Friday, May 09, 2025
By Willa Angel Chen Miller and Erik Agard
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Or reveal one clue at a time with the Hint and Answer buttons below.
NYT Crossword Clues
Across
- 1Walks softly
- 5Impossible to contact by ordinary means
- 15"___, sing America"
- 16Feature focused on investigation and resolution
- 17Turf
- 18Downward-facing dog?
- 19___ text (label for a screen reader)
- 20___ Robert Jr., 2020 Gold Glove Award winner
- 21Encrust
- 22What might be caught Red-handed?
- 24Cracker topper
- 27Raise
- 28Popular vacation spot
- 32Talks up
- 33It's not worth what it seems
- 34Kick out
- 35Roughly 62% of its claimed territory is in Antarctica
- 36Fine-textured wood used in musical instruments
- 37Unfettered flow of goods
- 39It might turn up a turnip
- 40Software clients
- 41Minuscule
- 42"That's my opinion, too"
- 43Components of some makeovers
- 45Boatload
- 48First-rate, in slang
- 49R&B;'s ___ Hill
- 50"Be kind!"
- 54First name of the first Black woman to win a Nobel Prize in Literature
- 55What holding one's thumb up might indicate
- 56"How could ___?"
- 57Cooking byproduct sometimes called "liquid gold"
- 58Rescues, maybe
Down
- 1Fragrant rice dish
- 2Day and night
- 3"Must I spell it out further?"
- 4Turf
- 5Like practices associated with pentacles
- 6Enfeebled
- 7Some scuba diving gear
- 8"OMG, I didn't need to know that!"
- 9"She's everything. ___ just Ken" (2023 movie tagline)
- 10Genre heard at many raves, for short
- 11Pioneer in computer science who has a college at Yale named after her
- 12Asian royal
- 13"Don't worry about me"
- 14Have the audacity
- 20Colleen
- 23Emotionally complex, in a way
- 24James Baldwin's "If ___ Street Could Talk"
- 25One-named singer in the 2023 hit "Prada"
- 26What one might subscribe to
- 28"I'll let that ___ ..."
- 29Not to be repeated
- 30Seeking comment?
- 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"
- 32Stir-fry protein option
- 33This, too, shall pass
- 35Squeeze
- 38Not yet final, in brief
- 39Number of kings en España named Felipe
- 41Position at a food company
- 43Throng
- 44Boardroom group
- 45Mail
- 46Superboy's crush
- 47Holiday lead-ins
- 48Entice
- 51Antidiscrimination legis. of 1990
- 52___ flakes (fruity Chinese snack)
- 53Long period
- 54What a boat shouldn't do
Crossword clues, hints, and answers
Across
- 1. Walks softly — Answer: PADS
- 5. Impossible to contact by ordinary means — Answer: OFFTHEGRID
- 15. "___, sing America" — Answer: ITOO
- 16. Feature focused on investigation and resolution — Answer: CRIMEDRAMA
- 17. Turf — Answer: LAND
- 18. Downward-facing dog? — Answer: CANISMAJOR
- 19. ___ text (label for a screen reader) — Answer: ALT
- 20. ___ Robert Jr., 2020 Gold Glove Award winner — Answer: LUIS
- 21. Encrust — Answer: CAKE
- 22. What might be caught Red-handed? — Answer: FLYBALL
- 24. Cracker topper — Answer: BRIE
- 27. Raise — Answer: HOIST
- 28. Popular vacation spot — Answer: SEASHORE
- 32. Talks up — Answer: TOUTS
- 33. It's not worth what it seems — Answer: PLAYMONEY
- 34. Kick out — Answer: OUST
- 35. Roughly 62% of its claimed territory is in Antarctica — Answer: CHILE
- 36. Fine-textured wood used in musical instruments — Answer: PEAR
- 37. Unfettered flow of goods — Answer: FREETRADE
- 39. It might turn up a turnip — Answer: SPADE
- 40. Software clients — Answer: USERBASE
- 41. Minuscule — Answer: TEENY
- 42. "That's my opinion, too" — Answer: SAME
- 43. Components of some makeovers — Answer: HAIRDOS
- 45. Boatload — Answer: SLEW
- 48. First-rate, in slang — Answer: BOSS
- 49. R&B;'s ___ Hill — Answer: DRU
- 50. "Be kind!" — Answer: HAVEAHEART
- 54. First name of the first Black woman to win a Nobel Prize in Literature — Answer: TONI
- 55. What holding one's thumb up might indicate — Answer: INEEDARIDE
- 56. "How could ___?" — Answer: INOT
- 57. Cooking byproduct sometimes called "liquid gold" — Answer: PASTAWATER
- 58. Rescues, maybe — Answer: PETS
Down
- 1. Fragrant rice dish — Answer: PILAF
- 2. Day and night — Answer: ATALLHOURS
- 3. "Must I spell it out further?" — Answer: DONTYOUSEE
- 4. Turf — Answer: SOD
- 5. Like practices associated with pentacles — Answer: OCCULT
- 6. Enfeebled — Answer: FRAIL
- 7. Some scuba diving gear — Answer: FINS
- 8. "OMG, I didn't need to know that!" — Answer: TMI
- 9. "She's everything. ___ just Ken" (2023 movie tagline) — Answer: HES
- 10. Genre heard at many raves, for short — Answer: EDM
- 11. Pioneer in computer science who has a college at Yale named after her — Answer: GRACEHOPPER
- 12. Asian royal — Answer: RAJA
- 13. "Don't worry about me" — Answer: IMOK
- 14. Have the audacity — Answer: DARE
- 20. Colleen — Answer: LASS
- 23. Emotionally complex, in a way — Answer: BITTERSWEET
- 24. James Baldwin's "If ___ Street Could Talk" — Answer: BEALE
- 25. One-named singer in the 2023 hit "Prada" — Answer: RAYE
- 26. What one might subscribe to — Answer: ISM
- 28. "I'll let that ___ ..." — Answer: SLIDE
- 29. Not to be repeated — Answer: ONEANDDONE
- 30. Seeking comment? — Answer: READYORNOT
- 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
- 32. Stir-fry protein option — Answer: TOFU
- 33. This, too, shall pass — Answer: PHASE
- 35. Squeeze — Answer: CRAM
- 38. Not yet final, in brief — Answer: TBA
- 39. Number of kings en España named Felipe — Answer: SEIS
- 41. Position at a food company — Answer: TASTER
- 43. Throng — Answer: HORDE
- 44. Boardroom group — Answer: SUITS
- 45. Mail — Answer: SHIP
- 46. Superboy's crush — Answer: LANA
- 47. Holiday lead-ins — Answer: EVES
- 48. Entice — Answer: BAIT
- 51. Antidiscrimination legis. of 1990 — Answer: ADA
- 52. ___ flakes (fruity Chinese snack) — Answer: HAW
- 53. Long period — Answer: ERA
- 54. What a boat shouldn't do — Answer: TIP
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.
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.
Where can I find today's NYT Crossword answers?
Today's live puzzle is on our NYT Crossword answers today page, updated the moment each new grid goes live.
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