Like Mercury's orbit around the sun

Crossword Answer — March 25, 2026

Answer
NYT Crossword Answers

NYT Crossword

Wednesday, March 25, 2026

By Jeff Stillman

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Across

  1. 1Swahili for "journey"SAFARI
  2. 7Something a commuter might need to catchLASTBUS
  3. 14MonstrousOGREISH
  4. 16Some Nebraskans who are close to IowansOMAHANS
  5. 17Charge at a state park, e.g.USERFEE
  6. 18Respectfully requestSOLICIT
  7. 19Grandmotherly type, sayDOTER
  8. 20Sedative in a zookeeper's dart, informallyTRANK
  9. 21Condition affecting TV's Monk, in briefOCD
  10. 23Longtime U.K. record companyEMI
  11. 25SortILK
  12. 28BeamsRAYS
  13. 30In arrearsOWING
  14. 32One day soonANON
  15. 33Lhasa ___APSO
  16. 34Captain Nemo's creatorVERNE
  17. 35Eye afflictionSTYE
  18. 36Unable to decideTORN
  19. 37Go alongAGREE
  20. 38Place for a laceSHOE
  21. 39Wad in a walletONES
  22. 40Historic theater chainLOEWS
  23. 41DivulgeTELL
  24. 42Give some juice toREV
  25. 43Unspecified amountANY
  26. 44ExperiencesHAS
  27. 45Family name on TV's "Dallas"EWING
  28. 49"A Promised Land" author, 2020OBAMA
  29. 53Head block?AMNESIA
  30. 55Put a new tag onRELABEL
  31. 58Cocktail made from gin, vermouth and CampariNEGRONI
  32. 59"The Hunger Games" protagonistKATNISS
  33. 60Make smoothSLEEKEN
  34. 61Got to experience brieflyTASTED

Down

  1. 1Paltry amountSOU
  2. 2Chief prosecutors, in briefAGS
  3. 3"A Nightmare on Elm Street" [see grid art]FREDDYSREVENGE
  4. 4Prefix with spaceAERO
  5. 5SchismRIFT
  6. 6"Now it's clear!"ISEE
  7. 7"Home Alone" [see grid art]LOSTINNEWYORK
  8. 8Roman love godAMOR
  9. 9Room in una casaSALA
  10. 10SvelteTHIN
  11. 11"Sister Act" [see grid art]BACKINTHEHABIT
  12. 12Sea urchin, to a sushi chefUNI
  13. 13Concorde, e.g., in briefSST
  14. 15"Mamma Mia!" [see grid art]HEREWEGOAGAIN
  15. 21RhetoricianORATOR
  16. 22"Scarface"CAPONE
  17. 24Actress Helen of "The Queen"MIRREN
  18. 26New Orleans universityLOYOLA
  19. 27Prepares to be knightedKNEELS
  20. 29Some heirsSONS
  21. 30Like Mercury's orbit around the sunOVAL
  22. 31Thousands, in a heistGEES
  23. 32Helper: Abbr.ASST
  24. 46Zora Neale Hurston's "Their Eyes ___ Watching God"WERE
  25. 47Suffers no damageISOK
  26. 48Midmorning hourNINE
  27. 50Tuckered outBEAT
  28. 51Resort near SnowbirdALTA
  29. 52Supplies with workersMANS
  30. 53Reply: Abbr.ANS
  31. 54Brooks of filmMEL
  32. 56Legal conclusion?ESE
  33. 57Microdosing drugLSD

Crossword clues, hints, and answers

Across

  1. 1. Swahili for "journey" — Answer: SAFARI
  2. 7. Something a commuter might need to catch — Answer: LASTBUS
  3. 14. Monstrous — Answer: OGREISH
  4. 16. Some Nebraskans who are close to Iowans — Answer: OMAHANS
  5. 17. Charge at a state park, e.g. — Answer: USERFEE
  6. 18. Respectfully request — Answer: SOLICIT
  7. 19. Grandmotherly type, say — Answer: DOTER
  8. 20. Sedative in a zookeeper's dart, informally — Answer: TRANK
  9. 21. Condition affecting TV's Monk, in brief — Answer: OCD
  10. 23. Longtime U.K. record company — Answer: EMI
  11. 25. Sort — Answer: ILK
  12. 28. Beams — Answer: RAYS
  13. 30. In arrears — Answer: OWING
  14. 32. One day soon — Answer: ANON
  15. 33. Lhasa ___ — Answer: APSO
  16. 34. Captain Nemo's creator — Answer: VERNE
  17. 35. Eye affliction — Answer: STYE
  18. 36. Unable to decide — Answer: TORN
  19. 37. Go along — Answer: AGREE
  20. 38. Place for a lace — Answer: SHOE
  21. 39. Wad in a wallet — Answer: ONES
  22. 40. Historic theater chain — Answer: LOEWS
  23. 41. Divulge — Answer: TELL
  24. 42. Give some juice to — Answer: REV
  25. 43. Unspecified amount — Answer: ANY
  26. 44. Experiences — Answer: HAS
  27. 45. Family name on TV's "Dallas" — Answer: EWING
  28. 49. "A Promised Land" author, 2020 — Answer: OBAMA
  29. 53. Head block? — Answer: AMNESIA
  30. 55. Put a new tag on — Answer: RELABEL
  31. 58. Cocktail made from gin, vermouth and Campari — Answer: NEGRONI
  32. 59. "The Hunger Games" protagonist — Answer: KATNISS
  33. 60. Make smooth — Answer: SLEEKEN
  34. 61. Got to experience briefly — Answer: TASTED

Down

  1. 1. Paltry amount — Answer: SOU
  2. 2. Chief prosecutors, in brief — Answer: AGS
  3. 3. "A Nightmare on Elm Street" [see grid art] — Answer: FREDDYSREVENGE
  4. 4. Prefix with space — Answer: AERO
  5. 5. Schism — Answer: RIFT
  6. 6. "Now it's clear!" — Answer: ISEE
  7. 7. "Home Alone" [see grid art] — Answer: LOSTINNEWYORK
  8. 8. Roman love god — Answer: AMOR
  9. 9. Room in una casa — Answer: SALA
  10. 10. Svelte — Answer: THIN
  11. 11. "Sister Act" [see grid art] — Answer: BACKINTHEHABIT
  12. 12. Sea urchin, to a sushi chef — Answer: UNI
  13. 13. Concorde, e.g., in brief — Answer: SST
  14. 15. "Mamma Mia!" [see grid art] — Answer: HEREWEGOAGAIN
  15. 21. Rhetorician — Answer: ORATOR
  16. 22. "Scarface" — Answer: CAPONE
  17. 24. Actress Helen of "The Queen" — Answer: MIRREN
  18. 26. New Orleans university — Answer: LOYOLA
  19. 27. Prepares to be knighted — Answer: KNEELS
  20. 29. Some heirs — Answer: SONS
  21. 30. Like Mercury's orbit around the sun — Answer: OVAL
  22. 31. Thousands, in a heist — Answer: GEES
  23. 32. Helper: Abbr. — Answer: ASST
  24. 46. Zora Neale Hurston's "Their Eyes ___ Watching God" — Answer: WERE
  25. 47. Suffers no damage — Answer: ISOK
  26. 48. Midmorning hour — Answer: NINE
  27. 50. Tuckered out — Answer: BEAT
  28. 51. Resort near Snowbird — Answer: ALTA
  29. 52. Supplies with workers — Answer: MANS
  30. 53. Reply: Abbr. — Answer: ANS
  31. 54. Brooks of film — Answer: MEL
  32. 56. Legal conclusion? — Answer: ESE
  33. 57. Microdosing drug — Answer: LSD

The answer to “Like Mercury's orbit around the sun” in the New York Times crossword is OVAL — a 4-letter word. This clue ran in the New York Times crossword on March 25, 2026, a Wednesday puzzle, at 30-Down. If it's the entry standing between you and a clean grid, that's the word you need — and below you'll find why it fits, plus links to the day's other clues if more than one square is giving you trouble.

“Like Mercury's orbit around the sun” answer

OVAL (4 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 OVAL.

Why the answer is OVAL

OVAL is the 4-letter solution that fits "Like Mercury's orbit around the sun" in the NYT Crossword crossword on March 25, 2026 (30-Down). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.

When else has “Like Mercury's orbit around the sun” 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 before, and what the answer was each time — handy if you landed here from a puzzle on another date.

March 25, 2026 (this puzzle) → OVAL. We haven't indexed an earlier appearance of this exact clue yet.

More clues from the NYT Crossword on March 25, 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 March 25, 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 Wednesday 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 “Like Mercury's orbit around the sun”?

The answer is OVAL, a 4-letter word. It appeared in the New York Times crossword on March 25, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Like Mercury's orbit around the sun”?

4 letters: OVAL.

Where did this clue appear?

In the New York Times crossword on March 25, 2026 (a Wednesday puzzle), at 30-Down.

Can “Like Mercury's orbit around the sun” 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 March 25, 2026 is on the NYT Crossword answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

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