The clue is mani-pedi material for the NYT Crossword Puzzle for May 28, 2025. It is for the downward section, and it is a clue that not everyone may get right away. The term mani-pedi is short for manicure and pedicure. So the answer we are looking for is a material or an item related to the field of manicure and pedicure.
The material for your manicure and pedicure needs
The answer to this clue is an EMERY. An emery is like a nail file, but it’s made from a special kind of mineral or rock. Normally, it looks black, sort of like coal, but has a lighter color. It looks like sandpaper, but the feeling isn’t anything like it. It is used to file nails on the fingers and on the toes.
It can be modified to look like other colors, and in fact, some emery items can have some designs. Also, an emery nail file will diminish over time. Just like sandpaper, it will lose part of it, sort of like melting away until the emery is reduced bit by bit.
