It's about 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen

Latest answer — May 22, 2026

15 Across

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NYT Midi Crossword

This clue's Friday, May 22, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Shower alternative
  2. 5Spa treatment that might feature nail art, for short
  3. 9___ sabzi (potato curry)
  4. 10English river that means "river" in Celtic languages
  5. 11Screech
  6. 12Champagne bottle projectile
  7. 13Ships off
  8. 15It's about 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen
  9. 16Longtime host of "The Joy of Painting" whose work is the basis of this puzzle's theme
  10. 20Two-sided
  11. 21Not just a want
  12. 23Pain that may be helped by stretching
  13. 24Stitching line
  14. 25East Lansing sch.
  15. 26"u would be doing me a big favor :prayer-hands:"

Down

  1. 1Howls at the moon
  2. 2Soothing gel ingredient
  3. 3Village relative
  4. 4Fitting comfortably in one's hands
  5. 5French desserts that look like tiny colorful hamburgers
  6. 6Promise
  7. 7Ephron who directed "You've Got Mail"
  8. 8Like a leaky pen
  9. 14"For once, maybe someone will call me '___' without adding 'You're making a scene'": Homer Simpson
  10. 16N.F.L. athletes with a pirate flag logo, for short
  11. 17Most populous Hawaiian island
  12. 18Flow like sap
  13. 19Animal often confused with a sea lion
  14. 20Water stopper
  15. 22Slack convos

The answer to “It's about 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen” in the New York Times Midi crossword is AIR — a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times Midi crossword on May 22, 2026 at 15-Across. Below you'll find why that fill fits, every other answer we've recorded for this clue, and links into the puzzle it came from.

“It's about 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen” answer

AIR (3 letters)

Use the reveal tiles above to uncover the solution one letter at a time if you'd rather nudge yourself toward it than see the whole word at once. Prefer the full answer straight away? It's AIR.

Why the answer is AIR

AIR is the 3-letter solution that fits "It's about 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen" in the NYT Midi crossword on May 22, 2026 (15-Across). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.

What does AIR mean?

Reading the plain dictionary sense of AIR is often the fastest way to see why it answers this clue.

(noun)

  • the invisible gaseous substance surrounding the earth, a mixture mainly of oxygen and nitrogen
  • an impression of a quality or manner given by someone or something
  • a tune or short melodious song

When else has “It's about 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen” appeared?

New York Times Midi reuses clues across dates, sometimes with a different answer depending on the grid. Here's where this exact clue has shown up, and what the answer was each time — handy when you're checking whether today's fill is the only one.

May 22, 2026 (most recent) → AIR. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “It's about 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen”?

The answer is AIR, a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times Midi crossword on May 22, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “It's about 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen”?

3 letters: AIR.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times Midi crossword on May 22, 2026, at 15-Across.

Can “It's about 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen” have a different answer?

Yes — New York Times Midi sometimes reuses a clue with a different solution to fit the grid. The answers we've recorded for each date it appeared are listed above when available.

Where can I find the rest of today's NYT Midi answers?

Every clue and answer from that day's puzzle is linked above, and the full grid is on the NYT Midi answers page.

New York Times Midi Crossword is published by The New York Times; WordHint is an independent site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher.

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