You’re staring at a grid. Five letters. Or maybe it’s a Sunday beast and you need something long, punchy, and rhythmic. You see the clue "get even" or "avenge a wrong," and suddenly, your brain pings. Settle a score. It’s one of those phrases that feels like it belongs in a grainy 1940s noir film, yet it pops up in the New York Times crossword with startling regularity.
Honestly, it’s a classic. But why do we see it so often?
Most people think crosswords are about knowing obscure 17th-century poets or the names of rare African antelopes. Kinda. But really, it’s about "crosswordese"—those words and phrases that editors like Will Shortz and Joel Fagliano lean on because the vowel-to-consonant ratio is just too perfect to ignore. When you try to settle a score NYT style, you aren't just playing a game. You're participating in a decades-old linguistic dance.
The Mechanics of a Grudge
Let’s look at the letters. S-E-T-T-L-E-A-S-C-O-R-E.
That is thirteen letters of pure utility. It’s got a high frequency of 'E's and 'S's, which are the bread and butter of grid construction. In the world of the NYT Crossword, a thirteen-letter answer is a "grid-spanner." These are the pillars that hold up the rest of the puzzle. If a constructor is stuck in the middle of a Monday or Tuesday layout, "settle a score" is a lifesaver.
It’s also versatile.
Sometimes it’s literal. Other times, it’s a pun. Back in the February 10, 2020 puzzle, Rex Parker—the arguably famous and definitely cranky crossword blogger—pointed out a brilliant use of the phrase. The theme was movie-related. The clue for 47-Across was "Finalize the music for the movie?"
The answer? SETTLE A SCORE.
That’s the NYT "aha!" moment. It takes a phrase associated with revenge and twists it into a pun about film composition. This is why we keep coming back. It’s not just about filling in boxes; it's about outsmarting the person who wrote the clue.
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Is It Too Common?
Some solvers complain. They say the NYT is getting predictable. If you've played the Mini Crossword lately, you know the space is tight. You’ve only got a 5x5 grid. You won't find the full phrase there often, but you’ll find its cousins: EVEN, REPAY, or AVENGE.
But the full "settle a score" belongs to the big leagues. It shows up in the Thursday puzzles where the "rebus" (multiple letters in one square) might hide the word "SCORE" in a single box. It shows up on Sundays when the scale is massive.
Rex Parker and other enthusiasts often track these things. They notice when a phrase has been used three times in a single year. Is it lazy editing? Or is it a comforting landmark in an increasingly difficult digital world?
Connections and the Wordplay Trap
It’s not just the Crossword anymore. The NYT has built a whole ecosystem of brain-teasers.
Take Connections, for example.
Imagine a category where the common link is "Ways to Get Revenge." You might see:
- Settle a score
- Get even
- Square up
- Pay back
Or, in a more devious twist, the NYT editors might put "Score" in a group about musical terms (Crescendo, Movement, Score, Staff) while placing "Settle" in a group about moving to a new country. They love to mess with your head like that. They know you’re looking for the phrase as a whole, so they break it apart and scatter the remains across the grid. It’s brilliant. It’s frustrating.
Basically, it’s why we pay the subscription fee.
Why We Care About Revenge Puzzles
There is a psychological satisfaction in the phrase itself. To settle a score NYT solvers know, is to bring balance.
Life is messy.
Crosswords are orderly.
When you solve a clue about retribution, you’re finishing something. You're closing a loop. There’s a specific kind of dopamine hit that comes from penciling in that final 'E'.
Interestingly, the phrase has roots that go far beyond the morning paper. We’ve been "settling scores" since the 1700s, originally referring to the "score" or tally kept on a shopboard or tavern door. If you didn't pay for your ale, you had a score against you. Settling it meant paying your debt.
Now, we just do it to feel smart before our first cup of coffee.
Real Tips for Your Next Solve
If you’re stuck on a clue that feels like it’s about revenge, stop looking for synonyms of "anger." Look for synonyms of "accounting."
- Count the squares. If you have 13, "settle a score" is a massive candidate.
- Look for the puns. If the clue mentions music, orchestras, or film soundtracks, the "score" part is almost certainly a double entendre.
- Check the crossings. If the second letter is an 'E' and the sixth is an 'E', you’re halfway there.
- Vary your perspective. Sometimes the clue is "Fix a tally" or "Make things right at the end of the game."
Don't let the grid beat you. The constructors are experts at misdirection, but they have to play by the rules of language. They want you to win, eventually.
Next time you see those empty white boxes, remember that the NYT isn't your enemy. Even if it feels like you have a score to settle with the Wednesday editor who decided "ELHI" was still a valid word.
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Actionable Next Steps:
- Check the Archive: Search the NYT Crossword app for "Score" to see how many different ways they’ve clued it over the last year.
- Vary Your Strategy: If you’re a "down" solver, try doing only the "across" clues first to see if long phrases like settle a score reveal themselves through sheer logic.
- Track Your Patterns: Use a tool like XWord Info to see if you’re struggling with the same "crosswordese" phrases repeatedly.