Mother-of-pearl

The answer to “Mother-of-pearl” in the New York Times crossword is NACRE — a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on May 8, 2025, a Thursday puzzle, at 26-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.

“Mother-of-pearl” answer

NACRE (5 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 NACRE.

Why the answer is NACRE

This shiny material often lines the inside of seashells and adds a touch of elegance! 🐚

What does NACRE mean?

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

When else has “Mother-of-pearl” 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 8, 2025 (most recent) → NACRE. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

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