: INOT
  8. 8. Office note — Answer: MEMO
  9. 9. It may be left holding the bag — Answer: TEAPOT
  10. 10. Site of an apocalyptic final battle in the Bible — Answer: ARMAGEDDON
  11. 11. Brownish shade — Answer: TAUPE
  12. 12. Stubborn animals — Answer: ASSES
  13. 13. Prognosticator — Answer: SEER. Hint: Think of someone who can predict the future with a mystical touch! 🔮
  14. 18. Where most songs use their titular lyrics — Answer: CHORUS
  15. 21. Custardy dessert — Answer: FLAN
  16. 22. "No bid" — Answer: IPASS
  17. 23. Raise, as a concern — Answer: VOICE
  18. 24. Jack who ate no fat — Answer: SPRAT
  19. 28. Zorro, Superman or Indiana Jones — Answer: ACTIONHERO
  20. 29. Grain storehouses — Answer: SILOS
  21. 30. Vegan protein source — Answer: TOFU
  22. 32. "___ if I know!" — Answer: HELL
  23. 34. Wanders — Answer: ROVES
  24. 35. Skyscraper construction piece — Answer: IBEAM
  25. 36. Long Beach, Charleston and Baltimore — Answer: PORTS
  26. 39. More sore — Answer: ACHIER
  27. 41. Pixar film that revived the song "Life Is a Highway" — Answer: CARS
  28. 42. Place for boxers to exercise — Answer: DOGPARK
  29. 44. Decomposed — Answer: ROTTED
  30. 46. Alt-rock band They ___ Be Giants — Answer: MIGHT
  31. 47. Shelter in a chilly landscape — Answer: IGLOO
  32. 48. "The Ten Commandments" director ___ B. DeMille — Answer: CECIL
  33. 50. Lad's counterpart — Answer: LASS
  34. 51. Online chuckles — Answer: LOLS
  35. 52. Actor Morales — Answer: ESAI
  36. 53. Invitation initialism — Answer: RSVP
  37. 56. Zero — Answer: NIL. Hint: Think of the word for having absolutely nothing. 🔍
  38. 57. Country with the most Olympic medals — Answer: USA
  39. 58. Prohibit — Answer: BAN. Hint: Put an official stop to something 🚫

Recent NYT Crossword Answers

The last 7 days of solutions

NYT Crossword 2 June 2025NYT Crossword 1 June 2025NYT Crossword 31 May 2025NYT Crossword 30 May 2025NYT Crossword 29 May 2025NYT Crossword 28 May 2025NYT Crossword 27 May 2025

The answer to “Alternatives to essays” in the New York Times crossword is ORALS — a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on June 3, 2025, a Tuesday puzzle, at 43-Across. Below you'll find why that fill fits, every other answer we've recorded for this clue, and links into the puzzle it came from.

“Alternatives to essays” answer

ORALS (5 letters)

Reveal the solution one letter at a time with the tiles above if you'd rather nudge yourself toward it than see the whole word at once. Just want it outright? The answer is ORALS.

Why the answer is ORALS

ORALS is the 5-letter solution that fits "Alternatives to essays" in the NYT Crossword crossword on June 3, 2025 (43-Across). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.

When else has “Alternatives to essays” appeared?

New York Times reuses clues across dates, sometimes with a different answer depending on the grid. Here's where this exact clue has shown up, and what the answer was each time — handy when you're checking whether today's fill is the only one.

June 3, 2025 (most recent) → ORALS. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

More clues from the NYT Crossword on June 3, 2025

Stuck elsewhere in the grid? Here are some of the crossing and nearby clues from the same puzzle — tap any for its answer and explanation.

Want every clue in one place? The full New York Times answer list for June 3, 2025 is on that day's grid page, and today's live NYT Crossword answers are always one tap from the today page.

About the NYT Crossword

The New York Times crossword, edited by Will Shortz, is the most famous daily puzzle in the United States. It runs a 15×15 grid Monday through Saturday and a larger 21×21 grid on Sunday, and its difficulty deliberately ramps through the week: Monday is the most approachable, Saturday the toughest, with Thursday often reserved for a trick or twist like rebus squares. This page covers a Tuesday puzzle. A straight-definition entry is the kind of solid mid-grid answer that anchors the trickier crossings around it. Because the NYT reuses short, crossing-friendly words regularly, seeing them once makes them easier to spot next time.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Alternatives to essays”?

The answer is ORALS, a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on June 3, 2025.

How many letters is the answer to “Alternatives to essays”?

5 letters: ORALS.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on June 3, 2025 (a Tuesday puzzle), at 43-Across.

Can “Alternatives to essays” have a different answer?

Yes — New York Times sometimes reuses a clue with a different solution to fit the grid. The answers we've recorded for each date it appeared are listed above when available.

Where can I find the rest of this day's NYT Crossword answers?

The full grid for June 3, 2025 is on the NYT Crossword answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

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