The New York Times crossword puzzle is one of the most popular and challenging word games in the world. It is published daily in print and online, and attracts millions of solvers every year. The puzzle consists of a grid of white and black squares, where the white squares are filled with letters to form words or phrases that are clued by the numbered hints across and down. The black squares separate the words or phrases.
One of the clues in the NYT crossword puzzle for December 29, 2022 was “Gathering of protesters”. This clue appeared in the 44-Across position, and had five letters as the answer. The clue was also related to the theme of the puzzle, which was “Lateral Thinking”. The theme was revealed by the answers to 17-, 28- and 56-Across, which were “COOKIE SHEET”, “YALE BULLETIN” and “CLAW MACHINE”, respectively. These answers all had the letter “L” at the end of the first word and the beginning of the second word, forming a “lateral L”.
How to Find the Answer
To find the answer to the clue “Gathering of protesters”, one has to think laterally, or outside the box. The clue does not refer to a common word for a group of people who are demonstrating against something, such as “march”, “rally” or “sit-in”. Instead, the clue is a clever wordplay that uses the letter “L” as a key element.
The answer to the clue is “RALLY”, which is a word that has two meanings. One meaning is a gathering of protesters, as in “a rally for democracy”. The other meaning is a verb that means to recover or improve, as in “the team rallied to win the game”. The word “rally” also contains the letter “L” twice, making it a perfect fit for the theme of the puzzle.
How to Check the Answer
To check if the answer is correct, one can look at the crossing words that intersect with the answer. The answer “RALLY” crosses with four other words in the puzzle: 38-Down, 39-Down, 40-Down and 41-Down. The clues and answers for these words are:
- 38-Down: “One way to stress something that’s important” (Answer: ITALICIZE)
- 39-Down: “Caribbean spirit” (Answer: RUM)
- 40-Down: “Hit song title for Abba or Rihanna” (Answer: SOS)
- 41-Down: “Apple core, for short” (Answer: IOS)
All these words are valid and match with the clues, confirming that the answer “RALLY” is correct.
How to Learn More
If you want to learn more about the NYT crossword puzzle, you can visit the official website1, where you can find the latest puzzles, archives, blogs, podcasts, videos and more. You can also subscribe to the NYT crossword app2, where you can access the puzzles on your mobile devices and enjoy various features and benefits. You can also join the NYT crossword community3, where you can interact with other solvers, share tips and tricks, and get feedback and support.
The NYT crossword puzzle is a great way to challenge your brain, improve your vocabulary, and have fun. The puzzle is also a source of creativity, humor, and culture, as it often features clever clues, witty wordplay, and references to various topics and events. The puzzle is designed to appeal to a wide range of solvers, from beginners to experts, and to offer different levels of difficulty, from easy to hard. The puzzle is also updated regularly, with new themes, clues, and answers, to keep the solvers engaged and entertained.
If you are a fan of the NYT crossword puzzle, or if you want to try it for the first time, you can start by solving the puzzle for December 29, 2022, which has the clue “Gathering of protesters” as one of its highlights. You can find the puzzle , or in the print edition of the newspaper. You can also check the solution, or watch the video explanation, if you need some help or guidance. You can also leave a comment below, and share your thoughts and opinions about the puzzle, the clue, and the answer. Happy solving!
