Lies ahead

Latest answer — May 26, 2026

45 Down

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NYT Crossword

This clue's Tuesday, May 26, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Number not representable by Roman numerals
  2. 5What's the point of bullfighting?
  3. 9Bryce Canyon's state
  4. 13What Thomas Carlyle called "the dismal science," for short
  5. 14Cookies featured in Weird Al's "The White Stuff"
  6. 16Condiment in potato salad, informally
  7. 17*Aids for biting
  8. 19Task for a line cook, informally
  9. 20Thus far
  10. 21___ for thought
  11. 23Crevice
  12. 24Ice cream drink
  13. 26*Attribute for spotting what others miss
  14. 28What a scare might make you do
  15. 31Word after hand or band
  16. 33"That's a good tip for the future"
  17. 34Actress de Armas of "Knives Out"
  18. 35Swanky shindig
  19. 36Copenhagener, e.g.
  20. 37What the answers to the starred clues are, collectively?
  21. 42$50/hour, e.g.
  22. 43Cuisine from Bangkok
  23. 44It's blowing in the wind
  24. 45Artist with the albums "19," "21," "25" and "30"
  25. 47"My dear ___ ..."
  26. 48Online files for instruction manuals, often
  27. 49*Cheeky sort
  28. 52Rip-___ (awful deals)
  29. 54Pre-entree order, informally
  30. 55Daily delivery
  31. 57Declares as fact
  32. 61Picked out of a lineup, informally
  33. 63*One given to insolence
  34. 65Tickle Me Elmo toymaker
  35. 66HR-V and CR-V automaker
  36. 67Senior dance party
  37. 68Meyers of "Late Night"
  38. 69Within a stone's throw of
  39. 70Patches up, say

Down

  1. 1Gusto
  2. 2Repetitive sound effect
  3. 3Highway, e.g.
  4. 4Way to the highway
  5. 5Spot to keep a passport while traveling
  6. 6Valuable deposit
  7. 7"Finding Nemo" setting
  8. 8Simply unacceptable
  9. 9M.L.B. official
  10. 10Customized bit of marketing
  11. 11"Yes, captain!"
  12. 12Moved like a kangaroo
  13. 15"If the ___ fits, wear it!"
  14. 18School bake sale org.
  15. 22Mountain visible from Anchorage
  16. 25Lecture
  17. 27"___ of your business!"
  18. 28Punch in the ring
  19. 29Game with the goal of running out of cards
  20. 30Huge props
  21. 32Desires
  22. 35Cheerleader's shout
  23. 36A little sun?
  24. 38Connecticut Ivy
  25. 39Home of Xenia, the U.S.'s largest city whose name starts with "X"
  26. 40Many an embedded animation
  27. 41Settings for "The Pitt" and "Code Black," for short
  28. 45Lies ahead
  29. 46Technique whereby a shirt is lowered into a pigmented bath
  30. 48Military mind games, for short
  31. 50Merit badge holder
  32. 51Schuster's partner in publishing
  33. 53Closest peeps
  34. 56Assignment at a bowling alley
  35. 58"You bet!"
  36. 59Place in an overhead bin
  37. 60Electrical resistance units
  38. 62[Facepalm]
  39. 64Nutritional intake amt.

Crossword clues, hints, and answers

Across

  1. 1. Number not representable by Roman numerals — Answer: ZERO
  2. 5. What's the point of bullfighting? — Answer: HORN
  3. 9. Bryce Canyon's state — Answer: UTAH
  4. 13. What Thomas Carlyle called "the dismal science," for short — Answer: ECON
  5. 14. Cookies featured in Weird Al's "The White Stuff" — Answer: OREOS
  6. 16. Condiment in potato salad, informally — Answer: MAYO
  7. 17. *Aids for biting — Answer: SHARPTEETH
  8. 19. Task for a line cook, informally — Answer: PREP
  9. 20. Thus far — Answer: TODATE
  10. 21. ___ for thought — Answer: FOOD
  11. 23. Crevice — Answer: GAP
  12. 24. Ice cream drink — Answer: MALT
  13. 26. *Attribute for spotting what others miss — Answer: KEENEYE
  14. 28. What a scare might make you do — Answer: JUMP
  15. 31. Word after hand or band — Answer: SAW
  16. 33. "That's a good tip for the future" — Answer: NOTED
  17. 34. Actress de Armas of "Knives Out" — Answer: ANA
  18. 35. Swanky shindig — Answer: GALA
  19. 36. Copenhagener, e.g. — Answer: DANE
  20. 37. What the answers to the starred clues are, collectively? — Answer: BODYOFKNOWLEDGE
  21. 42. $50/hour, e.g. — Answer: RATE
  22. 43. Cuisine from Bangkok — Answer: THAI
  23. 44. It's blowing in the wind — Answer: AIR
  24. 45. Artist with the albums "19," "21," "25" and "30" — Answer: ADELE
  25. 47. "My dear ___ ..." — Answer: SIR
  26. 48. Online files for instruction manuals, often — Answer: PDFS
  27. 49. *Cheeky sort — Answer: WISEASS
  28. 52. Rip-___ (awful deals) — Answer: OFFS
  29. 54. Pre-entree order, informally — Answer: APP
  30. 55. Daily delivery — Answer: MAIL
  31. 57. Declares as fact — Answer: SAYSSO
  32. 61. Picked out of a lineup, informally — Answer: IDED
  33. 63. *One given to insolence — Answer: SMARTMOUTH
  34. 65. Tickle Me Elmo toymaker — Answer: TYCO
  35. 66. HR-V and CR-V automaker — Answer: HONDA
  36. 67. Senior dance party — Answer: PROM
  37. 68. Meyers of "Late Night" — Answer: SETH
  38. 69. Within a stone's throw of — Answer: NEAR
  39. 70. Patches up, say — Answer: SEWS

Down

  1. 1. Gusto — Answer: ZEST
  2. 2. Repetitive sound effect — Answer: ECHO
  3. 3. Highway, e.g. — Answer: ROAD
  4. 4. Way to the highway — Answer: ONRAMP
  5. 5. Spot to keep a passport while traveling — Answer: HOTELSAFE
  6. 6. Valuable deposit — Answer: ORE
  7. 7. "Finding Nemo" setting — Answer: REEF
  8. 8. Simply unacceptable — Answer: NOTOK
  9. 9. M.L.B. official — Answer: UMP
  10. 10. Customized bit of marketing — Answer: TARGETEDAD
  11. 11. "Yes, captain!" — Answer: AYEAYE
  12. 12. Moved like a kangaroo — Answer: HOPPED
  13. 15. "If the ___ fits, wear it!" — Answer: SHOE
  14. 18. School bake sale org. — Answer: PTA
  15. 22. Mountain visible from Anchorage — Answer: DENALI
  16. 25. Lecture — Answer: TALK
  17. 27. "___ of your business!" — Answer: NONE
  18. 28. Punch in the ring — Answer: JAB
  19. 29. Game with the goal of running out of cards — Answer: UNO
  20. 30. Huge props — Answer: MADRESPECT
  21. 32. Desires — Answer: WANTS
  22. 35. Cheerleader's shout — Answer: GOTEAM
  23. 36. A little sun? — Answer: DWARFSTAR
  24. 38. Connecticut Ivy — Answer: YALE
  25. 39. Home of Xenia, the U.S.'s largest city whose name starts with "X" — Answer: OHIO
  26. 40. Many an embedded animation — Answer: GIF
  27. 41. Settings for "The Pitt" and "Code Black," for short — Answer: ERS
  28. 45. Lies ahead — Answer: AWAITS
  29. 46. Technique whereby a shirt is lowered into a pigmented bath — Answer: DIPDYE
  30. 48. Military mind games, for short — Answer: PSYOPS
  31. 50. Merit badge holder — Answer: SASH
  32. 51. Schuster's partner in publishing — Answer: SIMON
  33. 53. Closest peeps — Answer: FAM
  34. 56. Assignment at a bowling alley — Answer: LANE
  35. 58. "You bet!" — Answer: SURE
  36. 59. Place in an overhead bin — Answer: STOW
  37. 60. Electrical resistance units — Answer: OHMS
  38. 62. [Facepalm] — Answer: DOH
  39. 64. Nutritional intake amt. — Answer: RDA

Recent NYT Crossword Answers

The last 7 days of solutions

NYT Crossword 25 May 2026NYT Crossword 24 May 2026NYT Crossword 23 May 2026NYT Crossword 22 May 2026NYT Crossword 21 May 2026NYT Crossword 20 May 2026NYT Crossword 19 May 2026

The answer to “Lies ahead” in the New York Times crossword is AWAITS — a 6-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on May 26, 2026, a Tuesday puzzle, at 45-Down. 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.

“Lies ahead” answer

AWAITS (6 letters)

Reveal the solution one letter at a time with the tiles above if you'd rather nudge yourself toward it than see the whole word at once. Just want it outright? The answer is AWAITS.

Why the answer is AWAITS

AWAITS is the 6-letter solution that fits "Lies ahead" in the NYT Crossword crossword on May 26, 2026 (45-Down). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.

When else has “Lies ahead” appeared?

New York Times 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 26, 2026 (most recent) → AWAITS. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

More clues from the NYT Crossword on May 26, 2026

Stuck elsewhere in the grid? Here are some of the crossing and nearby clues from the same puzzle — tap any for its answer and explanation.

Want every clue in one place? The full New York Times answer list for May 26, 2026 is on that day's grid page, and today's live NYT Crossword answers are always one tap from the today page.

About the NYT Crossword

The New York Times crossword, edited by Will Shortz, is the most famous daily puzzle in the United States. It runs a 15×15 grid Monday through Saturday and a larger 21×21 grid on Sunday, and its difficulty deliberately ramps through the week: Monday is the most approachable, Saturday the toughest, with Thursday often reserved for a trick or twist like rebus squares. This page covers a Tuesday puzzle. A straight-definition entry is the kind of solid mid-grid answer that anchors the trickier crossings around it. Because the NYT reuses short, crossing-friendly words regularly, seeing them once makes them easier to spot next time.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Lies ahead”?

The answer is AWAITS, a 6-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on May 26, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Lies ahead”?

6 letters: AWAITS.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on May 26, 2026 (a Tuesday puzzle), at 45-Down.

Can “Lies ahead” have a different answer?

Yes — New York Times 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 this day's NYT Crossword answers?

The full grid for May 26, 2026 is on the NYT Crossword answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

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