NYT Mini Crossword Answers (January 08, 2026)

We’ve reviewed numerous clues and answers for various NYT Mini Crossword puzzles, like the answer to ‘flexible gymnastics move,’ and we think it’s time to record the answers for the daily puzzle. If you’re unfamiliar with crosswords, you need to answer the clues provided to you by filling out the spaces with the appropriate word. By the end of the puzzle, all of the words should fit together both horizontally and vertically. If you’re

January 08, 2026 NYT Mini Crossword Answers

Across:

• “Kiss” from a canine – LICK
• One hunted by K-pop stars, in a hit 2025 film – DEMON
• Athlete’s peak form – A-GAME
• Molten rock in a volcano – MAGMA
• Beg – PLEAD

Down:

• Paper size bigger than “letter” – LEGAL
• JPEG or PNG – IMAGE
• Oxford ___ (much-debated punctuation mark) – COMMA
• Work, as dough – KNEAD
• Neither dry nor soaked – DAMP

NYT Mini Crossword Answers Archive

December 29 2025

Across:

• Bunny on the Hollywood Walk of Fame – BUGS
• Capital of Norway – OSLO
• Constantly complaining – WHINY
• Precipice – EDGE
• Part of R&R and R.I.P. – REST

Down:

• Knot for the present – BOW
• “Love in This Club” singer, 2008 – USHER
• Move effortlessly – GLIDE
• Spotify Wrapped listings – SONGS
• “You ain’t seen nothing ___!” – YET

December 27 2025

Across:

• Fashionable – HIP
• Product sold on The Office – PAPER
• One writing a performance review – MANAGER
• With 5-Down, redundant synonym of “outcome” – END
• Quiet ___ mouse – AS A
• Gives constant compliments, in slang – GASES UP
• Ski mountain bump – MOGUL
• Uneasy feeling – ANGST

Down:

• Personally involved – HANDS ON
• Hoppy beer, for short – IPA
• Mythical horse whose name is an anagram of 10-Across – PEGASUS
• Last word in the palindromic sentence “A man, a plan, a canal …” – PANAMA
• See 8-Across – RESULT
• Ryan of When Harry Met Sally… – MEG
• Genre for Playboi Carti and Cardi B – RAP
• Something in an Easter basket – EGG

December 22 2025

Across:

• Greeting from Kermit the Frog — HIHO
• Apt name for a baby born around Christmas — CAROL
• Body part that might be sprained or rolled — ANKLE
• Apt name for a baby born around Christmas — NOEL
• Unlikely to leave a mess — TIDY

Down:

• Vietnam’s capital city — HANOI
• Irritated — IRKED
• Apt name for a baby born around Christmas — HOLLY
• Cry at a bullfight — OLE
• “I ___ even!” (modern complaint) — CANT
• Sound from a fly swatter — SPLAT

December 20 2025

Across:

• Boston-area university with an elephant mascot — TUFTS
• Be nearly out of stock — RUN LOW
• Adams’s successor as New York City mayor — MAMDANI
• “Wicked,” for “good” — ANTONYM
• “If you say so …” — I GUESS
• Counterparts of Repubs — DEMS

Down:

• Belly, informally — TUM
• Fixes with Ctrl+Z — UNDO
• Custardy desserts — FLANS
• Awards for Broadway stars — TONYS
• Complete the first leg of a triathlon — SWIM
• Place to hone one’s golf swing — RANGE
• Honey __ (brand of graham crackers) — MAID

December 19 2025

Across:

• Melted marshmallow, e.g. – GOO
• Misleading poker bet – BLUFF
• New Hampshire’s is “Live Free or Die” – MOTTO
• Something stored in the cloud? – WATER
• Shade akin to khaki – TAN

Down:

• Exhibit poor sportsmanship, in a way – GLOAT
• “Get ___ town!” – OUTTA
• Much of the time – OFTEN
• High-end German automaker – BMW
• The “F” of FWIW – FOR

December 18 2025

Across:

• Faux ___ (misstep) – PAS
• Folder for unfinished emails – DRAFTS
• Low-quality, machine-generated content, informally – AISLOP
• Field of plants – BOTANY
• Had a bite – ATE

Down:

• Small yellow bowties, say – PASTA
• Black piano key next to G – AFLAT
• Piece of equipment in curling – STONE
• Faddish dance move of the mid-2010s – DAB
• ___ de Janeiro – RIO
• Costume that might include a black trench coat and sunglasses – SPY

December 17 2025

Across:

• Nod (off) – DOZE
• Naval submarine in W.W. II – UBOAT
• Tricky thing to do on a busy highway – MERGE
• Heat-resistant glassware for cooking – PYREX
• Put into groups – SORT

Down:

• Break up with – DUMP
• Falls in line, so to speak – OBEYS
• Legendary vigilante who cuts a “Z” with his sword – ZORRO
• Rarin’ to go – EAGER
• Common reminder for an upcoming appointment – TEXT

December 16 2025

Across:

• It has a trunk – CAR
• Kentucky senator ___ Paul – RAND
• They have branches – BANKS
• Nowhere to be found – AWOL
• It has a trunk and branches – TREE

Down:

• Something that’s carried while portaging, perhaps – CANOE
• ___ breaker, basketball move that causes the defender to fall over – ANKLE
• Two in a fork?: Abbr. – RDS
• Sound that imitates a lion or dinosaur – RAWR
• Symbol in the night sky over Gotham – BAT

December 15 2025

Across:

• Cold winter blanket – SNOW
• Number of candles in a full menorah – NINE
• “Point taken” – NOTED
• Rude sound at the dinner table – BURP
• Kind of bomb developed by Oppenheimer – ATOM

Down:

• Dog’s nose and mouth – SNOUT
• ___ cold brew – NITRO
• An hour after noon – ONEPM
• Get married to – WED
• Org. infiltrated by aliens in “Space Jam” – NBA

December 14 2025

Across:

• Stringed instrument that becomes an exclamation if you switch its second and third letters – VIOLA
• Place for unread emails – INBOX
• Back of a 45 record – BSIDE
• Olympic fencing event – EPEE
• Emergency call in Morse code – SOS

Down:

• Good ___ only – VIBES
• Bit of creative motivation, for short – INSPO
• Theater awards since 1956 – OBIES
• Ore deposit – LODE
• Tool for a firefighter or lumberjack – AXE

December 13 2025

Across:

• Field trip vehicle – BUS
• Peter’s antagonist, in a musical tale – WOLF
• “Keep me posted,” in texts – LMK0
• Opera solo – ARIA
• ___Pen (emergency device) – EPI
• With 12-Across, gets in order – SETS
• With 14-Across, what a tennis champ might win a match in – STRAIGHT
• See 12-Across – SETS
• “A long time ___ in a galaxy far, far away …” – AGO
• Shy and gentle – MEEK
• Prefix with apology or answer – NON
• Comes to a close – ENDS
• Have to pay – OWE

Down:

• “Goodness gracious!” – BLESSME
• Indefinitely many, informally – UMPTEEN
• Avoided, as an issue – SKIRTED
• “Now, where ___?” – WAS I
• Green topping at a pizza parlor – OREGANO
• John who played Churchill on “The Crown” – LITHGOW
• Sneaky trick to “pull” – FASTONE
• Doesn’t just assume one has permission – ASKS

December 11 2025

Across:

• Bullet ___ (insect known for its painful sting) – ANT
• Setting for the children’s book Good Night, Gorilla – ZOO
• Mixed-breed dogs – MUTTS
• Language that gave us the words “democracy” and “philosophy” – GREEK
• Untidy – MESSY

Down:

• Brilliant shade of blue – AZURE
• Classroom jottings – NOTES
• “100%,” in slang – TOTES
• Longtime movie studio now owned by Amazon – MGM
• Chicago W.N.B.A. team – SKY

December 10 2025

Across:

• Painter’s protective garment – SMOCK
• Toy Story 5 studio – PIXAR
• Your answer to “Where were you at 9 p.m. last night?,” perhaps – ALIBI
• Tennis star Rafael – NADAL
• Solemn sound from a church bell – KNELL

Down:

• Defeat soundly, in slang – SPANK
• Italian city with a fashion week – MILAN
• Iron ___ (rust) – OXIDE
• Small group of conspirators – CABAL
• Food for a baleen whale – KRILL

December 09 2025

Across:

• Apt profession for someone named Rosemary or Ginger – CHEF
• Get to go, as leftovers – BOX UP
• Word that can precede Bowl or Glue – SUPER
• Intense anger – RAGE
• “Cut that out!” – STOP

Down:

• Stephen Colbert’s network – CBS
• Noted group of 24 – HOURS
• One living abroad, informally – EXPAT
• Spanish for “fire” – FUEGO
• Do some kitchen work – PREP

December 08 2025

Across:

• ___ Mahal – TAJ
• “Everything must go!” event – SALE
• Deadly snake with fangs that fold upward – VIPER
• Netflix crime drama set in the mountains of Missouri – OZARK
• W, on a map – WEST

Down:

• Spanish small plates – TAPAS
• Ding on a phone, e.g. – ALERT
• Meanie face – JERK
• Shoebox number – SIZE
• Oath – VOW

December 07 2025

Across:

• 😉 – WINK
• Where the Bengals and Buckeyes play – OHIO
• Made some sounds in “Old MacDonald Had a Farm” – MOOED
• Pet adoption org. – ASPCA
• Red body part for Santa – CHEEK

Down:

• Sound of a joke flying over your head – WOOSH
• “Fingers crossed!” – I HOPE
• Sister’s daughter – NIECE
• ___ moment – KODAK
• Computer brought to a Genius Bar – MAC

December 06 2025

Across:

• “Stop, Your Honor!” – I OBJECT
• Mont Blanc’s mountain range – THE ALPS
• “Hips Don’t Lie” singer – SHAKIRA
• Professor’s helpers, for short – TAS
• Cotton, linen and satin – FABRICS
• Words before sharing a funny joke – I GOT ONE
• Woman who’s told “You don’t have to put on the red light,” in a hit by the Police – ROXANNE

Down:

• The “I” of T.G.I.F. – IT’S
• “NOW I understand!” – OHH
• Make percussion noises with one’s mouth – BEATBOX
• Capital of Indonesia – JAKARTA
• Shortening in speech, as from “captain” to “cap’n” – ELISION
• E.M.T.’s skill – CPR
• They might ask you to remove your shoes, for short – TSA
• Christmas tree variety – FIR
• Many moons ___ – AGO
• Channel whose initials are hidden from left to right in the word CHANNEL – CNN
• Get a glimpse of – SEE

December 01 2025

Across:

• Snug and comfortable — COZY
• “Eight Crazy Nights” or “12 Angry Men” — MOVIE
• “It’s impossible for me to do that” — I CAN’T
• Dog breed famously owned by Queen Elizabeth II — CORGI
• Simon ___ (children’s game) — SAYS

Down:

• Hot drink consumed after sledding, perhaps — COCOA
• Egg-producing organ — OVARY
• Pithy criticisms — ZINGS
• Giant snow man — YETI
• Equipment for podcasters — MICS

November 28 2025

Across:

• Major tech purchases on Black Friday – TVS
• Hit the mall – SHOP
• When many arrive at stores on Black Friday – EARLY
• “Buy one, get one ___” – FREE
• Clichéd holiday gift for dad – TIE

Down:

• Number of days that the first Thanksgiving feast lasted – THREE
• Small, mouselike rodent – VOLE
• Intelligence bureau worker – SPY
• Traditional garment worn at an Indian wedding – SARI
• Movement of money between accounts, for short – EFT

November 27 2025

Across:

• Enjoyed a Thanksgiving meal – FEASTED
• Back half of a GOAT? – ALLTIME
• Sudden urge – ROOF
• Santa’s landing place – ROOF
• Abstain from eating – FAST
• Tough guy – BRUISER
• Ready to use without further assembly – TURNKEY
• Some pieces of [circled letters] at the Thanksgiving table – WINGS

Down:

• Inside the foul line, in baseball – FAIR
• Furry monster with a falsetto – ELMO
• Pet food brand – ALPO
• Thanksgiving side dish that can fill the [circled letters] – STUFFING
• Shop ___ you drop – TIL
• M M M M – EMS
• Billy ___ Williams, actor who played Lando Calrissian in “Star Wars” – DEE
• Requests – ASKS
• “Get what I’m saying?” – SEE
• Give it a go – TRY
• “I should mention …,” for short – BTW
• N.B.A. power forward ___ Hachimura – RUI
• Large coffee dispenser – URN

November 26 2025

Across:

• Greyhound, e.g. – BUS
• Passenger’s walkway on a 1- or 6-Across – AISLE
• The Wolverine to Chicago’s Union Station, e.g. – TRAIN
• Barely beat, with “out” – EDGED
• “___ out!” (ump’s cry) – YER

Down:

• Feathered creature, in kid-speak – BIRDY
• Electricity bill calculation – USAGE
• More like a fox – SLIER
• Past-tense verb that sounds like a number – ATE
• Redundant word before “result” – END

November 25 2025

Across:

• What Peter Pan teaches the Darling kids to do – FLY
• Cover-up for a curse – BLEEP
• Bird perched atop a cactus on Mexico’s flag – EAGLE
• Go off, as a volcano – ERUPT
• Short albums, for short – EPS

Down:

• Burning emergency signal – FLARE
• Slight advantage, so to speak – LEGUP
• Checks restaurant reviews on one’s phone, perhaps – YELPS
• Spell-off – BEE
• “What was the name of your first ___?” (common security question) – PET

November 24 2025

Across:

• Prefix for some music genres – ALT
• Fab ___ (nickname for the Beatles) – FOUR
• Eagle’s claw – TALON
• Fab ___ (nickname for a noted University of Michigan basketball team) – FIVE
• Congregant’s seat – PEW

Down:

• Boat’s rear – AFT
• Shape of a cat with its legs tucked under itself – LOAF
• Flower that’s the subject of Dutch festivals – TULIP
• Wander aimlessly – ROVE
• Like many shows at the top of the Netflix queue – NEW

November 23 2025

Across:

• LinkedIn listing – JOB
• Planet with an average surface temperature of around 860°F- VENUS
• Written with a pen – IN INK
• Sheer torment – AGONY
• “___ thoughts?” – ANY

Down:

• Block tower – JENGA
• “Red” vegetable that’s really purple, if you ask me – ONION
• Word with Bad or Bugs – BUNNY
• By way of – VIA
• “Excuse me while I kiss the ___” (Hendrix lyric that’s famously misheard) – SKY

November 22 2025

Across:

• Moves (over) in one’s seat – SCOOTS
• Capital of Taiwan – TAIPEI
• ___ Bee – SPELLING
• In the style of – ALA
• Device with a keypad that’s typed on discreetly, for short – ATM
• ___ Bee – SAMANTHA
• “Family Guy” baby – STEWIE
• Sings in the Alps – YODELS

Down:

• Like some clams and freshly cleaned shirts – STEAMED
• What an online meeting invite gets added to, for short – CAL
• Vinegar’s counterpart – OIL
• Morphine and codeine, for two – OPIATES
• First inning in extra innings – TENTH
• Greek “S” – SIGMA
• Full of back talk – SASSY
• “Allegory of the Cave” philosopher – PLATO
• Wonderstruck feeling – AWE
• Nothin’ – NIL

November 21 2025

Across:

• Pump iron – LIFT
• Peer – EQUAL
• Like the music of Rick James and James Brown – FUNKY
• Animal that can’t change its stripes, per an old adage – TIGER
• Pointed part of a fork –TINE

Down:

• Dominant hand for Shohei Ohtani when batting, but not pitching – LEFT
• Resignation proclamation – I QUIT
• Mushrooms, mold, mildew, etc. – FUNGI
• “Is this seat ___?” – TAKEN
• U-shaped instrument in ancient Greece – LYRE

November 20 2025

Across:

• Song on an album that you always avoid, colloquially – SKIP
• Low-budget Chinese shopping site – TEMU
• Strongly desire – COVET
• Opera solo – ARIA
• Ivy League school with a statue of Ben Franklin – PENN

Down:

• Walmart or Walgreens – STORE
• Home Alone boy – KEVIN
• “Let me rephrase that …” – I MEAN
• Set (down) – PUT
• Toothpaste tube topper – CAP

November 18 2025

Across:

• Coarse, woolen fabric often used to make jackets – TWEED
• Alternative rock band with the album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot – WILCO
• Perfect – IDEAL
• Americana or country – GENRE
• “Wicked cool, man!” – RAD

Down:

• Tiny bit of kindling – TWIG
• More extensive – WIDER
• Kagan on the Supreme Court – ELENA
• Birthday greeting that doesn’t require an envelope – E-CARD
• Fruit company that once owned the entire island of Lanai – DOLE

November 17 2025

Across:

• Taylor Swift’s ___ Tour – ERAS
• Counterpart of “found” – LOST
• Difficult thing to achieve in a noisy office – FOCUS
• India’s prime minister since 2014 – MODI
• River of the underworld, in Greek myth – STYX

Down:

• Will Ferrell holiday movie – ELF
• Buckingham Palace has 775 of these – ROOMS
• Fancy necktie – ASCOT
• What’s found next to the Hall and Library on a Clue board – STUDY
• Carbon’s atomic number – SIX

November 16 2025

Across:

• Cars that stop at Supercharger stations – TESLAS
• What “e-” can mean – ONLINE
• Words that might begin the name of a quaint English inn – YE OLDE
• What “E” can mean – EMPTY
• Easter egg colorings – DYES

Down:

• Messed (with) – TOYED
• Ally’s opposite – ENEMY
• What “m” stands for in the equation “y = mx + b” – SLOPE
• Musical cadences of speech – LILTS
• Samberg of Brooklyn Nine-Nine – ANDY
• “___ what I did there?” – SEE

November 15 2025

Across:

• Theatrical role – PART
• Capital of Vietnam – HANOI
• Father of a “fur baby” – CAT DAD
• Words often accompanied by a ring – MARRY ME
• Whirling currents – EDDIES
• Put up, as a statue – ERECT
• Race that’s about half the length of a half-marathon – TEN K

Down:

• SpongeBob’s starfish friend – PATRICK
• “Despite it all …” – AND YET
• Wanders here and there – ROAMS
• Company with a “To Go” stain remover – TIDE
• Become firm – HARDEN
• Small group of soldiers – CADRE
• What parallel lines never do – MEET

November 13 2025

Across:

• Partner of ready and willing — ABLE
• Sound from a delighted crowd — ROAR
• Title that shares its first two letters with “Mamdani” — MAYOR
• Second chance — REDO
• Played Pictionary, perhaps — DREW

Down:

• Sleeve filler — ARM
• Component of a chess set — BOARD
• Extra bit of clothing for warmth — LAYER
• Wear away — ERODE
• Orderly arrangement of ducks, in a saying — ROW

November 12 2025

Across:

• Place with ships and slips — DOCK
• Assignment for a delivery driver — ROUTE
• Way in — ENTRY
• What might leave stains on a gardener’s pants — SOIL
• Fearsome dinosaur, for short — TREX

Down:

• Person giving blood — DONOR
• Kind of belly button that 10% of the world has — OUTIE
• Shortcut for “cut,” for short — CTRL-X
• Door opener … like 6-Across? — KEY
• “Oh, give it a ___ already!” — REST

November 11 2025

Across:

• Villain’s counterpart — HERO
• California governor Newsom — GAVIN
• Home to Prada (and pasta) — ITALY
• Shipping company with a purple-and-orange logo — FEDEX
• Three-pointer, in basketball lingo — TREY

Down:

• Hard person to please — HATER
• Get around — EVADE
• “Inside Out” girl — RILEY
• Deep black gemstone — ONYX
• “Today is a ___ . That’s why it’s called the present” (cliché) — GIFT

November 10 2025

Across:

• Go on a run in the freezing cold? — SKI
• Full of oneself — VAIN
• Nabisco wafer brand — NILLA
• Powerhouse in women’s college basketball, with a record 12 national championships — UCONN
• On edge — TENSE

Down:

• Beauty parlor — SALON
• Ceramicist’s ovens — KILNS
• Ridiculous — INANE
• Bad habit — VICE
• A cashew … or a cuckoo — NUT

November 09 2025

Across:

• Croat or Bulgarian — SLAV
• No-___ Texas Hold’em (poker variety) — LIMIT
• Proof you weren’t part of the crime, say — ALIBI
• Roll around in the morning? — BAGEL
• Purchase price — COST

Down:

• Thick piece of concrete — SLAB
• Light purple — LILAC
• Ol’ buddy ol’ pal — AMIGO
• Has good chemistry (with) — VIBES
• Lean to one side — TILT

November 06 2025

Across:

• Fresh addition to a pasta sauce, perhaps – BASIL
• Log ___ (water park ride) – FLUME
• Group of ships – FLEET
• Some drinks from “streams” – SODAS
• Documentarian Burns – KEN

Down:

• Closest pals, for short – BFFS
• “No problems here!” – ALL OK
• Shoe material in an Elvis – SUEDE
• “That is to say …” – I MEAN
• Tennis do-overs – LETS

November 05 2025

Across:

• Fresh addition to a pasta sauce, perhaps – BASIL
• Log ___ (water park ride) – FLUME
• Group of ships – FLEET
• Some drinks from “streams” – SODAS
• Documentarian Burns – KEN

Down:

• Closest pals, for short – BFFS
• “No problems here!” – ALL OK
• Shoe material in an Elvis – SUEDE
• “That is to say …” – I MEAN
• Tennis do-overs – LETS

November 04 2025

Across:

• Quickly fall asleep after a long day – CRASH
• 1/16 of a pound – OUNCE
• Where chess, shampoo and the number zero were invented – INDIA
• Uproar – FUROR
• Opposite of saved – SPENT

Down:

• Fancy hairdos – COIFS
• Period preceding a big event – RUNUP
• Tennis great Agassi – ANDRE
• Descendant of a wealthy family – SCION
• Symbol for “like” on Instagram – HEART

November 03 2025

Across:

• State with more pigs than people – IOWA
• Sporcle offering – QUIZ
• Facial cavity that can become congested – SINUS
• Jamaican style of preparing chicken – JERK
• On the ocean – ASEA

Down:

• Geniuses have high ones – IQS
• Kind of board whose name is trademarked by Hasbro – OUIJA
• Drinks kept in a cellar – WINES
• Sky-blue – AZURE
• Reggae relative – SKA

November 01 2025

Across:

• Ethically sourced, as some eggs – CAGEFREE
• Residents of Tehran – IRANIANS
• Air sign? – SKYWRITE
• ___ Faire (medieval-themed festival, informally) – REN
• Athlete from Cleveland or the University of Virginia – CAVALIER
• Kind of bathing suit – ONEPIECE
• Musical whizzes – MAESTROS

Down:

• Certain gender identity – CIS
• Holy object sought in the first “Indiana Jones” movie – ARK
• ___ pride – GAY
• Completely surrounds – ENWRAPS
• Like a cozy campsite on a cool autumn night, say – FIRELIT
• Washington’s Mount ___, the highest peak in the Cascades – RAINIER
• Sinus-treating doctor, for short – ENT
• Opposite of WNW – ESE
• _ _ _mon URL ending – COM
• De Armas who starred in 2025’s “Ballerina” – ANA
• Shape of flying geese – VEE
• Prefix with friendly – ECO
• Restaurant booking, informally – RES

October 31 2025

Across:

• Buffalo hockey player – SABRE
• “I’ll have the ___” (frequent customer’s order) – USUAL
• Contents of a volcano – MAGMA
• Adjust to a new environment – ADAPT
• With 10-Across, last car on a train – CA (boo)
• See 9-Across – SE

Down:

• “Poison” shrub – SUMAC
• Carne ___ – ASADA
• Imaginary cause of fear – BUGA (boo)
• Accessible alternatives to staircases – RAMPS
• Make extremely happy – ELATE

October 30 2025:

Across:

• Words on either side of “___ what ___” – IT IS
• Breathes like a dog – PANTS
• Podcast’s medium – AUDIO
• Test with one’s nose – SNIFF
• President after Teddy Roosevelt – TAFT

Down:

• Hoppy beers, for short – IPAS
• Talk trash to – TAUNT
• The “I” of 1-Down – INDIA
• How you might feel after a long car ride – STIFF
• Pillowy – SOFT

October 29 2025:

Across:

• Skill taught at lifeguard training, for short – CPR
• Bop it! – HEAD
• Not given anything to eat – UNFED
• Twist it! Pull it! – TAFFY
• Best of the best – ELITE

Down:

• Means of getting trash to a basement dumpster – CHUTE
• Word that can precede “code” or “colony” – PENAL
• “Baby Beluga” musician – RAFFI
• Neatly skillful – DEFT
• Change the color of, as hair – DYE

October 28 2025:

Across:

• Skill taught at lifeguard training, for short – CPR
• Bop it! – HEAD
• Not given anything to eat – UNFED
• Twist it! Pull it! – TAFFY
• Best of the best – ELITE

Down:

• Means of getting trash to a basement dumpster – CHUTE
• Word that can precede “code” or “colony” – PENAL
• “Baby Beluga” musician – RAFFI
• Neatly skillful – DEFT
• Change the color of, as hair – DYE

October 27 2025:

Across:

• “Soooo cute!” reactions – AWS
• ___ mode (battery-saving state) – SLEEP
• Africa’s largest capital city – CAIRO
• Bicker, bicker, bicker – ARGUE
• Close-mouthed sound of agreement – MM HMM

Down:

• Reason to suddenly bolt awake – ALARM
• Put on a scale – WEIGH
• Skin-care product dispensed with a dropper – SERUM
• Total rip-off – SCAM
• “The Raven” or “The Road Not Taken” – POEM

October 25 2025:

Across:

• Rubber ducky’s “habitat” – BATH
• Coin in Cannes – EURO
• Go “Grrrr …” – GROWL
• “The other thing I wanted to say …” – ALSO
• Street sign in a school zone – SLOW

Down:

• Plead – BEG
• Vibes, in Gen Z speak – AURAS
• Social media menace – TROLL
• “Oh, yeah? Explain that to me” – HOW SO
• Like a phone battery under 20% – LOW

October 24, 2025:

Across:

• Dove’s soft call — COO
• Write-up on a book jacket — BLURB
• Two to one, for one — RATIO
• Cupid’s weaponry, along with 5-Down — ARROW
• Jennings of “Jeopardy!” — KEN

Down:

• W.N.B.A. star Caitlin — CLARK
• Beyond bizarre, from the French — OUTRE
• What has a “belt” seen only at night — ORION
• Supportive undergarment — BRA
• See 7-Across — BOW

October 23, 2025:

Across:

• Like some weather, memories and I.P.A.s — HAZY
• Statement that’s self-evidently true — AXIOM
• Civic automaker — HONDA
• What fear leads to, as Yoda told a young Anakin — ANGER
• Foxlike — SLY

Down:

• Verbal “lol” — HAHA
• Brain signal transmitter — AXON
• Hits with a witty comeback — ZINGS
• Sing at the top of a mountain, maybe — YODEL
• Name of the famous “Queen of Scots” — MARY

October 22, 2025:

Across:

• Roomful of students — CLASS
• Something to bring in a brown paper bag — LUNCH
• ___ Harbor, sightseeing area of Baltimore — INNER
• Where many Stephen King novels are set — MAINE
• Beagle or bulldog — BREED

Down:

• Go bouldering, e.g. — CLIMB
• ___ New Year — LUNAR
• Redhead of musical/movie fame — ANNIE
• Something an actor might steal — SCENE
• Tear to pieces — SHRED

October 21, 2025:

Across:

• Bone that can be “dropped” — JAW
• Late scientist Goodall — JANE
• Make critical assumptions about — JUDGE
• Best by a little — ONE UP
• Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn, etc. — GODS

Down:

• Just kind of over it — JADED
• Beef cattle breed — ANGUS
• Shed tears — WEEP
• 2007 comedy-drama starring Elliot Page and Michael Cera — JUNO
• Refresh, as one’s memory — JOG

October 20, 2025:

Across:

• Sound from a mouse — CLICK
• Many-headed serpent killed by Hercules — HYDRA
• View from a cruise ship window — OCEAN
• “See ya later!” — PEACE
• Animal whose antlers can grow up to an inch per day — ELK

Down:

• Dice, e.g. — CHOP
• French for “high school” — LYCEE
• 10 out of 10 — IDEAL
• Sound from a bat — CRACK
• “Citizen ___” — KANE

October 19, 2025:

Across:

• [Gross!] — GAG
• Finish off, as a tube of toothpaste — USE UP
• Argentine dance style — TANGO
• Dish : dirt :: ___ : tea — SPILL
• The “E” of REM — EYE

Down:

• 2023 Olivia Rodrigo album with the hit single “Bad Idea Right?” — GUTS
• “Right away!” — ASAP
• Disney role for Robin Williams or Will Smith — GENIE
• Like a Christmas sweater, perhaps — UGLY
• Festivus centerpiece — POLE

October 18, 2025:

Across:

• Class for dummies? — CPR
• Fuzzy boot brand — UGG
• Metal sought by a miner — ORE
• T.S.A. ___ Check — PRE
• Me, in Marseilles — MOI
• “The Da Vinci Code” author Brown — DAN
• Fan base of a major K-pop supergroup — BTS ARMY
• The world’s fastest-growing religion, with nearly 350 million new observers in the past decade — ISLAM
• Like a thick winter jacket, say — PUFFY
• Ticketmaster purchases — SEATS

Down:

• Tool in a grooming kit — COMB
• Helpful nuggets from experts — PRO TIPS
• Publish again, as a magazine edition — REISSUE
• Skyward gust of air — UPDRAFT
• Record of the Year and Best New Artist — GRAMMY
• Millennials’ cohort, informally — GEN Z
• ___ Romeo (sporty Italian car) — ALFA

October 17, 2025:

Across:

• “The Naked Gun” or “Scary Movie” – SPOOF
• ___ cut (short hairstyle) – PIXIE
• Napoleon’s punishment after the Battle of Waterloo – EXILE
• Surrendered – CEDED
• They travel up and down snow-covered hills – SLEDS

Down:

• Glasses, informally – SPECS
• Dot on a computer screen – PIXEL
• Nitrous ___ (laughing gas) – OXIDE
• De-squeaked, as a bike chain – OILED
• Scrollable features of social media – FEEDS

October 16, 2025:

Across:

• Red or white, but not blue – WINE
• Island country whose culture inspired much of “Moana” – SAMOA
• Garlic ___ (pizzeria appetizer) – KNOTS
• Small coastal waterway – INLET
• Protective football gear – PADS

Down:

• “___ bet?” – WANNA
• Remark after not getting a modern reference – IMOLD
• Movie studio’s feedback for a director – NOTES
• 3 o’clock, directionally – EAST
• Button pressed to escape a YouTube ad – SKIP

October 15, 2025:

Across:

• Chromebooks, but not MacBooks – PCS
• “Yippee!” – WAHOO
• Reveal, as juicy gossip – SPILL
• With 2-Down, chef who helped popularize chicken cordon bleu in the U.S. – JULIA
• Toss in – ADD

Down:

• ___ New Guinea – PAPAU
• See 7-Across – CHILD
• State of matter for most elements at room temperature – SOLID
• Business-focused newspaper, for short – WSJ
• Hello, in Portuguese – OLA

October 14, 2025:

Across:

• Smokes, informally – CIGS
• “Don’t have ___, man!” (Bart Simpson catchphrase) – ACOW
• What the vehicle in “lane one” of this crossword is winning? – RACE
• Pitt of Hollywood – BRAD
• “Yeah, whatever” – SURE
• Rd. crossers – STS

Down:

• Things to “load” before a marathon – CARBS
• Mythical figure who inspired the idiom “fly too close to the sun” – ICARUS
• Zoomer around a small track – GOCART
• Neighbors of Norwegians – SWEDES

October 13, 2025:

Across:

• Door handle – KNOB
• Talking about your ex on a first date, e.g. – NONO
• Like some minds, martinis and money – DIRTY
• “Should that be the case …” – IFSO
• Profound – DEEP

Down:

• Butter ___ – KNIFE
• Like the god Tyr, for whom Tuesday is named – NORSE
• Winning – ONTOP
• Reason for blue decorations at a baby shower, perhaps – BOY
• Accomplished – DID

October 12, 2025:

Across:

• A 5-Across might be a wild one – CARD
• One of two in a standard deck – JOKER
• Homer called its oil “liquid gold” – OLIVE
• Symbolic flower in Buddhism – LOTUS
• Bunkers on a golf course – TRAPS

Down:

• Use crayons, e.g. – COLOR
• Japanese dog breed – AKITA
• Really energize – REVUP
• Garment that may be strapless – DRESS
• Sudden shock – JOLT

October 11, 2025:

Across:

• Deaf communication method, for short – ASL
• Sound from a fan that’s been turned off? – BOO
• Freezing – ICECOLD
• Cristiano ___, soccer star with the most career goals (946) – RONALDO
• Brother product – PRINTER
• Word after “bottle” or “eye” – OPENER
• Had a fancy meal – DINED
• Drunkards – SOTS

Down:

• Earbuds introduced in 2016 – AIRPOD
• Zodiac arachnid – SCORPION
• Not strict with rules – LENIENT
• Ran like the wind – BOLTED
• Like the Triassic period, vis-à-vis the Jurassic – OLDER
• Stench – ODOR
• French city with a famous film festival – CANNES

October 10, 2025:

Across:

• Go off the ___ … like the last letter of 8-Across? – GRID
• The “R” of P.R., on a map – RICO
• Patient’s share of the cost – COPAY
• São ___, Brazil – PAULO
• Totally disconnect and enjoy nature – UNPLU

Down:

• Rhyming partner of moan – GROAN
• Tear to pieces – RIP UP
• Daring response to “All in” – I CALL
• “___ get my drift?” – DO YOU
• Computer’s “brain,” for short – CPU

October 09, 2025:

Across:

• ___ of personality – CULT
• Spelling Bee rank achieved by getting 70% of total points – GENIUS
• THC-infused gummy, e.g. – EDIBLE
• Grid with numbers – MATRIX
• Harvest – REAP

Down:

• Olympic gymnast with five moves named after her – BILES
• Dentist’s often-unheeded advice – FLOSS
• Aladdin comic relief – GENIE
• Actress Rooney – MARA
• Email folder – SENT

October 08, 2025:

Across:

• ___ of personality – CULT
• Spelling Bee rank achieved by getting 70% of total points – GENIUS
• THC-infused gummy, e.g. – EDIBLE
• Grid with numbers – MATRIX
• Harvest – REAP

Down:

• Moth-repellent wood – CEDAR
• Join together – UNITE
• Zodiac sign before Scorpio – LIBRA
• Flower that caused the world’s first economic bubble in the 1630s – TULIP
• Rock on a band – GEM
• It sells, in an old maxim – SEX

October 07, 2025:

Across:

• Airport in Queens, familiarly – JFK
• Greek goddess of the earth – GAIA
• Lively and exciting – BUZZY
• Tease playfully – RAZZ
• Minnesota senator Klobuchar – AMY

Down:

• D.J. ___ Jeff, onetime musical partner of Will Smith – JAZZY
• Emit bubbles – FIZZ
• “Sure,” slangily – KAY
• Westernmost territory of the U.S. – GUAM
• Undergarment item – BRA

October 06, 2025:

Across:

• Word announced before sharing a bit of trivia – FACT
• Renewable energy option – SOLAR
• Make a case (for) – ARGUE
• Edible part of rhubarb – STALK
• Look for hiders – SEEK

Down:

• Actor Will of The Four Seasons and MacGruber – FORTE
• Scummy stuff – ALGAE
• Waterproof window sealant – CAULK
• Arduous journey – TREK
• “Don’t ___ me!” (“Watch your attitude!”) – SASS

October 05, 2025:

Across:

• Vague assortment of things – STUFF
• Prison-related – PENAL
• Country that’s home to the majority of the world’s wild tigers – INDIA
• Basketball offenses – FOULS
• Recently picked from the garden, say – FRESH

Down:

• Improve in appearance, with “up” – SPIFF
• Second-lowest voice in many choirs – TENOR
• Excessive – UNDUE
• Gets an F – FAILS
• Necessity for photographing in the dark – FLASH

October 04, 2025:

Across:

• Tiered temples – PAGODAS
• “Journey” that a narcissist goes on – EGO TRIP
• What might have a glazed look? – POTTERY
• “We have an agreement” – DEAL
• Bathroom brand with bears in its commercials – CHARMIN
• Public image – PERSONA
• Boat boarded by beasts – ARK
• Still sealed in the container – NEW

Down:

• Lively spirit – PEP
• “Once upon a time, a few mistakes ___ …” (Taylor Swift lyric) – AGO
• Turned to night – GOT DARK
• Playful river swimmers – OTTERS
• “Like THAT will ever happen!” – DREAM ON
• Southwest, e.g. – AIRLINE
• Someone using a hidden camera or signal jammer – SPY
• Tax filing pro, for short – CPA
• She/___ – HER
• Folksy thumbs-down – NAW

October 03, 2025:

Across:

• The fitting missing letters in OOGLE MA _ — GPS
• Amtrak express train — ACELA
• With 2- and 5-Down, distinction for kids who finish their whole dinner — CLEAN
• Desires, with “after” — LUSTS
• Honey Nut Cheerios mascot — BEE

Down:

• “Silly” birds — GEESE
• See 6-Across — PLATE
• Without — SANS
• Knee tissue that’s prone to tearing, for short — ACL
• See 6-Across — CLUB

October 02, 2025:

Across:

• Whoopi in “Sister Act,” either way you look at it — NUN
• Resting on — ATOP
• Nancy Pelosi’s title from 2019 to ’23, either way you look at it — MADAM
• Science fiction award won by N.K. Jemisin three years in a row — HUGO
• Tailor’s edge — HEM

Down:

• Setting for the war novels The Sympathizer and The Women, informally — NAM
• Six-sided state — UTAH
• “Obviously!!” — NO DUH
• Website part — PAGE
• Lorelai Gilmore on Gilmore Girls, either way you look at it — MOM

October 01, 2025:

Across:

• Finish filming — WRAP
• Capital city with a view of pyramids — CAIRO
• “Now that you mention it, of course!” — AH YES
• Make fun of mercilessly — ROAST
• Symbol on an L.A. Chargers helmet — BOLT

Down:

• “Yay!” — WAHOO
• Saudi currency — RIYAL
• “Give it ___!” — A REST
• Write on social media — POST
• Pasta or bread, informally — CARB

September 30, 2025:

Across:

• Exclamation made with a shiver — BRR
• Putt ’er there! — GREEN
• “___ gotta be kidding me!” — YOU’VE
• Negative attribute, so to speak — MINUS
• Got some shut-eye — SLEPT

Down:

• Oven button with a “high” or “low” setting — BROIL
• Get together again, like alumni — REUNE
• Make go “Vroom!” — REV UP
• Spots where you might spot some spotters — GYMS
• Egg container — NEST

September 29, 2025:

Across:

• Make chicken? — SCARE
• Stretchy glove material — LATEX
• Island that’s the “A” of the so-called ABC Islands — ARUBA
• Gently play, as a guitar — STRUM
• Helpful link for a daily Spelling Bee solver — HINTS

Down:

• What’s typed instead of a question mark if you forget to press shift — SLASH
• Rapper Playboi ___ — CARTI
• Take ___ for the worse — A TURN
• Make a counterargument against — REBUT
• Midterms and finals — EXAMS

September 25, 2025:

Across:

• Item found behind someone’s ear in a classic magic trick – COIN (well, it wasn’t going to be a rabbit, was it? Actually that would be pretty impressive)
• Do the Floss or the Griddy – DANCE (I thought these could be memes with the right amount of letters, but I guess some people don’t really know that)
• Helpful pointer – ARROW
• Moody sorts, often – TEENS (attempting to guess this one by itself with no letters is close to impossible)
• Sums up – ADDS

Down:

• Gave a hoot – CARED (I was sad to see this was not owl related)
• “No Turn ___” (street sign) – ONRED (genuinely one of my least favorite things you can get a ticket for)
• App images – ICONS
• One “N” of CNN – NEWS (I mean, “network” isn’t going to fit in many Mini puzzles).
• Numbers to crunch – DATA

September 24, 2025:

Across:

• Pond gunk — SCUM
• With 8-Across, like an unlimited buffet — ALL YOU
• See 5-Across — CAN EAT
• Opponent of Athens in the Peloponnesian War — SPARTA
• “Keep it down!” — SHH

Down:

• Outs that advance the runner, in baseball lingo — SACS
• Put your hands together — CLAP
• Bone on the same side of the arm as the pinky — ULNA
• Mike who voiced Shrek — MYERS
• Hippocratic ___ (doctor’s pledge) — OATH
• State with license plates that read “Greatest Snow on Earth” — UTAH

September 23, 2025:

Across:

• The “Hawaiian” version of this food was invented in Canada – PIZZA (I really love it even though there are so many debates about pineapple on pizza. I am fully supportive of it)
• Unintuitive phrase for a language learner – IDIOM
• Tiny bit of change – PENNY (this one really got me, was the last word preventing me from finishing the puzzle)
• Wise ones – SAGES
• Drug that supposedly influenced the Beatles on “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” – LSD (not all that many major three letter drugs. PCP? Didn’t seem quite right)

Down:

• Black dots on dominoes – PIPS (Well I know why they picked this one, because it’s a new NYT game you can play right now, its first in a very long time)
• “In an ___ world …” – IDEAL
• Witty insults – ZINGS
• Spaced (out) – ZONED (I kept trying to get ZONKED to fit but obviously that didn’t work)
• Vegetarian foods brand – AMYS (I make my kid this mac and cheese brand but I didn’t realize the whole brand was vegetarian)

September 22, 2025:

Across:

• Barker who hosted “The Price Is Right” – BOB
• (Base x height) / 2, for a triangle – AREA
• Bouncy toys in a playroom – BALLS
• Budget for – ALLOT
• Busy buzzers … and letters found at the start of every clue in this puzzle – BEES

Down:

• Baked dessert soaked in rum – BABA
• Big name in dental products – ORALB
• “Beauty and the Beast” protagonist – BELLE
• Balm ingredient with soothing properties – ALOE
• Bourbon and Beale: Abbr. – STS

September 21, 2025:

Across:

• Went illegally fast – SPED
• It might have some highlights – HAIR
• Pair for a griller – TONGS
• Meyers of late-night comedy – SETH
• “Hey you! Over here!” – PSST

Down:

• Pair of ___ – SHOES
• Pair of ___ – PANTS
• Number of stories in the Leaning Tower of Pisa- EIGHT
• Many characters on “The Pitt”: Abbr. – DRS
• Recipe amt. – TSP

September 20, 2025:

Across:

• Small woodwind in a military band – FIFE
• Made cow sounds – MOOED
• Made cat sounds – MEOWED
• With 1-Down, annual activity with a draft – FOOTBALL
• Someone who wasn’t named a Pro Bowler, but should have been – SNUB
• Hot sauce that comes in tiny bottles – TABASCO
• Watchful of imminent danger – ONALERT
• Multi-part sports bets – PARLAYS

Down:

• See 7-Across – FANTASY
• Its capital is Des Moines – IOWA
• Extra charges for ticket purchases – FEES
• Swirl of water – EDDY
• Row of options on a computer screen – MENUBAR
• Tomorrow, in Spanish – MANANA
• Camera setting that adjusts the size of the aperture – FSTOP
• “… from ___ to shining ___” – SEA
• Shed tears – CRY
• Periods after fourth quarters, in brief – OT

September 17, 2025:

Across:

• Middling – SO-SO
• Attractive, muscular guy – HUNK
• 1/23/45 and 6/7/89 – DATES
• Big name in flat-pack furniture – IKEA
• Job benefit – PERK

Down:

• NYT Mini Down Answers
• Ice cream drink – SHAKE
• Word with space or Banks – OUTER
• Quarterback running play – SNEAK
• Signs off on – OKS
• Buy the ___ (investing strategy) – DIP

September 16, 2025:

Across:

• Catch, as a ride – HITCH
• Where Moscow (pop. 25,435) can be found in the U.S. – IDAHO
• Where Paris (pop. 24,476) can be found in the U.S. – TEXAS
• Where Belgrade (pop. 3,250) and Stockholm (pop. 250) can be found in the U.S. – MAINE
• Letters after kays – ELS

Down:

• “I’ll have another card,” in blackjack – HIT ME
• Optimal – IDEAL
• Some rides from the airport – TAXIS
• Jackie of martial arts films – CHAN
• Garden watering aid – HOSE

September 15, 2025:

Across:

• Gossip that’s “dished” – DIRT
• It might be prompted to make funny images online, for short – GEN AI
• “It’s an ___ but a goodie!” – OLDIE
• Enthusiastic, as a fan – AVID
• Gossip that’s “spilled” – TEA

Down:

• Dig (into) – DELVE
• World’s most populous country since 2023 – INDIA
• Brand in the pest control aisle – RAID
• Matching item for a groomsman – TIE
• Billy or nanny – GOAT

September 14, 2025:

Across:

• Tailgate attendee – FAN
• Sin City – VEGAS
• Seine city – PARIS
• Fashion designer Madden – STEVE
• “You get what I’m saying?” – SEE

Down:

• Major accomplishments – FEATS
• Side (with) – AGREE
• Likely to buy an obvious lie – NAIVE
• Elected officials who ride in Air Force Two: Abbr. – VPS
• Opposite of NNW – SSE

September 12, 2025:

Across:

• Ink-squirting creature — SQUID
• Handbag — PURSE
• Wolverine’s alias in “X-Men” — LOGAN
• Enjoyed dinner at home, say — ATE IN
• Stuffed animal named after the 26th president of the United States — TEDDY

Down:

• Sound of a cupcake hitting the floor, frosting-first — SPLAT
• Common feature of a news article — QUOTE
• Tried to convince — URGED
• “Since you didn’t hear me the first time …” — I SAID
• Name in a breakfast restaurant chain — DENNY

September 11, 2025:

Across:

• George Carlin, for the first episode of “Saturday Night Live” — HOST
• Sulky-looking — POUTY
• Request for a high-five — UP TOP
• Subway system — METRO
• Opponent of Cuomo and Mamdani in the N.Y.C. mayoral race — ADAMS

Down:

• Crossed one’s fingers — HOPED
• “Straight ___ Compton” — OUTTA
• Bad time to head outside with a tall metal rod — STORM
• What autocorrect corrects — TYPOS
• Sneaker named for a big cat — PUMA

September 10, 2025:

Across:

• In alphabetical order, the five letters each worth at least five points in Scrabble — JKQXZ
• Largest airport in the Midwest — OHARE
• The Devil — SATAN
• “Every Kiss Begins With ___” (longtime jewelry slogan) — KAY
• Busy org. on April 15th — IRS

Down:

• ___ A. Bank (menswear retailer) — JOS
• Yellowish-brown pants material — KHAKI
• Tiny neighbor of Saudi Arabia — QATAR
• Pictures of fractures, perhaps — XRAYS
• In a chill state of mind — ZEN

September 09, 2025:

Across:

• Aerobics class with platforms — STEP
• Like crackers that have lost some crunch — STALE
• Not healthy, as a relationship — TOXIC
• Black-and-white cookies — OREOS
• W, as in Waze? — WEST

Down:

• H&M or Home Depot — STORE
• They’re often withheld from one’s paycheck — TAXES
• Writer T. S. ___ — ELIOT
• Chest muscles, for short — PECS
• Put safely away — STOW

September 08, 2025:

Across:

• Music purchases of the ’90s and early 2000s — CDS
• Eco-conscious diaper option — CLOTH
• Styles of singing? — HARRY
• Invite to one’s loft, say — ASK UP
• What “yellow” and “mellow” do — RHYME

Down:

• What yellow and purple do, some say — CLASH
• Like many an endearing goofball — DORKY
• Play, as a guitar — STRUM
• Burn slightly — CHAR
• Overblown promotion — HYPE

September 07, 2025:

Across:

• Winner over scissors, loser to paper — ROCK
• Angelina of “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” — JOLIE
• “What a time to be ___!” — ALIVE
• Halloween costume with red horns — DEVIL
• Member of the C-suite — EXEC

Down:

• 1D. Watch brand with the slogan “A Crown for Every Achievement” — ROLEX
• Martini garnish — OLIVE
• Honda model with a palindromic name — CIVIC
• Boat’s bottom — KEEL
• Green gemstone — JADE

September 05, 2025:

Across:

• Slumber party attire, casually – PJS
• Surplus – GLUT
• Bobby ___, co-founder of the Black Panthers – SEALE
• Soccer announcer’s cry after a goal – ITSIN
• Famous star-crossed lover – ROMEO
• D.C. baseball player – NAT

Down:

• Substance inside early flat-screen TVs – PLASMA
• Famous star-crossed lover – JULIET
• Recorder in a courtroom – STENO
• “Hop aboard!” – GET ON
• “___, yes, ___!” – SIR

September 04, 2025:

Across:

• National park in the Canadian Rockies – BANFF
• Elevator choice – FLOOR
• Means of transport in Seattle, San Francisco and New York – FERRY
• Unlikely chef in a 2007 Pixar film – RAT
• “Honor ___ father …” – THY

Down:

• Closest pal, informally – BFF
• Text notification, e.g. – ALERT
• Jones who sang “Come Away With Me” – NORAH
• Number of thieves faced by Ali Baba – FORTY
• Loose item at the bottom of a fast-food bag, perhaps – FRY

September 03, 2025:

Across:

• On this spot – HERE
• – EQUAL
• Organisms that sound like someone you’d enjoy hanging out with – FUNGI
• Where the North Base Camp for Mount Everest can be found – TIBET
• Combustible funeral structure – PYRE

Down:

• Serious weight – HEFT
• Furnish with supplies – EQUIP
• Bring up to in order to get a quick opinion – RUNBY
• Like the proverbial beaver – EAGER
• Miller ___ (beer) – LITE

September 02, 2025:

Across:

• Product that Wrigley manufactured before entering the chewing gum industry – Answer: SOAP
• Hemsworth or Pratt – Answer: CHRIS
• Superior to – Answer: ABOVE
• ___ buddies (close pals) – Answer: BOSOM
• Abominable Snowman – Answer: YETI

Down:

• “Souvenir” from a scrape – Answer: SCAB
• “Here we go again …” – Answer: OHBOY
• Suddenly came up, as an issue – Answer: AROSE
• Bit of basketball footwork – Answer: PIVOT
• Vehicle that might frustrate highway drivers when it moves into the passing lane – Answer: – SEMI

September 01, 2025:

Across:

• Icon of the Cuban Revolution – CHE
• Sound of a fall – THUD
• Sound of a spring – BOING
• How far an electric vehicle can go before recharging – RANGE
• GPS lines: Abbr. – RDS

Down:

• Goatees grow on them – CHINS
• Like a deadlocked jury – HUNG
• Slight advantage – EDGE
• Mushroom-headed character of the Mario games – TOAD
• Sound of winter – BRRR

August 31, 2025

Across:

• “Hamilton” was nominated for 16 of them in ’16 – TONYS
• Vegetable you might wear cooking goggles to cut – ONION
• Lizard that can detach its own tail – GECKO
• Slightly off, as a picture frame – ASKEW
• Cunning – SLY

Down:

• Wrap on filming “300”? – TOGA
• Tip jar bills – ONES
• Tiny shaving cuts – NICKS
• Country bumpkin – YOKEL
• Adjective that can precede “owl” or “egret” – SNOWY

August 30, 2025

Across:

• “Thanks, I ___ you one!” – OWE
• Egg-laying mother – HEN
• Plant with tart red stalks used in pie filling – RHUBARB
• Proud father of daughters, in lingo – GIRLDAD
• Tart-tasting beers – SOURS
• Largest of the U.S. Virgin Islands – STCROIX
• Wedding companion – PLUSONHE
• “Mm-hmm” – YEP
• Booker T. and the ___ – MGS

Down:

• Wikipedia’s URL ender – ORG
• It might be blown in the fourth quarter – WHISTLE
• Continent-wide soccer tournament, informally – EUROCUP
• Wasn’t too full for dessert – HADROOM
• Wiping, as a hard drive – ERASING
• Texter’s “Don’t worry about it” – NDB
• Fuzzy photo features – BLURS
• Many a character on Apple TV+’s “Slow Horses” or Netflix’s “Black Doves” – SPY
• Crosses (out) – EXES

August 29, 2025

Across:

• “Thanks, I ___ you one!” – OWE
• Egg-laying mother – HEN
• Plant with tart red stalks used in pie filling – RHUBARB
• Proud father of daughters, in lingo – GIRLDAD
• Tart-tasting beers – SOURS
• Largest of the U.S. Virgin Islands – STCROIX
• Wedding companion – PLUSONHE
• “Mm-hmm” – YEP
• Booker T. and the ___ – MGS

Down:

• Wikipedia’s URL ender – ORG
• It might be blown in the fourth quarter – WHISTLE
• Continent-wide soccer tournament, informally – EUROCUP
• Wasn’t too full for dessert – HADROOM
• Wiping, as a hard drive – ERASING
• Texter’s “Don’t worry about it” – NDB
• Fuzzy photo features – BLURS
• Many a character on Apple TV+’s “Slow Horses” or Netflix’s “Black Doves” – SPY
• Crosses (out) – EXES

August 28, 2025

Across:

• SpongeBob’s boss, for one – CRAB
• I.R.S. agent’s investigation – AUDIT
• Something you haven’t been able to do on U.S. flights since 2000 – SMOKE
• Peninsula east of the Yellow Sea – KOREA
• One “R” in R&R – REST

Down:

• Barrel-shaped wine container – CASK
• Something heard through the grapevine – RUMOR
• Profoundly love – ADORE
• Vehicles in a peloton – BIKES
• What a calf drinks from – TEAT

August 27, 2025

Across:

• How many roads lead to Rome, it’s said – ALL
• Total laughfest – RIOT
• Flip phone? – ENOHP
• Reverse dunk? – KNUD
• Ass-backwards? – SSA

Down:

• Where the Wild Things ___ – ARE
• Need for accessing an online meeting – LINK
• Birds that swim underwater to catch fish – LOONS
• “And so, as a result …” – THUS
• Park bench kissing and such, for short – PDA

August 26, 2025

Across:

• Place to pour a pint – PUB
• Host of the 2028 Olympics, for short – USA
• Black suit – CLUBS
• Political commentator Jen – PSAKI
• Kick one’s feet up – RELAX

Down:

• Sign of life – PULSE
• Regular patron’s order, with “the” – USUAL
• Loaf with a chocolate swirl – BABKA
• Skill practiced on dummies, for short – CPR
• Age at which Tiger Woods made his first hole-in-one – SIX

August 25, 2025

Across:

• British “bye-bye” – TATA
• Hearty gulp – SWIG
• It’s been called the “City of Light” and the “City of Love” – PARIS
• Clark ___ a.k.a. Superman – KENT
• Comedically risky – EDGY

Down:

• Baking measure: Abbr. – TSP
• Unable to sleep – AWAKE
• Sleepy – TIRED
• “An extraordinary process whereby you become the person you always should have been,” per David Bowie – AGING
• Pig’s home – STY

August 24, 2025

Across:

• Perch for a family photo – SHELF
• Burnett with a variety show from 1967 to 1978 – CAROL
• Plant that yields mezcal – AGAVE
• Deceptive ploys – RUSES
• “You’ve gotta be kidding me!” – YEESH

Down:

• How a leap of faith might feel – SCARY
• Dutch seat of government, with “The” – HAGUE
• What many pencils can do that magic markers can’t – ERASE
• Holds dear – LOVES
• ___ and blood (kin) – FLESH

August 23, 2025

Across:

• Hairstyle made popular by The Beatles – MOPTOP
• Doin’ amazingly, in slang – KILLIN’ IT
• Director’s words at the end of a take – AND SCENE
• “___ the season!” – TIS
• Serious wrongdoing – SIN
• Camera attachment – ZOOM LENS
• Spice in a Pumpkin Spice Latte – NUTMEG
• Come down to earth – LAND

Down:

• Hairstyle made popular by The Beatles – MOPTOP
• Doin’ amazingly, in slang – KILLIN’ IT
• Director’s words at the end of a take – AND SCENE
• “___ the season!” – TIS
• Serious wrongdoing – SIN
• Camera attachment – ZOOM LENS
• Spice in a Pumpkin Spice Latte – NUTMEG
• Come down to earth – LAND

August 22, 2025

Across:

• Places to store shovels and leaf blowers → SHEDS
• Coating for Babybel cheese → WAX
• “___ vs. Predator” (2004 sci-fi film) → ALIEN
• Streaming glitch → LAG
• Docking spots → PIERS
• Feature of a Southern accent → TWANG
• Sweet potato lookalike → YAM
• Top-notch, informally → PRIMO
• Greenskeeper’s roll of grass → SOD
• Campfire remnants → ASHES

Down:

• Nickname for the Florida Gators football stadium, with “the” → SWAMP
• “2001: A Space Odyssey” villain → HAL
• Cast out from a country → EXILE
• “Uptown Funk” and “Downtown,” for two → SONGS
• “Can I bend your ___ for a second?” → EAR
• Like an ambitious, competitive personality → TYPEA
• Simple-to-play card game for two → WAR
• Simple-living sect → AMISH
• Shop owner’s stock → GOODS
• Barkeep on “The Simpsons” → MOE

August 21, 2025

Across:

• Places to store shovels and leaf blowers → SHEDS
• Coating for Babybel cheese → WAX
• “___ vs. Predator” (2004 sci-fi film) → ALIEN
• Streaming glitch → LAG
• Docking spots → PIERS
• Feature of a Southern accent → TWANG
• Sweet potato lookalike → YAM
• Top-notch, informally → PRIMO
• Greenskeeper’s roll of grass → SOD
• Campfire remnants → ASHES

Down:

• Nickname for the Florida Gators football stadium, with “the” → SWAMP
• “2001: A Space Odyssey” villain → HAL
• Cast out from a country → EXILE
• “Uptown Funk” and “Downtown,” for two → SONGS
• “Can I bend your ___ for a second?” → EAR
• Like an ambitious, competitive personality → TYPEA
• Simple-to-play card game for two → WAR
• Simple-living sect → AMISH
• Shop owner’s stock → GOODS
• Barkeep on “The Simpsons” → MOE

August 20, 2025

Across:

• Common queries, informally — FAQS
• Only four-letter country with a “Q” in its name — IRAQ
• TV’s “The White ___” — LOTUS
• Something you might “Mark as read” — EMAIL
• Late — TARDY

Down:

• ___ mignon — FILET
• Burnt toast has a strong one — AROMA
• Only five-letter country with a “Q” in its name — QATAR
• Likely inspiration for the mythical kraken — SQUID
• Sneaky — SLY

August 19, 2025

Across:

• Animal that falls in love with a tape dispenser, in a classic New Yorker cartoon — SNAIL
• Language written in Devanagari script — HINDI
• Singer Presley or Costello — ELVIS
• George ___, “Middlemarch” author — ELIOT
• Things “read” by fortune tellers — PALMS

Down:

• Blind followers — SHEEP
• ___ wafers (Nabisco treat) — NILLA
• Heavy item falling from the sky in some classic cartoons — ANVIL
• “In a pickle” or “in a jam” — IDIOM
• They might end with “etc.” — LISTS

August 18, 2025

Across:

• Fast-food chain that sells 50-piece nuggets – KFC
• Circle above an angel’s head – HALO
• Queen or king – ROYAL
• Separately – APART
• Karaoke bar accessories – MIKES

Down:

• Lake craft with a palindromic name – KAYAK
• Distress signal for a broken-down car – FLARE
• Indianapolis N.F.L. team – COLTS
• Indigenous people of Arizona – HOPI
• Hard-headed animal – RAM

August 17, 2025

Across:

• Salsa, hummus, queso, etc. – DIPS
• U.S. state capital that rhymes with 9-Across (not 7-Across!) – PIERRE
• What broadcasters are on – THEAIR
• “Yes and no …” – SORTOF
• Societal equal – PEER

Down:

• John ___ (tractor company) – DEERE
• Boiling mad – IRATE
• “Sorry, I have a ___ commitment” – PRIOR
• Laborer in medieval times – SERF
• A touchdown is worth six: Abbr. – PTS
• Breakfast chain typically open 24 hours a day – IHOP

August 16, 2025

Across:

• Something to check before a flight – BAG
• One road to recovery – REHAB
• “The Good Samaritan” or “The Rich Fool” – PARABLE
• “___ now or never!” – ITS
• Angora cat’s splendor – FUR
• North American frogs that sing in a shrill chorus – PEEPERS
• Sheath or muumuu – DRESS
• Kit ___ Club (“Cabaret” setting) – KAT

Down:

• Wildly out of control – BERSERK
• “I’ve got it!” – AHA
• Scintillating gossip sesh – GABFEST
• Gave three stars, say – RATED
• Becomes hazy, as a picture – BLURS
• Dot on a domino – PIP
• Sounds of indecision – ERS
• Tiny source of torment for a storybook princess – PEA

August 15, 2025

Across:

• Answer to a party invitation – RSVP
• Bring to a bubble – BOIL
• With 8-Across, tree that produces nearly two-foot-long cones – SUGAR
• See 6-Across – PINE
• Enjoy a hill in chilly weather, say – SLED

Down:

• N.F.L. ball carriers, for short – RBS
• Campbell’s products – SOUPS
• Candlelight ___ – VIGIL
• It travels the high way – PLANE
• Like the maple leaf on Canada’s flag – RED

August 14, 2025

Across:

• Animals holding “Eat Mor Chikin” signs, in a classic ad campaign – COWS
• Suffix with Beatle or Wrestle – MANIA
• “Au revoir!” – ADIEU
• Ugly poster? – TROLL
• Be likely (to) – TEND

Down:

• Core group – CADRE
• Vegetable combined with celery and carrot to form “mirepoix” – ONION
• Handle, as a sword – WIELD
• “Better Call ___” (“Breaking Bad” spinoff) – SAUL
• Damon of “Oppenheimer” – MATT

August 13, 2025

Across:

• Sailboat’s post – MAST
• “My ___ car is a …” (bumper sticker phrase) – OTHER
• Official state mammal of Alaska and Maine – MOOSE
• T-shirt size – SMALL
• Defeat, as a dragon – SLAY

Down:

• Story time readers, perhaps – MOMS
• There are roughly ten million billion (10^16) of these in a grain of salt – ATOMS
• Sandbank – SHOAL
• Automaker named after an inventor – TESLA
• Count (on) – RELY

August 12, 2025

Across:

• *Workplace for scientists – LAB
• *Grub – CHOW
• Maliciously revealed one’s private identity, informally – DOXED
• Spanish “but” – PERO
• Gasoline type: Abbr. – REG

Down:

• TV screen option, for short – LCD
• ___, a skip and a jump – AHOP
• *Someone who’s always taking jabs at you? – BOXER
• Used to be – WERE
• ___ days (time of summer suggested by the answers to the starred clues) – DOG

August 11, 2025

Across:

• Blowout party – BASH
• Airline with Sky Club lounges – DELTA
• Body part that can be held with one hand, but not both – ELBOW
• Get an “F” on – FLUNK
• Subdued – TAME

Down:

• Ramsey of “The Last of Us” – BELLA
• Collection of Facebook photos – ALBUM
• Building material for the Washington Monument – STONE
• “Red-tailed” or “red-shouldered” bird – HAWK
• Masterful – DEFT

August 10, 2025

Across:

• Try to tag – CHASE
• Fictional sports icon with a statue by the Philadelphia Museum of Art – ROCKY
• Loosen, as laces – UNTIE
• Trigger for a werewolf’s transformation – MOON
• “It’s freezing!” – BRR

Down:

• Table tidbit – CRUMB
• Pay homage to – HONOR
• Driver, Cooper or Butler – ACTOR
• Poisonous part of a poison dart frog- SKIN
• Needle opening – EYE

August 09, 2025

Across:

• Friendly and pleasant – AMIABLE
• Irritatingly self-important – POMPOUS
• Cheerleaders’ accessories – POMPOMS
• Barely ___ out a living – EKE
• “We haven’t decided yet,” on schedules – TBA
• Radio exposure for a song – AIRPLAY
• ___ of two evils – LESSER
• Pancake mix ingredient – EGG

Down:

• Challenge to a court ruling – APPEAL
• Dodgers slugger Betts – MOOKIE
• Deeply involve oneself (in) – IMMERSE
• Smartphone download – APP
• Illegal copy – BOOTLEG
• Kind of support for the lower back – LUMBAR
• English class assignment – ESSAY
• French soccer club that won its first Champions League title in 2025, for short – PSG

August 08, 2025

Across:

• Piece of bread atop 4-Across – BUN
• Yellow square atop 7-Across – CHEESE
• Offering at a summer cookout – BURGER
• Envelop and obscure – SHROUD
• Covers a tree in bathroom rolls, in a classic prank – TPS

Down:

• Brought about – BEGOT
• Fully deplete – USE UP
• Jocks’ counterparts, stereotypically – NERDS
• Survivor network – CBS
• “What’d you say?” – HUH
• Make a mistake – ERR

August 07, 2025

Across:

• Parts of a museum dinosaur exhibit – BONES
• Smiling Face with Sunglasses, for one – EMOJI
• Painter’s stand – EASEL
• Restaurant item often asked for by signing the air – CHECK
• Overly slapdash – HASTY

Down:

• Tree with smooth gray bark – BEECH
• Nebraska city that’s home to Union Pacific headquarters – OMAHA
• Features of bloodhounds that are said to be 1,000 times stronger than humans – NOSES
• Boot from a game – EJECT
• ___ smooth – SILKY

August 06, 2025

Across:

• Stylish – HIP
• Something a beach umbrella provides – SHADE
• ___ Banks, North Carolina – OUTER
• Unlikely to keep you up at night, in a way – DECAF
• The eruption of Mount St. Helens released 520 million tons of it – ASH

Down:

• Come out of one’s shell – HATCH
• Bright ___ – IDEA
• “Fab!” – PERF
• Starry or Squirt – SODA
• Color tones – HUES

August 05, 2025

Across:

• Key above Caps Lock – TAB
• Biased sports fan – HOMER
• What puts the “i” in Silicon Valley? – APPLE
• Triangular road sign – YIELD
• Items in a music library, for short – CDS

Down:

• Conversation subject – TOPIC
• Pumped up – AMPED
• “Silver ___” (Christmas classic) – BELLS
• Farm fodder – HAY
• Like pants in the classic Nantucket style – RED

August 04, 2025

Across:

• Key above Caps Lock – TAB
• Biased sports fan – HOMER
• What puts the “i” in Silicon Valley? – APPLE
• Triangular road sign – YIELD
• Items in a music library, for short – CDS

Down:

• Conversation subject – TOPIC
• Pumped up – AMPED
• “Silver ___” (Christmas classic) – BELLS
• Farm fodder – HAY
• Like pants in the classic Nantucket style – RED

August 03, 2025

Across:

• With 5-Down, road trip with frequent stops for reds – WINE
• Printer supply – TONER
• Use DoorDash or Grubhub – ORDER
• Like thrift shop items – USED
• Distortus ___, mutant dinosaur in Jurassic World Rebirth – REX

Down:

• Not as good – WORSE
• End-of-book reference – INDEX
• Have to have – NEED
• Go wrong – ERR
• See 1-Across – TOUR

August 02, 2025

Across:

• TikTok or Tinder – APP
• Lawyers’ org. – ABA
• Place with Bunsen burners and beakers, in brief – CHEM LAB
• Product that can be sampled with a spray on the wrist – COLOGNE
• Visibly muscular – TONED
• Groceries carrier – TOTE BAG
• Self-indulgent “journey” – EGO TRIP
• AOL alternative – MSN
• Things that phone users might accidentally tap on webpages – ADS

Down:

• Sports org. that now includes schools from Texas and California, strangely enough – ACC
• Hobbyists with cameras, informally – PHOTOGS
• Big name in exercise bikes – PELOTON
• “Solve for x” subject – ALGEBRA
• Temporary fix, so to speak – BAND-AID
• Pres. Lincoln – ABE
• “Show me the ___” (punny request at an art museum) – MONET
• President pro ___ – TEM
• Road trip assistance, for short – GPS

August 01, 2025

Across:

• Arm-y greeting – HUG
• Undiluted … or a country with its vowels swapped – PURE
• Ballroom dance … or a country with its vowels swapped – TANGO
• Played a role – ACTED
• Eisenberg of “The Social Network” – JESSE

Down:

• Ketchup brand – HEINZ
• Eggs on – URGES
• Crystal-lined rock – GEODE
• Marathoner’s concern – EXERTION
• ___ Mahal – TAJ

July 31, 2025

Across:

• Quick punches – JABS
• Animal with unique stripes, similar to human fingerprints – ZEBRA
• The People’s ___ (The Rock’s signature wrestling move) – ELBOW
• Pumps the brakes, say – SLOWS
• Many “Bluey” viewers – TOTS

Down:

• Treat once advertised as “America’s Most Famous Dessert” – JELL-O
• Head of a monastery – ABBOT
• Furrowed facial features – BROWS
• Lumber mill tools – SAWS
• Grated citrus peel – ZEST

July 29, 2025

Across:

• ___ Escola, Tony-winning portrayer of Mary Todd Lincoln in “Oh, Mary!” – COLE
• Tear to pieces, as documents or cheese – SHRED
• Gentle prod – NUDGE
• Enjoyed a home-cooked meal – ATE IN
• Sassy – PERT

Down:

• Ladder’s counterpart – CHUTE
• Something taken by a server – ORDER
• The real deal – LEGIT
• The garden in “The Garden of Earthly Delights” – EDEN
• “___ out of it!” (“Wake up!”) – RISE

July 28, 2025

Across:

• Courtroom prosecutors, for short – DAS
• Fails to mention – OMITS
• Finished the season on a hot streak – WON OUT
• Subtle distinction – NUANCE
• See 1-Down – RIGHT

Down:

• With 10-Across, completely and utterly – DEAD
• Love, in French – AMOUR
• Mount where Moses received the Ten Commandments – SINAI
• Grab from the grill with a gripper – TONG
• “There’s no ___ thing!” – SUCH
• Vietnamese New Year – TET

July 27, 2025

Across:

• In addition – ALSO
• Psithurism, n. “The sound of ___ rustling through the trees” – WIND
• Like scones and stoners – BAKED
• Retail chain with an average store size of 300,000 square feet – IKEA
• Work station – DESK

Down:

• Up – AWAKE
• Social media currency – LIKES
• Tiptoe around – SKIRT
• Like 2025, but not 2026 – ODD
• Contractor’s offer – BID

July 26, 2025

Across:

• De bugs? – INSECTS
• Make funnier, as jokes – PUNCH UP
• “Life is like a box of chocolates,” for example – ANALOGY
• Dot on a domino – PIP
• In an upbeat mood – CHIPPER
• Important topic in sex education – CONSENT
• Leaves the Union – SECEDES

Down:

• Hoppy order at a happy hour – IPA
• Convent member – NUN
• Tech company with a bright yellow color scheme and ghost logo – SNAP
• Sun block? – ECLIPSE
• Like many ingredients in a Cobb salad – CHOPPED
• Pull sharply – YANK
• One with a secret identity – HERO
• Syringe amts. – CCS
• Garden tool with a long handle – HOE
• Opposite of WSW – ENE
• Certain football linemen: Abbr. – RTS

July 25, 2025

Across:

• What a palm tree emoji on Slack might indicate, informally – VACAY
• Skirt – EVADE
• iPhone app for jotting – NOTES
• C.E.O., C.F.O. or C.T.O. – TITLE
• Requirements for pink or purple hair – DYES

Down:

• Let off a little steam – VENT
• Skirt – AVOID
• Like a remark that might elicit a “me-ow” – CATTY
• “Skyfall” singer – ADELE
• Positive R.S.V.P.s – YESES

July 24, 2025

Across:

• Overhead tennis shot – SMASH
• Dish over which Lady and Tramp share a kiss – PASTA
• How some solve print crosswords – ININK
• Work with dough – KNEAD
• The Bronx Bombers, informally- YANKS

Down:

• Like hair in a mohawk, often – SPIKY
• Miraculous “bread from heaven” in the Book of Exodus – MANNA
• Colorado ski town – ASPEN
• Entrée that comes with its own knife – STEAK
• They have five digits each, typically – HANDS

July 23, 2025

Across:

• With 5-Down, mystery meet? – BLIND
• ___ Puffs (cereal) – COCOA
• Bike without pedaling, say – COAST
• Spending binge – SPREE
• Hoped-for answer when on bended knee – YES

Down:

• Secretly includes, as on an email – BCCS
• In a silly mood – LOOPY
• Empathetic words – ICARE
• Spots for septum piercings – NOSES
• See 1-Across – DATE

July 22, 2025

Across:

• Get ready for a vacation – PACK
• How you might feel after riding a roller coaster – DIZZY
• “All things being ___ …” – EQUAL
• Small donkey of the Southwest – BURRO
• Items shot from cannons at basketball games – TEES

Down:

• Spark, as curiosity – PIQUE
• Sky-blue hue – AZURE
• Government policy leaders – CZARS
• ___ Ren, villain in the “Star Wars” universe – KYLO
• What an i.o.u. represents – DEBT

July 21, 2025

Across:

• Ceremonial band – SASH
• First official state hand gesture, following a 2024 Hawaiian bill – SHAKA
• Deck with the Major and Minor Arcana – TAROT
• Just love – ADORE
• Boardwalk has the highest one on a Monopoly board – RENT

Down:

• Cool place to be on a sunny day – SHADE
• Name that might come first during an alphabetical roll call – AARON
• Hybrid athletic garment – SKORT
• Just loathe – HATE
• One whose name is in lights – STAR

July 20, 2025

Across:

• The heart of summer? – EMS
• Emotional request – PLEA
• Word before aching or dancing – BELLY
• Many fans of Premier League clubs – BRITS
• Nacho topping that rhymes with 3-Down – QUESO

Down:

• Leading role on “The Last of Us” – ELLIE
• Gooey diner sandwiches – MELTS
• Authoritative approval – SAYSO
• Country on one side of Lake Titicaca – PERU
• Orange-and-brown chip flavor, for short – BBQ

July 19, 2025

Across:

• See-through – CLEAR
• “Anybody home?” – HELLO
• Winged horse of Greek myth – PEGASUS
• Salamander known for its regenerative abilities (and adorable appearance) – AXOLOTL
• Texting format, for short – SMS
• Birthplace of bossa nova – RIO
• Even score – TIE
• Insect seen in Dalí’s “The Persistence of Memory” – ANT
• Directory abbr. – EXT
• Metroid console, for short – NES

Down:

• Party snack made with cereal and pretzels – CHEXMIX
• Gift with many interlocking pieces – LEGOSET
• Airline whose name comes from the Book of Hosea – ELAL
• Election loser – ALSORAN
• Stand-up comic’s act – ROUTINE
• Command that uses the “V” key – PASTE
• Pulling their arms might win you money – SLOTS

July 18, 2025

Across:

• Appropriate word that can precede 7-/8-Across and 3-/10-Down – HALF
• Remy’s brother in Ratatouille – EMILE
• Missouri’s postal abbreviation – MO
• Light switch position – ON
• Done for laughs – IN FUN
• Richard of Pretty Woman – GERE

Down:

• Prefix that means 1-Across – HEMI
• In the midst of – AMONG
• Super Bowl that featured a 28-3 comeback win by the Patriots – LI
• Baker’s powder – FLOUR
• Dated feminine suffix – ENNE
• Iron, on the periodic table – FE

July 17, 2025

Across:

• Workout facilities – GYMS
• Pipe dream? Just the opposite! – LEAK
• In good spirits – JOLLY
• Up to the task – ABLE
• Headache-inducing situation – MESS

Down:

• Boston newspaper – GLOBE
• TALKS LIKE THIS – YELLS
• Mallard ducks with green heads, e.g. – MALES
• Drone’s zone – SKY
• Rock out – JAM

July 16, 2025

Across:

• Keeps in the loop, in a way – CCS
• They’re kept in the loop – BELTS
• Love to pieces – ADORE
• Craze – MANIA
• Single weightlifting unit – REP

Down:

• Type of wood in Horace Slughorn’s wand in the Harry Potter books – CEDAR
• What might have you seeing double? – CLONE
• Cartoonist’s creation – STRIP
• “Ka-POW!” – BAM
• The Caribbean, e.g. – SEA

July 15, 2025

Across:

• Doubtful – IFFY
• Neanderthals made the first one from birch bark tar approximately 200,000 years ago – GLUE
• Fire-starting rock – FLINT
• Word that can fill the blanks of “So ___!” and “Go ___!” – LONG
• Meditation practitioner – YOGI

Down:

• Brand of cooler – IGLOO
• Short-lived relationship – FLING
• Mushrooms and such – FUNGI
• “Even so …” – YET
• Outer layer of a tent – FLY

July 14, 2025

Across:

• Account used to log into Threads, familiarly – INSTA
• Upscale gym freebie – TOWEL
• Bad thing to feel toward the end of a marathon – CRAMP
• Vowelless grunt – HMMPH
• Vegetable in fried rice – PEA

Down:

• Reason to scratch one’s head, perhaps – ITCH
• Standard – NORM
• Shrek’s home – SWAMP
• Arizona city between Phoenix and Mesa – TEMPE
• Gen ___ (kids born in the 2010s) – ALPHA

July 13, 2025

Across:

• Gibbon or gorilla – APE
• Bird whose name is an excellent starting guess in Wordle, according to WordleBot – CRANE
• Cry from a judge – ORDER
• Family nickname that would make a terrible starting guess in Wordle – MAMMA
• “Hooray!” – YAY

Down:

• Widespread display – ARRAY
• Lakshmi who was a longtime host of Top Chef – PADMA
• “Don’t let perfect be the ___ of good” (aphorism) – ENEMY
• URL ending – COMHistorical period – ERA

July 12, 2025

Across:

• Havana’s home – CUBA
• Last word in many bowling alley names – LANES
• Lots and lots – SO MUCH
• Left-leaning social media site – BLUESKY
• Hepburn of Breakfast at Tiffany’s – AUDREY
• Word after “break” or “banana” – BREAD
• Car loan figs. – APRS

Down:

• They always shoot their shot – CAMERAS
• Brand-new – UNUSED
• Woman with “the good hair,” in a famous Beyoncé lyric – BECKY
• In need of moisturizer – ASHY”
• We can’t hear you back here!” – LOUDER
• Drink noisily – SLURP
• ___ ghanouj – BABA

July 10, 2025

Across:

• 5×5 crossword – MINI
• Breakfast sandwich option – BACON
• From way back when – OF OLD
• Like much toothpaste – MINTY
• First, second or third, but not fourth – BASE

Down:

• Party game with accusations from “villagers” – MAFIA
• Total legends – ICONS
• Actor Nick on the Hollywood Walk of Fame – NOLTE
• The N.B.A.’s Pacers, familiarly – INDY
• Fail at stand-up – BOMB

July 09, 2025

Across:

• Subsides like the tide – EBBS
• Leggings lead-in to “lemon” – LULU
• Poet Robert with a “cool” last name – FROST
• Manhattan neighborhood near the East Village – NOHO
• Quick joyride – SPIN

Down:

• Fairylike figure of folklore – ELF
• Poet Robert with a “hot” last name – LOWELL
• Weakly hit fly ball – BLOOP
• Food made using a bamboo mat known as a “makisu” – SUSHI
• Quite the heavy weight – OAF

July 08, 2025

Across:

• Concern for dentists and nuclear physicists – DECAY
• Get married in a hurry – ELOPE
• The world’s all-time best-selling book – BIBLE
• Doughnut’s shape, mathematically – TORUS
• Secret collection – STASH

Down:

• “A Lannister always pays his ___” – DEBTS
• Poet T.S. ___ – ELIOT
• Hisser with a hood – COBRA
• Best-possible test grade – A PLUS
• “Oof, that makes me cringe!” – YIKES

July 07, 2025

Across:

• Coffee, informally … or a big coffee-producing island – JAVA
• Figure skating jump – AXEL
• Wide-ranging music playlists – MIXES
• On deck – NEXT
• Down Under welcome – GDAY

Down:

• Print issue? – JAM
• Cutting down – AXING
• Annoyed – VEXED
• Virtual assistant whose name starts with the same letter as its parent company – ALEXA
• Wilbur’s home in “Charlotte’s Web” – STY

July 06, 2025

Across:

• Gaping hole – CHASM
• Conversation opener – HELLO
• Group of five found in “Julia Roberts” and “Austin Powers” – AEIOU
• Ben of Broadway – PLATT
• “Keep it down!” – SHH

Down:

• Bloke – CHAP
• Inside part of a golf club – HOLE
• A.k.a. name – ALIAS
• Animal that talks comically slowly in “Zootopia” – SLOTH
• Conversation opener? – HELLO

July 05, 2025

Across:

• Blasts with unwanted messages – SPAMS
• Orderly assortment – ARRAY
• Its state mammal is the bison, and its state sport is rodeo – WYOMING
• “Let me think …” – HMM
• Hawaii’s Mauna ___ – LOA
• Shanghai-born N.B.A. Hall-of-Famer who stood at 7’6″ – YAO MING
• Emotionless, as a gaze – STONY
• Another name for an earthquake – SEISM

Down:

• Lead a Catholic ceremony – SAY MASS
• Hype up – PROMOTE
• Place for Popeye’s anchor tattoo – ARM
• Ballots cast from home – MAIL INS
• Thesaurus listing – SYNONYM
• Alphabetically last of the “five W’s” – WHY
• Silly joke – GAG
• “Excusez-___!” – MOI

July 04, 2025

Across:

• Uncle ___ – SAM
• It’s full of stars – SPACE
• It’s full of stripes – ZEBRA
• Month when the American Revolutionary War began – APRIL
• 4th of July sales promotions, e.g. – ADS

Down:

• Big brand of hummus – SABRA
• Foul-smelling – ACRID
• Breakfast, lunch and dinner – MEALS
• Singer who performed “All the Stars” at Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show – SZA
• Lively energy – PEP

July 03, 2025

Across:

• Glaswegian or Edinburgher – SCOT
• 2025 Pixar film about a boy who gets abducted by aliens – ELIO
• Strong string – TWINE
• Religious devotee with a shaved head, maybe – MONK
• Calligrapher’s assortment – INKS

Down:

• Attach, as a button – SEWON
• Sound of two glasses being “cheers-ed” – CLINK
• Noises from a pig – OINKS
• “Little piggy” – TOE
• “Did I overshare?” – TMI

July 02, 2025

Across:

• Clean with elbow grease – SCRUB
• Fruit to which wrinkly fingers are compared – PRUNE
• “Meenie miney” preceder – EENIE
• Light bulb units – WATTS
• “Meenie miney” follower – MOE

Down:

• Erupt with force – SPEW
• Doughnut filling – CREAM
• Total, as expenses – RUNTO
• Come together as one – UNITE
• They’re often abuzz about coneflowers – BEES

July 01, 2025

Across:

• Something to walk – DOG
• Something to jog – MEMORY
• More wicked – EVILER
• Picture you always keep on you? – TATTOO
• Insect studied by a myrmecologist – ANT

Down:

• Nincompoop – DOLT
• Ingredient in cookies ‘n cream ice cream – OREO
• Greek sandwich – GYRO
• Zuckerberg’s company – META
• ___ Williams (bourbon brand) – EVAN
• Piece of baseball equipment – MITT

June 29, 2025

Across:

• Detachable parts of a dress form – ARMS
• Catering container containing caffeine – TEAURN
• Climbing structure offered in pet stores – CATTREE
• Gets into town – ARRIVES
• Frédéric Chopin or Ray Charles, notably – PIANIST
• They don’t hold water – SIEVES
• __-jerk reaction – KNEE

Down:

• With some chance of failure – ATARISK
• Prepare for a new job, maybe – RETRAIN
• Midday Broadway showing – MATINEE
• Goal of a noted reality show set on an island – SURVIVE
• Witherspoon who portrayed June Carter in “Walk the Line” – REESE
• Lodgings for larks – NESTS
• Souvenir from a baseball game – CAP

June 27, 2025

Across:

• Beach trees – PALMS
• Beach view – OCEAN
• Beach keepsake – SHELL
• Removed, as wrapping paper – TORE
• What miso paste is made from – SOY

Down:

• Feed fillers – POSTS
• Sound before a blessing – ACHOO
• Cautious – LEERY
• Like seahorses that give birth – MALE
• Show for Sarah Silverman and Sarah Sherman, for short – S.N.L.

June 26, 2025

Across:

• Fictional maker of the Little Giant Do-It-Yourself Rocket-Sled Kit – ACME
• Sound made while revving an imaginary motorcycle – VROOM
• Plant from which mezcal is distilled – AGAVE
• Wannabe or tryhard – POSER
• What a ticket entitles you to – ENTRY

Down:

• Noble gas used in semiconductor manufacturing – ARGON
• Shore – COAST
• Worker who’s typically busiest around the last day of each month – MOVER
• Kind of board at a nail salon – EMERY
• Hit a pen – VAPE

June 25, 2025

Across:

• Guitar effect that mimics a voice – WAWA
• Red carpet figure, informally – CELEB
• Robert De Niro’s “You talkin’ to me?” line was one – AD LIB
• JCPenney or Family Dollar – STORE
• “Hey there!” – HOWDY

Down:

• Dead set on, as an idea – WED TO
• Permit – ALLOW
• A little bit off – WEIRD
• Home for monks – ABBEY
• Successfully win, in sports betting lingo – CASH

June 24, 2025

Across:

• Traditional meat for shawarma – LAMB
• Brainstorm outputs – IDEAS
• Cunningly sidestep, as a difficult question – DODGE
• Marketing pitch – SPIEL
• 12-ounce size at Starbucks – TALL

Down:

• Pot heads? – LIDS
• Bring home from a shelter, maybe – ADOPT
• ___ darling (one getting favorable news coverage) – MEDIA
• Breakfast item with cream cheese – BAGEL
• What bears do in a bear market – SELL

June 23, 2025

Across:

• Measure of a country’s economic health: Abbr. – GDP
• Indicator of a dog’s mood – TAIL
• What “x” can mean – TIMES
• Spots – SEES
• Source of revenue for podcasters – ADS

Down:

• Part of the 5-Across with Wordle and Strands – GAMES
• Runs out of battery – DIES
• Opposite of “ty,” in texts – PLS
• Like shoelaces – TIED
• Reason to remove a laptop from your backpack, for short – TSA

June 22, 2025

Across:

• Man’s name with the same two vowels as BOAT, fittingly – NOAH
• Watch in one sitting, as a TV series – BINGE
• Mammal that cracks open sea urchins with rocks – OTTER
• Publicist’s concern – BRAND
• Chooses, with “for” – OPTS

Down:

• Like some cold brew coffee – NITRO
• How beer may be served – ON TAP
• One helping to seal the deal – AGENT
• Groups of buffalo – HERDS
• ___ the Drag Queen, RuPaul’s Drag Race winner who competed on The Traitors – BOB

June 21, 2025

Across:

• Feeling extremely happy – JOYFUL
• Wake from sleep – AROUSE
• Brand of cinnamon-flavored chewing gum – BIG RED
• Talk and talk and talk – GAB
• Bengal, colt or dolphin – ANIMAL
• TV show ending – FINALE
• Rook, to a chess newbie – CASTLE

Down:

• Quick boxing punch – JAB
• Beginnings – ORIGINS
• Where you might strike a pose? – YOGA MAT
• Nickname for a fuzzy cat – FURBALL
• One of many for white vinegar – USE
• Was winning – LED
• The Bengals, Colts and Dolphins play in it: Abbr – AFC
• ___ DaCosta, director of 2023’s The Marvels – NIA
• Harper who wrote To Kill a Mockingbird – LEE

June 20, 2025

Across:

• Org. defending individual rights — ACLU
• Repeated words that lead up to … — HIPHIP
• What puzzle solvers don’t look down on — ACROSS
• … a big cheer! — HOORAY
• Hathaway who starred in “The Princess Diaries” — ANNE

Down:

• Garment on which it’s totally acceptable to get food stains — APRON
• Doing the dishes or mowing the lawn — CHORE
• Younger sister to Bart, older sister to Maggie — LISA
• “… ___-daisy!” — OOPSY
• Bit of laughter — RAH
• Image of a compass, for Safari — ICON

June 19, 2025

Across:

• Electronics upgrade for the living room — NEWTV
• Sneeze sound — ACHOO
• Common merch offering — SHIRT
• Journalism is a noted one in 2025 — HORSE
• The “L” of L.A. — LOS

Down:

• Mathematician John for whom an equilibrium is named — NASH
• Word shouted into a canyon — ECHO
• Spin round and round — WHIRL
• Midsection of the body — TORSO
• Decides (on) democratically — VOTES

June 18, 2025

Across:

• Hit the stores — SHOP
• Cross one’s fingers — HOPE
• Here’s a thought! — BRAIN
• Old episode — RERUN
• Request for a follow on social media — ADDME

Down:

• Tear to pieces — SHRED
• Be bad at throwing things away — HOARD
• Drug referenced by the magic poppy field in “The Wizard of Oz” — OPIUM
• Tubular pasta — PENNE
• Its sizes are measured in cups — BRA

June 17, 2025

Across:

• Boston Brahmin types — WASPS
• Look forward to — AWAIT
• Stock market bounceback — RALLY
• Whimsically amusing — DROLL
• Hearing or sight — SENSE

Down:

• Voting districts — WARDS
• “Oh, I’m well ___!” — AWARE
• Establishment offering chemical treatments — SPA
• Contents of a box labeled SMTWTFS — DAYS
• Focus of Vogue and Elle — STYLE

June 16, 2025

Across:

• Slow ___ (primate with big eyes) — LORIS
• Title character who says “I’ve often seen a cat without a grin … but a grin without a cat!” — ALICE
• National mammal of the United States — BISON
• Something to R.S.V.P. for — EVENT
• Word commonly mixed up with “fewer” — LESS

Down:

• Where care instructions are often found on a garment — LABEL
• Main ingredient in tapenade — OLIVE
• Gets up — RISE
• Array on a touchscreen — ICONS
• Email status — SENT

June 15, 2025

Across:

• Long, drawn-out story — SAGA
• With 6-Down, become hopelessly infatuated — CRUSH
• Unsettled feeling — AGITA
• Back tooth — MOLAR
• Passionate student, perhaps — NERD

Down:

• A text saying “Congratulations! You’ve won a $1,000 gift card,” usually — SCAM
• Element between chlorine and potassium on the periodic table — ARGON
• Craftiness — GUILE
• “___ Is Born” (film) — A STAR
• See 5-Across — HARD

June 14, 2025

Across:

• Research org. that once employed Dr. Fauci — NIH
• Conflict ended on 11/11/1918, for short — WWI
• Garment with an underwire — BRA
• ___ Solo of “Star Wars” — HAN
• Verify the truth of — CONFIRM
• Student’s request while preparing for a test — QUIZME
• Music player at a ’50s-style diner — JUKEBOX
• “All good to go!” — AOK
• Prefix meaning “bird” or “flight” — AVI
• By way of — VIA
• Actor Cage, to fans — NIC
• Flecks from a campfire — ASH
• Nat ___ (TV channel) — GEO

Down:

• “Saturday Night Live” network — NBC
• The Haudenosaunee Confederacy, by another name — IROQUOIS
• Eight-day Jewish holiday — HANUKKAH
• Sensationally successful, in older slang — WOWIE
• “Full Metal Jacket” or “Saving Private Ryan” — WARFILM
• Where Baja California is, as opposed to California — MEXICO
• “Fee, ___, foe, fum” — FIE
• Coding language with a coffee cup logo — JAVA

June 13, 2025

Across:

• House and Doogie Howser, for short — MDS
• Dessert wine — PORT
• Mugful after a sledding excursion — COCOA
• Desert whine? — IMHOT
• “Like, yesterday!” — ASAP

Down:

• Chocolate-and-coffee drink — MOCHA
• Sag — DROOP
• Three-point percentage, e.g. — STAT
• Poofy toy dogs, familiarly — POMS
• Org. that employs Jack Ryan in Tom Clancy novels — CIA

June 12, 2025

Across:

• ___ chi — TAI
• Financially compensated — PAID
• Some things off the top of your head? — HAIRS
• Feels sick — AILS
• Peacock, character in Clue — MRS

Down:

• Coin flip call — TAILS
• Shows on TV — AIRS
• Requests at the bar, informally — ILLS
• Decent poker holding — PAIR
• Person who loves attention — HAM

June 11, 2025

Across:

• For this, you’ll be swimming with the fishes — SCUBA
• Birth-related — NATAL
• “They’re in for ___ awakening!” — A RUDE
• “Cut” shortcut, on PCs — CTRL
• Nairobi is its capital — KENYA

Down:

• Quick bite — SNACK
• À la ___ — CARTE
• Maneuver done from the left lane only — UTURN
• In the worst way — BADLY
• Whom to tell “Turn off the lights” or “Play some music” — ALEXA

June 10, 2025

Across:

• Displays at a trailhead — MAPS
• Pulitzer-winning 2024 novel that reimagined “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” from the perspective of Jim — JAMES
• Invader in a sci-fi movie — ALIEN
• Thin strands — WISPS
• ‘Tude — SASS

Down:

• One of Michelle Obama’s daughters — MALIA
• A little out of whack — ASKew
• Marshmallow treats in Easter baskets — PEEPS
• I.R.S. IDs — SSNS

June 09, 2025

Across:

• Flower that sounds like a parental nickname — POPPY
• Savvy — AWARE
• Birthplace of Buddhism — INDIA
• Stretches outside of a party? — LIMOS
• Button next to “Select” on old Nintendo controllers — START

Down:

• Beach buckets — PAILS
• Take responsibility for something — OWN
• Lakshmi of “Top Chef” — PADMA
• Previous — PRIOR
• Ingredient that makes bread rise — YEAST

June 08, 2025

Across:

• Org. with shooting stars — NBA
• Buildings with weather vanes, stereotypically — BARNS
• Swiss watch brand — OMEGA
• What Santa, Gandalf and Dumbledore each have — BEARD
• Pie in the ___ — SKY

Down:

• “I’m bad with ___” (party excuse) — NAMES
• Start of a billiards game — BREAK
• Seeing red — ANGRY
• Timothée’s role in “A Complete Unknown” — DYLAN
• Feeling blue — SAD
• are all the words on the grid:

June 07, 2025

Across:

• Yoga class need — MAT
• Umlaut, rotated 90° — COLON
• “That is shocking!” — OHMYGOD
• “___ You the One?” (reality TV show) — ARE
• Egg cells — OVA
• One of two “royal” sleeping options — KINGBED
• Bar seating — STOOL
• Favorite team of the “Chicago Pope,” for short — SOX

Down:

• Slices of life — MOMENTS
• Olympic gymnast Raisman — ALY
• Request at the end of a restaurant meal — TOGOBOX
• Hayes of MSNBC — CHRIS
• Medium for Melville or McCarthy — NOVEL
• Wood used for wine barrels — OAK
• June honoree — DAD
• Sticky stuff — GOO

June 06, 2025

Across:

• “Oh, for heaven’s ___!” – SAKE
• Ending for “cine” and “multi,” in movie theater names – PLEX
• Pelvic bone – ILIUM
• “This will ___!” (“Unacceptable!”) – NOT DO
• Excited cry from a kid on the circled letters – WHEE

Down:

• What a ballerina might do on one toe – SPIN
• Permit – ALLOW
• Richards of the Rolling Stones – KEITH
• Radiate, as energy – EXUDE
• Stooge with a bowl cut – MOE

June 05, 2025

Across:

• Church tower topper – SPIRE
• Boardwalk addition that raises rent to $2,000 – HOTEL
• Plant in the agave family – YUCCA
• Informal discussion – CHAT
• P.R. buzz – HYPE

Down:

• Having trouble making friends on the first day of school, say – SHY
• Holder of a baby kangaroo – POUCH
• Like wool sweaters – ITCHY
• Sports write-up after a game – RECAP
• Make happy – ELATE

June 04, 2025

Across:

• Nickname that drops “-uel” – SAM
• Paleontologist’s discovery – BONE
• Like San Francisco during the summer – FOGGY
• “Bald” bird – EAGLE
• Clothes tumbler – DRYER

Down:

• Damp – SOGGY
• Consideration for a selfie taker – ANGLE
• Sweet variety of lemon – MEYER
• Animal hunted by the stranded kids in Lord of the Flies – BOAR
• Org. for Jerome Powell, with “the” – FED

June 03, 2025

Across:

• One of three primary ingredients in sponge cake – EGGS
• Sponge cake ingredient #2 – FLOUR
• Lower body exercise with one foot stretched forward and one back – LUNGE
• First-stringers – A-TEAM
• Towel cloth material – TERRY

Down:

• Key just above D – E FLAT
• Butt muscle, informally – GLUTE
• One who’s completely toast – GONER
• Sponge cake ingredient #3 – SUGAR
• ___ Martin (brand of cognac) – REMY

June 02, 2025

Across:

• Film by the Coen brothers set almost entirely in Minnesota (not North Dakota) – FARGO
• Phrase that’s tough to translate, maybe – IDIOM
• Skirts often worn with pointe shoes – TUTUS
• Was in front – LED
• Org. now checking for Real IDs – TSA

Down:

• In shape – FIT
• Kind of content that might require age verification online – ADULT
• Baptisms and bat mitzvahs – RITES
• Cheese that’s frequently smoked – GOUDA
• Sounds from meditators – OMS

June 01, 2025

Across:

• Late-night show V.I.P. – HOST
• Island that’s home to Waimea Canyon, a.k.a. the Grand Canyon of Hawaii KAUAI
• Online notice to pay utilities – E-BILL
• Action figure inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame – G.I. JOE
• Suffix with Kazakh and Kyrgyz – STAN

Down:

• Repeated activity – HABIT
• Spiritualist’s board – OUIJA
• Business with stylists – SALON
• Material for much signage in the N.Y.C. subway system – TILE
• Big beer barrels – KEGS

May 31, 2025

Across:

• This one and that one – BOTH
• Ballet-inspired fitness class – BARRE
• Mississippi ___ (rich chocolate dessert) – MUD PIE
• Sea creature with the scientific name Monodon monoceros (“one tooth, one horn”) – NARWHAL
• Like some soccer shots – ON GOAL
• Strict in tone – STERN
• Place for a “For Sale” sign – YARD

Down:

• $#!&, e.g. – BAD WORD
• Harry Potter, Annie or Bruce Wayne – ORPHAN
• ___ and error – TRIAL
• Dog trainer’s “Walk next to me!” – HEEL
• Hot dog alternative – BURGER
• Relative of a stingray – MANTA
• All up in one’s business – NOSY

May 30, 2025

Across:

• Browser windows – TABS
• Whom you often long to speak to during a customer service call – HUMAN
• 2024 film that won Best Picture – ANORA
• Weightless state experienced by astronauts, for short – ZEROG
• Garden in Genesis – EDEN

Down:

• Adjusted, as a radio dial – TUNED
• Love, in Rome – AMORE
• British nobility rank below earl and viscount – BARON
• Grab a hold of – SNAG
• Mental fog – HAZE

May 29, 2025

Across:

• Language heard in Bangkok – THAI
• Major brand of athletic shoes – ASICS
• Language family that includes Swahili – BANTU
• Language from which we get “pajama” and “khaki” – URDU
• Small amount of Manhattan? – SIP

Down:

• Old Russian rulers – TSARS
• Language that’s third in number of worldwide speakers, after English and Mandarin – HINDI
• Misbehave – ACTUP
• Sch. not far from Des Moines – ISU
• ___ Dhabi – ABU’

May 28, 2025

Across:

•  Stuff that accumulates on a bookshelf – DUST
• “Inside Out 2” emotion who’s constantly glued to her phone – ENNUI
• Snack for a squirrel – ACORN
• Fail, informally – FLUNK
• Crafter’s online marketplace – ETSY

Down:

• Using sign language, say – DEAF
• ___ Sam (patriotic symbol) – UNCLE
• What a tapir can grasp and manipulate objects with – SNOUT
• Chances to play in a board game – TURNS
• Like one’s fingers after using a leaky pen – INKY

May 27, 2025

Across:

• “___ the whole world gone mad?” – HAS
• Cause of increased “Aww”s and decreased “Zzz”s – BABY
• Romantic dozen – ROSES
• Still competing – INIT
• Flower ___ (as described by 1-, 4-, 5- and 6-Across, read in order?) – BED

Down:

• Certain religious Jew – HASID
• Help with a crime – ABET
• The “S” of iOS: Abbr. – SYS
• Skeleton piece – BONE
• 4-Down in the chest – RIB

May 26, 2025

Across:

• Endangers – RISKS
• “Bloomin’” item at Outback Steakhouse – ONION
• Up the ___ (plentifully) -WAZOO
• Lived (in) – DWELT
• “You wanted to see me because …?” – YES

Down:

• Rambunctious -ROWDY
• Totally blown away – INAWE
• S, M and L – SIZES
• ___-Aid Man, mascot known for smashing through walls and yelling “Oh, yeah!” – KOOL
• Pesky little twerp – SNOT

May 25, 2025

Across:

• Good for a bike route, bad for a bike tire – FLAT
• Rolling in it – RICH
• Internet company with a purple logo – YAHOO
• McIlroy who won the 2025 Masters – RORY
• Mumford & ___ (rock band) – SONS

Down:

• Food item dipped in ketchup – FRY
• Apt rhyme of “falsifiers” – LIARS
• Sneezing sound – ACHOO
• Plant’s defense against herbivores, perhaps – THORN
• Yiddish exclamations of woe – OYS

May 24, 2025

Across:

• “Get a load of ___!” – THIS
• Ability to keep one’s balance on a ship – SEALEGS
• Army shirt? – TANKTOP
• Chicago trains – ELS
• Wand-waving org. – TSA
• Flowers depicted in classical Chinese art – PEONIES
• By oneself – ALONE
• Phileas ___, “Around the World in Eighty Days” protagonist – FOGG

Down:

• Something “read” in the divination method of tasseography – TEALEAF
• Sci-fi hero with the line “Never tell me the odds” – HANSOLO
• Kind – ILK
• Where a story takes place – SETTING
• Lather, rinse or repeat – STEP
• “Take a look for yourself!” – GOSEE
• Places to get pampered – SPAS
• Eggy holiday drink – NOG

May 23, 2025

Across:

• Chooses to receive marketing emails, with “in” – OPTS
• Buck ___, first Black coach in Major League Baseball (1962) – ONEIL
• Like your epidermis? – SKINNY
• Like the element Fe? – IRONY
• Quite a lot of – MANY

Down:

• Bulb in the kitchen – ONION
• Like an ink-filled writing tool? – PENNY
• Microscopic – TINY
• Acting deviously – SLY
• Green gumbo ingredient – OKRA
• ___ card (smartphone chip) – SIM

May 22, 2025

Across:

• Part of a fleet – SHIP
• Answer to Gollum’s riddle in “The Hobbit,” which starts “This thing all things devours — birds, beasts, trees, flowers”- TIME
• “See ya!” – LATER
• Second-most popular girl’s name of the 2020s, after Olivia – EMMA
• Not keeping secrets – OPEN

Down:

• Sticker on an envelope – STAMP
• “I’d like another card,” in blackjack – HITME
• “Uhh, that is to say …” – IMEAN
• The “p” of m.p.h. – PER
• Name taken by the new pope – LEO

May 21, 2025

Across:

• Either role played by Michael B. Jordan in 2025’s “Sinners” – TWIN
• “Wow, wow, wow!” – OHMY
• “Gr-” word that follows “green” – GRAPE
• Bit of land in the ocean – ISLE
• Père ___, name for Santa Claus in France – NOEL

Down:

• Trunk of the body – TORSO
• “Wh-” word that follows “white” – WHITE
• Urge forward – IMPEL
• Bill ___ the Science Guy – NYE
• Alcohol paired with tonic – GIN

May 20, 2025

Across:

• “Pink ___ Club” (Chappell Roan hit) – PONY
• Instrument that might be made with a comb and wax paper – KAZOO
• How bedtime stories are often read – ALOUD
• On edge – NOUSE
• Short Instagram video – REEL

Down:

• Less colorful – PALER
• Layer of the upper atmosphere – OZONE
• Totally pointless – NOUSE
• Hit a high note in a high place, perhaps – YODEL
• Kit ___ bar – KAT

May 19, 2025

Across:

• Network satirized on “30 Rock,” for short – NBC
• Sport played on horseback – POLO
• One for whom every day is Boxing Day? – MOVERS
• Like correct letters in Wordle – GREEN
• Blend together – MELD

Down:

• “Invisible Man” or “Little Women” – NOVEL
• Run in the wash – BLEED
• What bourbon whiskey is primarily made from – CORN
• Tiny hole in the skin – PORE
• Longtime movie studio acquired by Amazon in 2022 – MGM

May 18, 2025

Across:

• Golf shot that’s also a piece of computer hardware – CHIP
• Golf shot that’s also a piece of computer hardware – DRIVE
• Screenwriter Sorkin – AARON
• Nonreactive, chemically – INERT
• “Bye-bye!” – SEEYA

Down:

• Origami bird – CRANE
• Person added to the staff – HIREE
• Material used to plate the skin of the Parthenon Athena and the statue of Zeus at Olympia – IVORY
• Five: Prefix – PENTA
• Speaker’s platform – DAIS

May 17, 2025

Across:

• Link in ___” (promotional catchphrase on social media) – BIO
• They’re ground in a coffee grinder – BEANS
• Bike riders’ headwear – HELMETS
• Variety of tomato whose name is also a meat – BEEFSTEAK
• Shoe spec that describes this puzzle? – EXTRAWIDE
• “Cha-ching, nothin’ to it!” – EASYMONEY

Down:

• Church spot where bats hang out – BELFRY
• The first three words of “Green Eggs and Ham,” straight from the narrator – IAMSAM
• Boxing punch combo – ONETWO
• Purple slices in a salad – BEETS
• Oktoberfest glass – STEIN
• Prefix with decimal, in coding – HEXA
• One-named hit singer with 1985’s “Smooth Operator” – SADE
• Spelling ___ – BEE

May 16, 2025

Across:

• Unit of distance that can precede “stone” and “age” – MILE
• Kind of powder used for hot chocolate – COCOA
• On the button – EXACT
• Connections – LINKS
• “___ not and say we did!” – LET’S

Down:

• Gutsy determination – MOXIE
• “That’s not gonna work for me” – I CAN’T
• Strands – LOCKS
• Has a bite – EATS
• Spreadsheet unit – CELL

May 15, 2025

Across:

• Shoot out, as lava from a volcano – SPEW
• “In what place?” – WHERE
• Plants you didn’t plant, perhaps – WEEDS
• Like Mini crosswords … and a phonetic description of this puzzle? – EASY

Down:

• Fencing swords – EPEES
• Prone to geeking out – NERDY
• Farm animals that sound like vowels not seen in this puzzle? – EWES
• Stadium at which the Beatles performed an iconic 1965 concert – SHEA
• Org. for Hulk Hogan and John Cena – WWE

May 14, 2025

Across:

• Opposite ends of the earth – POLES
• Animal with “white” and “black” varieties (really, they’re both gray) – RHINO
• Plant deeply – EMBED
• What’s coming to you – KARMA
• “No” vote – NAY

Down:

• Program for kids aged 3-5, informally – PRE-K
• “That’s crazy, dude!” – OH MAN
• Sign after Virgo – LIBRA
• Sworn ___ – ENEMY
• Pop bottles, e.g. – SODA

May 13, 2025

Across:

• “Pointer” used to highlight a talking point – LASER
• Submit a C.V. – APPLY
• Get behind the wheel – DRIVE
• “Oh boy, that’s not good!” – YIKES
•  ___ Misérables – LES

Down:

• “___ Madonna” (Beatles song) – LADY
• When March Madness ends, curiously – APRIL
• Sudden increase – SPIKE
• Legolas and Galadriel, in The Lord of the Rings – ELVES
• Spirits akin to bourbons – RYES

May 12, 2025

Across:

• The “D” of D.J. – DISC
• Yet to tie the knot – UNWED
• Clothing material that becomes 3-Down after “doubling” a letter – SUEDE
• Like the motion of the ocean – TIDAL
• Actress Garr – TERI

Down:

• “___ in the Wind” (Kansas classic) – DUST
• People of the Arctic – INUIT
• Stockholm resident – SWEDE
• Traditional wood for a hope chest – CEDAR
• Where one looks for lox – DELI

May 11, 2025

Across:

• Piece of bacon – STRIP
• Renter’s contract – LEASE
• Country whose national bird is the peacock – INDIA
• Layers of paint – COATS
• Make a mistake – ERR

Down:

• Piece of toast – SLICE
• Kind of saxophone played by Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane – TENOR
• Weather forecast tool, either way you look at it – RADAR
• “___ just me …?” – IS IT
• Pod group – PEAS

NYT Mini Crossw

May 10, 2025

Across:

• Common inclusion in a tourist’s brochure – MAP
• Olympic honor – MEDAL
• Any of a set of green plastic toys in Toy Story – SOLDIER
• Still on the loose – AT LARGE
• Driver’s license or passport – PHOTO ID
• Star of the Eras Tour – SWIFT
• 30, 45 or 50, on a beach bottle: Abbr. – SPF

Down:

• Chills (out) – MELLOWS
• Prompt after swiping one’s card at an iPad cash register – ADD A TIP
• Form groups of two – PAIR OFF
• Flittering fliers around a flame – MOTHS
• Totally authentic – LEGIT
• Sticky stuff – SAP
• “No turn on ___” (road sign) – RED

May 8, 2025

Across:

• Ovechkin who broke Wayne Gretzky’s N.H.L. goals record – ALEX
• Stand-in – PROXY
• Industry for marketing professionals, informally – ADBIZ
• Poe, Pope or Pound – POET
• Org that really ought to give you a break? – IRS

Down:

• Intense passion – ARDOR
• Parts of ears and brains – LOBES
• Glowing sign in a movie theater – EXIT
• End of the alphabet – XYZ
• Spanish terms of endearment – PAPI

May 5, 2025

Across:

• Thinnest U.S. coins at around 1/20th of an inch – DIMES
• “Sorry, already have plans” – ICANT
• Silent but deadly sort – NINJA
• George ____, pen name of the Victorian writer Mary Ann Evans – ELIOT
• “That’s great news!” – YAY

Down:

• Wine pairing? – DINE
• In a chilly manner – ICILY
• Ending with kepto or ego – MANIAC
• Waiter’s “Hope you like the food!” – ENJOY
• Batting average, e.g. – STAT

May 4, 2025

Across:

• Question that looks like today’s date – MAYI
• Marvel’s “The Avengers,” e.g. – COMIC
• Bring to mind – EVOKE
• Like notebook paper – LINED
• An Australian millipede holds the record for the most in the animal kingdom, at 1,306 – LEG

Down:

• Marvel’s The Avengers, e.g. – MOVIE
• Surrounded by – AMONG
• “That is not good!” – YIKES
• Like some coffee orders – ICED
• Where to find ribosomes and mitochondria – CELL

May 1, 2025

Across:

• Wines that Napa Valley is renowned for, informally – CABS
• “Right away!” – ATONCE
• School students – PUPILS
• Make a mistake… or 8-across backward – SLIPUP
• Many a new driver – TEEN

Down:

• Items of clothing that may be worn backward – CAPS
• Gawande, surgeon with the #1 New York Times best seller “Being Mortal” – ATUL
• Hasbro toy with a pull handle and a twistable crank – BOPIT
• Criticize snarkily with “at” – SNIPE
• You’re reading it – CLUE
• Channel with “2” and “U” spinoffs – ESPN

April 30, 2025

Across:

• Picture holder – FRAME
• New spin on an old song – REMIX
• Cream of the crop – ELITE
• Hobbes in “Calvin and Hobbes”, for one – TIGER
• Profit = revenue – ____ – COST

Down:

• Agonize (over) – FRET
• Item in Indiana Jones’s satchel, perhaps – RELIC
• Compadre – AMIGO
• Itty-bitty biters – MITES
• Smooch – KISS
• Wield, as influence – EXERT

April 29, 2025:

Across:

• Hit the ___ (go to bed) – SACK
• Misleading name for a sub/shish kebab restaurant? – SUSHI
• Misleading name for a taco/pasta restaurant? – TAPAS
• Certain sports bets – OVERS
• Cooped (up) – PENT

Down:

• Almost too sophisticated and charming – SUAVE
• Upscale Colorado skiing destination – ASPEN
• Word after bar or pie – CHART
• Smooch – KISS
• Word on an eight-sided traffic sign – STOP

April 28, 2025:

Across:

• Chef’s creation – DISH
• Iconic Madonna hit of 1990 – VOGUE
• Section of a tennis court used when playing doubles – ALLEY
• State of mind – MOOD
• Not amateur – PRO

Down:

• Rarely-used word meaning “sadness” – DOLOR
• Snow place like home – IGLOO
• Went after in court – SUED
• Yo – HEY
• Fill time on stage – VAMP

April 26, 2025:

Across:

• Fancy party – GALA
• Five _____ (Discount store chain) – BELOW
• Bottom stripe on a pride flag – PURPLE
• Bedtime outfit, informally – JAMMIES
• Task to run – ERRAND
• Actress Keaton of “Father of the Bride” – DIANE
• Car ride game – ISPY

Down:

• Country in which the automobile, aspirin and the accordion were invented – GERMANY
• Mountain-related – ALPINE
• Was amused, slangily – LOLED
• Really impresses – AWES
• Unfair reputation – BUMRAP
• Host of the 2024 Summer Olympics – PARIS
• “Warrior-monks who keep peace in the universe,” per George Lucas – JEDI

April 25, 2025:

Across:

• Fancy party – QTIP
• Leaves on the stove too long – BURNS
• They’re used to hunt and peck – BEAKS
• “I’m trying to focus here!” – QUIET
• Button that might make a “Woosh!” sound – SEND

Down:

• Word pronounced like its first letter (which is followed by four vowels) – QUEUE
• Feature of an extravagant wedding dress – TRAIN
• Signed, as a contract – INKED
• Verbal alternative to a tap on the shoulder – PSST

Now that you have your answers, I recommend taking a look through all of our other crossword articles at Power Up Gaming. You never know if you’ll come across an puzzle you’ve been stuck on!