The answer "CHEETAH" works due to the pun implied by the question mark in the clue. A cheetah is an animal often seen on safaris, and "spotted" cleverly refers to both the animal's distinctive spotted coat and the act of being seen.
Across
The clue "tell me ur kidding!" suggests an exclaimed reaction, often informal and conversational. It's written as a quote, indicating a spoken expression. "OMG" (short for "Oh My God") is a common, energetic response used to express surprise, disbelief, or shock, fitting the clue's tone perfectly.
4BOO???✨ See Why
The clue "Bad call?" with a question mark indicates wordplay or a pun. "Boo" is a reaction often used to express disapproval or dissatisfaction—essentially, a "bad call" from an audience. The question mark cleverly shifts the meaning from a literal interpretation to this playful idea.
7TWO???✨ See Why
In Monopoly, players roll two six-sided dice to determine their move. The lowest possible roll is achieved by rolling a 1 on each die. Adding these together equals 2, making TWO the correct answer to the clue.
8INN???✨ See Why
The answer is INN because Dragonfly Inn is the name of the boutique hotel owned by Lorelai Gilmore in the popular TV series Gilmore Girls. An "inn" is a small hotel or lodging establishment, fitting the clue perfectly within its contextual reference.
9SAG???✨ See Why
"SAG" is the answer to "Take a dip?" because the clue uses a pun. "Take a dip" can describe something physically drooping or sinking, much like how something "sags" under weight or pressure, aligning perfectly with the figurative interpretation presented by the question mark.
10GMO???✨ See Why
The answer "GMO" stands for "Genetically Modified Organism." The pink pineapple and self-destructing mosquito are both examples of organisms altered through genetic engineering to create specific traits—pink fruit or reduced mosquito populations—fitting the abbreviation perfectly. The question mark hints at the playful, modern concept of these innovations.
11HEADY?????✨ See Why
The clue uses wordplay with "like the smell of your crush's perfume." Perfumes can evoke strong, intoxicating feelings, much like the term "heady," which describes something exhilarating or overwhelming in a way that affects the senses or emotions. The question mark hints at this figurative use.
13CATPAWS???????✨ See Why
"Toe beans" is a colloquial term for the soft pads on the underside of a cat's paws, resembling little beans. The clue's playful tone (hinted by the pun) points to CATPAWS as the fitting answer, the spot where these adorable "beans" are found.
15CHEETAH???????✨ See Why
The answer "CHEETAH" works due to the pun implied by the question mark in the clue. A cheetah is an animal often seen on safaris, and "spotted" cleverly refers to both the animal's distinctive spotted coat and the act of being seen.
16SAM???✨ See Why
The answer is SAM because Jennette McCurdy played the character Sam Puckett on the popular Nickelodeon TV show iCarly. In the show, Sam is Carly's comedic and bold best friend, making her one of the central characters.
17AYE???✨ See Why
The answer is AYE, which means "yes." Its synonym, YEA, is also an affirmation and is an anagram of AYE (both have the same letters rearranged). The clue plays on this wordplay to highlight their interchangeable meaning and shared letter composition.
Down
1OTS???✨ See Why
"OTS" stands for "Overtimes," which are extra periods in sports games when fans are often very tense due to the high stakes. The "abbr." in the clue indicates the answer is an abbreviation, matching the shortened form "OTS" for "overtimes."
2MWAHAHA???????✨ See Why
The clue "My evil plan is working!" is in quotes, indicating spoken words or an expression. MWAHAHA represents a classic, exaggerated evil laugh often associated with villains reveling in their successful schemes. It perfectly captures the theatrical tone and meaning of the clue.
3GOGETEM???????✨ See Why
The phrase "GO GET 'EM" is a common, enthusiastic phrase often used as a motivational send-off, typical in pep talks. It directly fits as potential final words to encourage someone to try hard or succeed, aligning perfectly with the clue's context of a pep talk.
4BIGDATA???????✨ See Why
The clue "Stuff that many platforms sit on?" uses wordplay and hints at what digital platforms rely on. Many tech platforms operate and thrive on BIG DATA—large sets of data collected from users, which they analyze to function, predict trends, or optimize services. Thus, BIGDATA fits perfectly.
5ONMYWAY???????✨ See Why
When typed, "omw" is often automatically corrected to "on my way" by phone autocorrect systems. The clue's quotation marks indicate it’s a spoken phrase, and "on my way" is the expanded version of "omw," hence the answer is ONMYWAY.
6ONO???✨ See Why
The answer is ONO because Yoko Ono, a prominent avant-garde artist, is the subject of the exhibition "Yoko Ono: Music of the Mind" at The Broad museum. The clue refers directly to her name, completing the phrase "Yoko ___" with her last name, ONO.
12APE???✨ See Why
The clue "Orangutan or bonobo, e.g." refers to a biological category. Both orangutans and bonobos are types of apes, part of the great ape family, which also includes gorillas, chimpanzees, and humans. "APE" is the succinct term for such primates, making it the correct answer.
13CCS???✨ See Why
The abbreviation "CCS" stands for "carbon copies" or "courtesy copies" in email terminology. "Copies on an email thread: abbr." directly refers to the CC (Carbon Copy) field in emails, where additional recipients are added to receive a copy of the email thread.
14SHE???✨ See Why
The answer is SHE because the phrase "___ Paints Me Blue" is the title of a song by the band Something Corporate. The word "SHE" fits the blank and references the subject in the song who metaphorically "paints" the speaker blue (evoking sadness).
Solving today’s The Atlantic Crossword Puzzle and stuck on the 7-letter answer to the Animal spotted on a safari? clue? Don’t worry, Lady Puzzle Pro has you covered! Whether you want the answer right away, revealed letter by letter, or this wordplay seems too puzzling, keep reading for the explanation.
Animal spotted on a safari? Answer Explained
The answer is CHEETAH.
“Animal spotted on a safari?” is a clue that uses a small but effective pun. At first glance, “spotted” simply means seen during a safari, which could fit many African animals. But the word also hints at an animal covered in spots. That second meaning leads to CHEETAH. Cheetahs are famous for their distinctive black spots and are often among the most sought-after sightings on safari trips across eastern and southern Africa. Beyond their appearance, cheetahs are known as the fastest land animals, capable of reaching speeds of around 70 miles per hour (113 km/h) in short bursts. The clue works because both meanings of “spotted”—seen and covered with spots—point neatly to the same answer.
Now that you've cracked the 15A Animal spotted on a safari? clue, you're one step closer to completing today’s The Atlantic Crossword Puzzle! If you're still stuck on other clues, don't worry, we've got you covered. Explore more The Atlantic Crossword answers right here, or check out our tools for solving the Bracket City, Stacks, or NYT The Daily Crossword.
Today’s The Atlantic Crossword Highlights
I just wrapped up today’s Wednesday The Atlantic crossword, and it was such a fun mix of quirky clues and satisfying aha moments! "CATPAWS" for toe beans was so cute, definitely my favorite clue. I loved the playful feel of "MWAHAHA" for an evil mastermind laugh, and "ONMYWAY" was a modern, relatable touch. Some clues like "CHEETAH" (animal spotted on a safari) were straightforward, but others, like "SAG" for "take a dip," felt clever. Overall, a really enjoyable midweek solve.
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