NYT Crossword Answers - May 9

By Willa Angel Chen Miller and Erik Agard

P
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Across

  1. 1Walks softlyPADS
  2. 5Impossible to contact by ordinary meansOFFTHEGRID
  3. 15"___, sing America"ITOO
  4. 16Feature focused on investigation and resolutionCRIMEDRAMA
  5. 17TurfLAND
  6. 18Downward-facing dog?CANISMAJOR
  7. 19___ text (label for a screen reader)ALT
  8. 20___ Robert Jr., 2020 Gold Glove Award winnerLUIS
  9. 21EncrustCAKE
  10. 22What might be caught Red-handed?FLYBALL
  11. 24Cracker topperBRIE
  12. 27RaiseHOIST
  13. 28Popular vacation spotSEASHORE
  14. 32Talks upTOUTS
  15. 33It's not worth what it seemsPLAYMONEY
  16. 34Kick outOUST
  17. 35Roughly 62% of its claimed territory is in AntarcticaCHILE
  18. 36Fine-textured wood used in musical instrumentsPEAR
  19. 37Unfettered flow of goodsFREETRADE
  20. 39It might turn up a turnipSPADE
  21. 40Software clientsUSERBASE
  22. 41MinusculeTEENY
  23. 42"That's my opinion, too"SAME
  24. 43Components of some makeoversHAIRDOS
  25. 45BoatloadSLEW
  26. 48First-rate, in slangBOSS
  27. 49R&B;'s ___ HillDRU
  28. 50"Be kind!"HAVEAHEART
  29. 54First name of the first Black woman to win a Nobel Prize in LiteratureTONI
  30. 55What holding one's thumb up might indicateINEEDARIDE
  31. 56"How could ___?"INOT
  32. 57Cooking byproduct sometimes called "liquid gold"PASTAWATER
  33. 58Rescues, maybePETS

Down

  1. 1Fragrant rice dishPILAF
  2. 2Day and nightATALLHOURS
  3. 3"Must I spell it out further?"DONTYOUSEE
  4. 4TurfSOD
  5. 5Like practices associated with pentaclesOCCULT
  6. 6EnfeebledFRAIL
  7. 7Some scuba diving gearFINS
  8. 8"OMG, I didn't need to know that!"TMI
  9. 9"She's everything. ___ just Ken" (2023 movie tagline)HES
  10. 10Genre heard at many raves, for shortEDM
  11. 11Pioneer in computer science who has a college at Yale named after herGRACEHOPPER
  12. 12Asian royalRAJA
  13. 13"Don't worry about me"IMOK
  14. 14Have the audacityDARE
  15. 20ColleenLASS
  16. 23Emotionally complex, in a wayBITTERSWEET
  17. 24James Baldwin's "If ___ Street Could Talk"BEALE
  18. 25One-named singer in the 2023 hit "Prada"RAYE
  19. 26What one might subscribe toISM
  20. 28"I'll let that ___ ..."SLIDE
  21. 29Not to be repeatedONEANDDONE
  22. 30Seeking comment?READYORNOT
  23. 31Title heroine who says "I am no bird; and no net ensnares me; I am a free human being with an independent will; which I now exert to leave you"EYRE
  24. 32Stir-fry protein optionTOFU
  25. 33This, too, shall passPHASE
  26. 35SqueezeCRAM
  27. 38Not yet final, in briefTBA
  28. 39Number of kings en España named FelipeSEIS
  29. 41Position at a food companyTASTER
  30. 43ThrongHORDE
  31. 44Boardroom groupSUITS
  32. 45MailSHIP
  33. 46Superboy's crushLANA
  34. 47Holiday lead-insEVES
  35. 48EnticeBAIT
  36. 51Antidiscrimination legis. of 1990ADA
  37. 52___ flakes (fruity Chinese snack)HAW
  38. 53Long periodERA
  39. 54What a boat shouldn't doTIP

Crossword clues, hints, and answers

Across

  1. 1. Walks softly — Answer: PADS
  2. 5. Impossible to contact by ordinary means — Answer: OFFTHEGRID
  3. 15. "___, sing America" — Answer: ITOO
  4. 16. Feature focused on investigation and resolution — Answer: CRIMEDRAMA
  5. 17. Turf — Answer: LAND
  6. 18. Downward-facing dog? — Answer: CANISMAJOR
  7. 19. ___ text (label for a screen reader) — Answer: ALT
  8. 20. ___ Robert Jr., 2020 Gold Glove Award winner — Answer: LUIS
  9. 21. Encrust — Answer: CAKE
  10. 22. What might be caught Red-handed? — Answer: FLYBALL
  11. 24. Cracker topper — Answer: BRIE
  12. 27. Raise — Answer: HOIST
  13. 28. Popular vacation spot — Answer: SEASHORE
  14. 32. Talks up — Answer: TOUTS
  15. 33. It's not worth what it seems — Answer: PLAYMONEY
  16. 34. Kick out — Answer: OUST
  17. 35. Roughly 62% of its claimed territory is in Antarctica — Answer: CHILE
  18. 36. Fine-textured wood used in musical instruments — Answer: PEAR
  19. 37. Unfettered flow of goods — Answer: FREETRADE
  20. 39. It might turn up a turnip — Answer: SPADE
  21. 40. Software clients — Answer: USERBASE
  22. 41. Minuscule — Answer: TEENY
  23. 42. "That's my opinion, too" — Answer: SAME
  24. 43. Components of some makeovers — Answer: HAIRDOS
  25. 45. Boatload — Answer: SLEW
  26. 48. First-rate, in slang — Answer: BOSS
  27. 49. R&B;'s ___ Hill — Answer: DRU
  28. 50. "Be kind!" — Answer: HAVEAHEART
  29. 54. First name of the first Black woman to win a Nobel Prize in Literature — Answer: TONI
  30. 55. What holding one's thumb up might indicate — Answer: INEEDARIDE
  31. 56. "How could ___?" — Answer: INOT
  32. 57. Cooking byproduct sometimes called "liquid gold" — Answer: PASTAWATER
  33. 58. Rescues, maybe — Answer: PETS

Down

  1. 1. Fragrant rice dish — Answer: PILAF
  2. 2. Day and night — Answer: ATALLHOURS
  3. 3. "Must I spell it out further?" — Answer: DONTYOUSEE
  4. 4. Turf — Answer: SOD. Hint: This green ground cover is often rolled out for a fresh lawn! 🌱
  5. 5. Like practices associated with pentacles — Answer: OCCULT
  6. 6. Enfeebled — Answer: FRAIL
  7. 7. Some scuba diving gear — Answer: FINS
  8. 8. "OMG, I didn't need to know that!" — Answer: TMI
  9. 9. "She's everything. ___ just Ken" (2023 movie tagline) — Answer: HES
  10. 10. Genre heard at many raves, for short — Answer: EDM
  11. 11. Pioneer in computer science who has a college at Yale named after her — Answer: GRACEHOPPER
  12. 12. Asian royal — Answer: RAJA
  13. 13. "Don't worry about me" — Answer: IMOK
  14. 14. Have the audacity — Answer: DARE
  15. 20. Colleen — Answer: LASS
  16. 23. Emotionally complex, in a way — Answer: BITTERSWEET
  17. 24. James Baldwin's "If ___ Street Could Talk" — Answer: BEALE
  18. 25. One-named singer in the 2023 hit "Prada" — Answer: RAYE
  19. 26. What one might subscribe to — Answer: ISM
  20. 28. "I'll let that ___ ..." — Answer: SLIDE
  21. 29. Not to be repeated — Answer: ONEANDDONE
  22. 30. Seeking comment? — Answer: READYORNOT
  23. 31. Title heroine who says "I am no bird; and no net ensnares me; I am a free human being with an independent will; which I now exert to leave you" — Answer: EYRE
  24. 32. Stir-fry protein option — Answer: TOFU
  25. 33. This, too, shall pass — Answer: PHASE
  26. 35. Squeeze — Answer: CRAM
  27. 38. Not yet final, in brief — Answer: TBA
  28. 39. Number of kings en España named Felipe — Answer: SEIS
  29. 41. Position at a food company — Answer: TASTER
  30. 43. Throng — Answer: HORDE
  31. 44. Boardroom group — Answer: SUITS
  32. 45. Mail — Answer: SHIP
  33. 46. Superboy's crush — Answer: LANA
  34. 47. Holiday lead-ins — Answer: EVES
  35. 48. Entice — Answer: BAIT
  36. 51. Antidiscrimination legis. of 1990 — Answer: ADA
  37. 52. ___ flakes (fruity Chinese snack) — Answer: HAW
  38. 53. Long period — Answer: ERA. Hint: Think of a significant stretch of time in history! 🕰️
  39. 54. What a boat shouldn't do — Answer: TIP

Recent NYT Crossword Answers

The last 7 days of solutions

NYT Crossword 8 May 2025NYT Crossword 7 May 2025NYT Crossword 6 May 2025NYT Crossword 5 May 2025NYT Crossword 4 May 2025NYT Crossword 3 May 2025NYT Crossword 2 May 2025

Here are the NYT Crossword answers for Friday, May 9, 2025 — every solution for that day's 15×15 (21×21 on Sunday) puzzle, listed at the top of this page. Whether you're catching up on a puzzle you missed, settling a “what was the answer on May 9?” question, or checking a grid you finished that day, the complete clue-by-clue solution is right here. Looking for today's puzzle instead? Head to our live NYT Crossword answers page.

NYT Crossword answers for May 9, 2025

The full solution for the May 9 NYT Crossword is shown above, laid out clue by clue — every Across answer followed by every Down answer, exactly as that day's grid read. Each answer is listed separately, so you can check just the clue you were stuck on and leave the rest. This is the confirmed grid as published on Friday, May 9.

Full NYT Crossword answer list for May 9, 2025

Every clue from the May 9 grid next to its solution — the same answers as the board above, in one plain list you can scan without tapping.

Across

#ClueAnswer
1Walks softlyPADS
5Impossible to contact by ordinary meansOFFTHEGRID
15"___, sing America"ITOO
16Feature focused on investigation and resolutionCRIMEDRAMA
17TurfLAND
18Downward-facing dog?CANISMAJOR
19___ text (label for a screen reader)ALT
20___ Robert Jr., 2020 Gold Glove Award winnerLUIS
21EncrustCAKE
22What might be caught Red-handed?FLYBALL
24Cracker topperBRIE
27RaiseHOIST
28Popular vacation spotSEASHORE
32Talks upTOUTS
33It's not worth what it seemsPLAYMONEY
34Kick outOUST
35Roughly 62% of its claimed territory is in AntarcticaCHILE
36Fine-textured wood used in musical instrumentsPEAR
37Unfettered flow of goodsFREETRADE
39It might turn up a turnipSPADE
40Software clientsUSERBASE
41MinusculeTEENY
42"That's my opinion, too"SAME
43Components of some makeoversHAIRDOS
45BoatloadSLEW
48First-rate, in slangBOSS
49R&B;'s ___ HillDRU
50"Be kind!"HAVEAHEART
54First name of the first Black woman to win a Nobel Prize in LiteratureTONI
55What holding one's thumb up might indicateINEEDARIDE
56"How could ___?"INOT
57Cooking byproduct sometimes called "liquid gold"PASTAWATER
58Rescues, maybePETS

Down

#ClueAnswer
1Fragrant rice dishPILAF
2Day and nightATALLHOURS
3"Must I spell it out further?"DONTYOUSEE
4TurfSOD
5Like practices associated with pentaclesOCCULT
6EnfeebledFRAIL
7Some scuba diving gearFINS
8"OMG, I didn't need to know that!"TMI
9"She's everything. ___ just Ken" (2023 movie tagline)HES
10Genre heard at many raves, for shortEDM
11Pioneer in computer science who has a college at Yale named after herGRACEHOPPER
12Asian royalRAJA
13"Don't worry about me"IMOK
14Have the audacityDARE
20ColleenLASS
23Emotionally complex, in a wayBITTERSWEET
24James Baldwin's "If ___ Street Could Talk"BEALE
25One-named singer in the 2023 hit "Prada"RAYE
26What one might subscribe toISM
28"I'll let that ___ ..."SLIDE
29Not to be repeatedONEANDDONE
30Seeking comment?READYORNOT
31Title heroine who says "I am no bird; and no net ensnares me; I am a free human being with an independent will; which I now exert to leave you"EYRE
32Stir-fry protein optionTOFU
33This, too, shall passPHASE
35SqueezeCRAM
38Not yet final, in briefTBA
39Number of kings en España named FelipeSEIS
41Position at a food companyTASTER
43ThrongHORDE
44Boardroom groupSUITS
45MailSHIP
46Superboy's crushLANA
47Holiday lead-insEVES
48EnticeBAIT
51Antidiscrimination legis. of 1990ADA
52___ flakes (fruity Chinese snack)HAW
53Long periodERA
54What a boat shouldn't doTIP

Hints for the May 9 puzzle

Not ready for the full answer? Here are lighter, spoiler-free nudges for that day's grid, above the solutions. The May 9 puzzle fell on a Friday, and with the New York Times crossword that matters: the grid gets harder as the week goes on, from an easy Monday to a fiendish Saturday, with a large themed puzzle on Sunday. So a Friday grid tells you how much misdirection to expect — and if a clue that day seemed to make no sense, the weekday is usually the reason. Use the hints for the trickiest clues, then reveal the answers above only if you need them.

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Frequently asked questions

What were the NYT Crossword answers on May 9, 2025?

Every answer for the Friday, May 9, 2025 NYT Crossword is listed at the top of this page — the confirmed grid as published that day.

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