Gimme a Break!

By Adrianne Baik

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Across

  1. 5Does acidTRIPS
  2. 13[Hey!]PSST
  3. 25Pro ___BONO
  4. 26Key spot?DOOR
  5. 36HadTASTED
  6. 37Turns offDISGUSTS
  7. 44BondsTIES
  8. 49Holds dearADORES
  9. 69Puck's kingOBERON
  10. 82Bad spiritGHOUL
  11. 91FeastsDINES
  12. 98Certain rescue petFOSTERKTEN
  13. 101Gleeful feelingGIDDINESS
  14. 105Big jerksASSES
  15. 110WhoppingVAST
  16. 115___ homoECCE
  17. 121SlumpsSAGS

Down

  1. 4Models afterEMULATES
  2. 12Filing services?MANICURES
  3. 37Gone missingDISAPPEARED
  4. 45HipINFASHION
  5. 56SwipeCOP
  6. 78AmbushSNEAKTACK
  7. 91JeansDENIMS
  8. 97SlopeTILT
  9. 98GuyFELLA

Crossword clues, hints, and answers

Across

  1. 1. Vineyard measure — Answer: ACRE
  2. 5. Does acid — Answer: TRIPS
  3. 10. Tree with doubly serrated leaves — Answer: ELM
  4. 13. [Hey!] — Answer: PSST
  5. 17. Locations in the game Clue — Answer: ROOMS
  6. 19. Grand duke of Luxembourg beginning in 2000 — Answer: HENRI
  7. 20. Heart of the matter — Answer: MEAT
  8. 22. Palindromic Italian number — Answer: OTTO
  9. 23. Traditional form of Japanese drama — Answer: KABUKHEATER
  10. 25. Pro ___ — Answer: BONO
  11. 26. Key spot? — Answer: DOOR
  12. 27. Entered on tiptoe — Answer: STOLEIN
  13. 28. "Love, ___" (2014 rom-com starring Lily Collins) — Answer: ROSIE
  14. 30. Far from conscious — Answer: INACOMA
  15. 32. Kicked off, as a business — Answer: STARTEDUP
  16. 34. 2012 Disney film set inside an arcade — Answer: WRECKRALPH
  17. 36. Had — Answer: TASTED
  18. 37. Turns off — Answer: DISGUSTS
  19. 38. Lace protector — Answer: AGLET
  20. 41. "You may ___" — Answer: BEGIN
  21. 43. The "me" of "Despicable Me" — Answer: GRU
  22. 44. Bonds — Answer: TIES
  23. 48. "About Us" pieces — Answer: BIOS
  24. 49. Holds dear — Answer: ADORES
  25. 51. Small square — Answer: ONE
  26. 52. Longtime employer of Rachel Maddow — Answer: MSNBC
  27. 53. Self-love — Answer: EGO
  28. 54. Phases, to Taylor Swift — Answer: ERAS
  29. 55. Game with Indigenous origins — Answer: LACROSSE
  30. 58. ___ Fighters ("Everlong" band) — Answer: FOO
  31. 59. Festive outdoor lighting options — Answer: TIKORCHES
  32. 62. Classic drinking "sport" — Answer: PONG
  33. 63. "Sorry, maybe next time" — Answer: WECANT
  34. 65. "The Last Supper," e.g. — Answer: MURAL
  35. 66. Third-largest land animal — Answer: HIPPO
  36. 68. Pokémon enthusiast's collection — Answer: CARDS
  37. 69. Puck's king — Answer: OBERON
  38. 71. Muscle firmness — Answer: TONE
  39. 72. Place to perfect a recipe — Answer: TESTKCHEN
  40. 76. Swanson on "Parks and Recreation" — Answer: RON
  41. 77. Game typically played in the dark — Answer: LASERTAG
  42. 80. Muchas horas — Answer: DIAS
  43. 81. "Was ___ blame?" — Answer: ITO
  44. 82. Bad spirit — Answer: GHOUL
  45. 84. D.C. pro — Answer: NAT
  46. 85. Fight the urge — Answer: RESIST
  47. 87. It gets bucks from Broncos — Answer: FORD
  48. 88. Does a farm job — Answer: SOWS
  49. 89. ___ Island (Georgia resort destination) — Answer: SEA
  50. 90. Reform Party founder — Answer: PEROT
  51. 91. Feasts — Answer: DINES
  52. 92. Like emailed files — Answer: ATTACHED
  53. 95. "The Silence of the Lambs" villain — Answer: LECTER
  54. 98. Certain rescue pet — Answer: FOSTERKTEN
  55. 101. Gleeful feeling — Answer: GIDDINESS
  56. 104. Miniaturized Amazon smart speaker — Answer: ECHODOT
  57. 105. Big jerks — Answer: ASSES
  58. 107. Remove, as a coupon — Answer: CLIPOUT
  59. 109. Dangerous additive in old paint — Answer: LEAD
  60. 110. Whopping — Answer: VAST
  61. 112. Bite-size chocolate-covered wafers ... or a hint to what's found in five squares in this puzzle — Answer: KITKATMINIS
  62. 114. Croft of video games — Answer: LARA
  63. 115. ___ homo — Answer: ECCE
  64. 116. Some slushies — Answer: ICEES
  65. 117. Perform horribly — Answer: STINK
  66. 118. TV host Cohen — Answer: ANDY
  67. 119. Joke around — Answer: KID
  68. 120. "No man is an island" writer — Answer: DONNE
  69. 121. Slumps — Answer: SAGS

Down

  1. 1. Holiest locales in synagogues, traditionally — Answer: ARKS
  2. 2. Applications of polish — Answer: COATS
  3. 3. Tik-Tok in the Oz books, for one — Answer: ROBOT
  4. 4. Models after — Answer: EMULATES
  5. 5. 1995 Sandra Bullock cyberthriller — Answer: THENET
  6. 6. "V for Vendetta" actor Stephen — Answer: REA
  7. 7. Uninvited guest — Answer: INTRUDER
  8. 8. Doings before surgery, informally — Answer: PREOP
  9. 9. Dubbed ones — Answer: SIRS
  10. 10. They might be glowing — Answer: EMBERS
  11. 11. Astrological lion — Answer: LEO
  12. 12. Filing services? — Answer: MANICURES
  13. 13. Programs hosted by SoundCloud — Answer: PODCASTS
  14. 14. Happy hour perch — Answer: STOOL
  15. 15. Make a big step, perhaps — Answer: STOMP
  16. 16. Rabbi's reading — Answer: TORAH
  17. 18. Regular at a park with half-pipes, informally — Answer: SKERAT
  18. 21. Breaded, fried Japanese pork cutlet — Answer: TONKSU
  19. 24. Big successes — Answer: HITS
  20. 29. Victor's cry — Answer: IWIN
  21. 31. Creative pursuit — Answer: ART
  22. 33. Oscar-winning Ariana of "West Side Story" — Answer: DEBOSE
  23. 35. December drink — Answer: EGGNOG
  24. 37. Gone missing — Answer: DISAPPEARED
  25. 38. Assist illegally — Answer: ABET
  26. 39. 1958 romantic comedy that won Best Picture — Answer: GIGI
  27. 40. "I made it big time!" — Answer: LOOKMENOW
  28. 42. Many a skin-care product — Answer: GEL
  29. 45. Hip — Answer: INFASHION
  30. 46. Black, in verse — Answer: EBON
  31. 47. St. Andrews resident — Answer: SCOT
  32. 49. Esoteric knowledge — Answer: ARCANA
  33. 50. Roald who wrote "Matilda" — Answer: DAHL
  34. 51. "... actually, let's go to plan B" — Answer: ORNOT
  35. 52. Members of the mongoose family — Answer: MEERKS
  36. 54. Jazz composer Garner — Answer: ERROLL
  37. 56. Swipe — Answer: COP
  38. 57. Go after, as mosquitoes — Answer: SWATAT
  39. 60. Graham Greene's "___ Man in Havana" — Answer: OUR
  40. 61. One way to sell stock — Answer: SHORT
  41. 64. Public health agcy. — Answer: CDC. Hint: This agency helps keep us safe from diseases and promotes healthy living! 🏥
  42. 67. Bank acct. entry — Answer: INT
  43. 68. Several CBS dramas — Answer: CSIS
  44. 69. United Way and UNICEF, in brief — Answer: ORGS
  45. 70. ___-chic (dressing style) — Answer: BOHO
  46. 71. It incited a famous 18th-century "party" — Answer: TEAACT
  47. 73. Cleaned up, in a way — Answer: EDITED
  48. 74. To be, in Nice — Answer: ETRE
  49. 75. Dozes (off) — Answer: NODS
  50. 78. Ambush — Answer: SNEAKTACK
  51. 79. Neighbor of Lux. — Answer: GER
  52. 83. Gannett-owned newspaper — Answer: USATODAY
  53. 86. "Here's the thing ..." — Answer: SOLISTEN
  54. 87. Campground gathering spots — Answer: FIREPITS
  55. 89. Worked hard (for) — Answer: STROVE
  56. 90. Farm enclosures — Answer: PENS
  57. 91. Jeans — Answer: DENIMS
  58. 93. ___ Talks — Answer: TED
  59. 94. Intense, as an argument — Answer: HEATED
  60. 96. Music protector, of a sort — Answer: CDCASE
  61. 97. Slope — Answer: TILT
  62. 98. Guy — Answer: FELLA
  63. 99. What the "dalai" of "Dalai Lama" translates to — Answer: OCEAN
  64. 100. Broken piece of pottery — Answer: SHARD
  65. 101. Insurer with a green mascot — Answer: GEICO
  66. 102. Justice Sotomayor — Answer: SONIA
  67. 103. Seeking justice, in a way — Answer: SUING
  68. 106. Leave tire marks, say — Answer: SKID
  69. 108. Expressions of disapproval — Answer: TSKS
  70. 111. B.S. part: Abbr. — Answer: SCI
  71. 113. Barbie's beau — Answer: KEN

Recent NYT Crossword Answers

The last 7 days of solutions

Here are the NYT Crossword answers for Sunday, September 21, 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 September 21?” 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 September 21, 2025

The full solution for the September 21 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 Sunday, September 21.

Full NYT Crossword answer list for September 21, 2025

Every clue from the September 21 grid next to its solution — the same answers as the board above, in one plain list you can scan without tapping.

Across

#ClueAnswer
1Vineyard measureACRE
5Does acidTRIPS
10Tree with doubly serrated leavesELM
13[Hey!]PSST
17Locations in the game ClueROOMS
19Grand duke of Luxembourg beginning in 2000HENRI
20Heart of the matterMEAT
22Palindromic Italian numberOTTO
23Traditional form of Japanese dramaKABUKHEATER
25Pro ___BONO
26Key spot?DOOR
27Entered on tiptoeSTOLEIN
28"Love, ___" (2014 rom-com starring Lily Collins)ROSIE
30Far from consciousINACOMA
32Kicked off, as a businessSTARTEDUP
342012 Disney film set inside an arcadeWRECKRALPH
36HadTASTED
37Turns offDISGUSTS
38Lace protectorAGLET
41"You may ___"BEGIN
43The "me" of "Despicable Me"GRU
44BondsTIES
48"About Us" piecesBIOS
49Holds dearADORES
51Small squareONE
52Longtime employer of Rachel MaddowMSNBC
53Self-loveEGO
54Phases, to Taylor SwiftERAS
55Game with Indigenous originsLACROSSE
58___ Fighters ("Everlong" band)FOO
59Festive outdoor lighting optionsTIKORCHES
62Classic drinking "sport"PONG
63"Sorry, maybe next time"WECANT
65"The Last Supper," e.g.MURAL
66Third-largest land animalHIPPO
68Pokémon enthusiast's collectionCARDS
69Puck's kingOBERON
71Muscle firmnessTONE
72Place to perfect a recipeTESTKCHEN
76Swanson on "Parks and Recreation"RON
77Game typically played in the darkLASERTAG
80Muchas horasDIAS
81"Was ___ blame?"ITO
82Bad spiritGHOUL
84D.C. proNAT
85Fight the urgeRESIST
87It gets bucks from BroncosFORD
88Does a farm jobSOWS
89___ Island (Georgia resort destination)SEA
90Reform Party founderPEROT
91FeastsDINES
92Like emailed filesATTACHED
95"The Silence of the Lambs" villainLECTER
98Certain rescue petFOSTERKTEN
101Gleeful feelingGIDDINESS
104Miniaturized Amazon smart speakerECHODOT
105Big jerksASSES
107Remove, as a couponCLIPOUT
109Dangerous additive in old paintLEAD
110WhoppingVAST
112Bite-size chocolate-covered wafers ... or a hint to what's found in five squares in this puzzleKITKATMINIS
114Croft of video gamesLARA
115___ homoECCE
116Some slushiesICEES
117Perform horriblySTINK
118TV host CohenANDY
119Joke aroundKID
120"No man is an island" writerDONNE
121SlumpsSAGS

Down

#ClueAnswer
1Holiest locales in synagogues, traditionallyARKS
2Applications of polishCOATS
3Tik-Tok in the Oz books, for oneROBOT
4Models afterEMULATES
51995 Sandra Bullock cyberthrillerTHENET
6"V for Vendetta" actor StephenREA
7Uninvited guestINTRUDER
8Doings before surgery, informallyPREOP
9Dubbed onesSIRS
10They might be glowingEMBERS
11Astrological lionLEO
12Filing services?MANICURES
13Programs hosted by SoundCloudPODCASTS
14Happy hour perchSTOOL
15Make a big step, perhapsSTOMP
16Rabbi's readingTORAH
18Regular at a park with half-pipes, informallySKERAT
21Breaded, fried Japanese pork cutletTONKSU
24Big successesHITS
29Victor's cryIWIN
31Creative pursuitART
33Oscar-winning Ariana of "West Side Story"DEBOSE
35December drinkEGGNOG
37Gone missingDISAPPEARED
38Assist illegallyABET
391958 romantic comedy that won Best PictureGIGI
40"I made it big time!"LOOKMENOW
42Many a skin-care productGEL
45HipINFASHION
46Black, in verseEBON
47St. Andrews residentSCOT
49Esoteric knowledgeARCANA
50Roald who wrote "Matilda"DAHL
51"... actually, let's go to plan B"ORNOT
52Members of the mongoose familyMEERKS
54Jazz composer GarnerERROLL
56SwipeCOP
57Go after, as mosquitoesSWATAT
60Graham Greene's "___ Man in Havana"OUR
61One way to sell stockSHORT
64Public health agcy.CDC
67Bank acct. entryINT
68Several CBS dramasCSIS
69United Way and UNICEF, in briefORGS
70___-chic (dressing style)BOHO
71It incited a famous 18th-century "party"TEAACT
73Cleaned up, in a wayEDITED
74To be, in NiceETRE
75Dozes (off)NODS
78AmbushSNEAKTACK
79Neighbor of Lux.GER
83Gannett-owned newspaperUSATODAY
86"Here's the thing ..."SOLISTEN
87Campground gathering spotsFIREPITS
89Worked hard (for)STROVE
90Farm enclosuresPENS
91JeansDENIMS
93___ TalksTED
94Intense, as an argumentHEATED
96Music protector, of a sortCDCASE
97SlopeTILT
98GuyFELLA
99What the "dalai" of "Dalai Lama" translates toOCEAN
100Broken piece of potterySHARD
101Insurer with a green mascotGEICO
102Justice SotomayorSONIA
103Seeking justice, in a waySUING
106Leave tire marks, saySKID
108Expressions of disapprovalTSKS
111B.S. part: Abbr.SCI
113Barbie's beauKEN

Hints for the September 21 puzzle

Not ready for the full answer? Here are lighter, spoiler-free nudges for that day's grid, above the solutions. The September 21 puzzle fell on a Sunday, 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 Sunday 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.

Looking for a different day?

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Frequently asked questions

What were the NYT Crossword answers on September 21, 2025?

Every answer for the Sunday, September 21, 2025 NYT Crossword is listed at the top of this page — the confirmed grid as published that day.

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