Devious<\/b>: Ideal if the puzzle is feeling particularly dramatic, like a soap opera villain twirling a metaphorical mustache.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nBut wait! Crosswords also adore obscure gems<\/b> like \u201castute\u201d<\/b> (fancy cunning), \u201cguileful\u201d<\/b> (medieval cunning), or \u201cartful\u201d<\/b> (cunning with a beret and a paintbrush). These words exist solely to make you mutter, \u201cReally? That\u2019s<\/i> a word?\u201d while frantically erasing \u201cclever\u201d for the third time.<\/p>\nWhen the puzzle starts trolling<\/h3>\n
Sometimes, the clue itself<\/i> becomes a trickster. Is it \u201ccrafty\u201d<\/b> (DIY cunning)? \u201cShrewd\u201d<\/b> (Wall Street cunning)? Or \u201cfoxy\u201d<\/b> (literally just an animal, but crosswords love pretending we\u2019re all 16th-century hunters)? Pro tip: If the answer feels like it belongs in a Dickens novel, you\u2019re probably on the right track. Now go forth, armed with synonyms and a mild distrust of all 3-letter blanks.<\/p>\n
Bonus round: If all else fails, scribble \u201ccheeky\u201d<\/b> and glare at the puzzle until it cooperates. You\u2019ve earned the right to petty vengeance.<\/p>\nWhat is the answer to the nyt crossword question for cunning intelligence?<\/h2>\n
Ah, the New York Times crossword clue for \u201ccunning intelligence\u201d \u2013 a phrase that sounds like it was plucked from a Victorian spy novel or muttered by a squirrel plotting to overthrow a bird feeder. The answer, my fellow word-wranglers, is almost certainly WITS<\/b>. Not to be confused with \u201chalf-wits\u201d (which is what you\u2019ll feel like after staring at 27-Across for 20 minutes). This tiny four-letter titan packs a punch, implying sharpness, slyness, and the kind of mental agility that could outmaneuver a raccoon in a trivia contest.<\/p>\nBut Wait, Could It Be… *Dramatic Pause* …Something Else?<\/h3>\n
In the chaotic ballet of crossword clues, confusion is the choreographer. You might squint at alternatives like GUMPTION<\/b> (too folksy), SMARTS<\/b> (too vague), or ACUMEN<\/b> (too fancy-pants for a Tuesday puzzle). But no \u2013 WITS<\/b> reigns supreme here. It\u2019s the Swiss Army knife of cunning, equally at home in Shakespearean insults (\u201che hath not the wits to keep himself warm\u201d) and modern-day heist movies. Just don\u2019t overthink it, unless you want to end up scribbling \u201cARTFULDODGER\u201d in the margins and crying into your coffee.<\/p>\n