Thursday, May 21, 2026
By Zhou Zhang and Mallory Montgomery
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Or reveal one clue at a time with the Hint and Answer buttons below.
NYT Crossword Clues
Across
- 1Gossiped-about duo
- 5River whose southernmost source is found in Burundi
- 9Animal that expresses anger by spitting
- 14Curbside call
- 15Egg's outline
- 16Traditional Vietnamese garment whose name means "long shirt"
- 172000 Eminem single with lines from his "biggest fan"
- 18St. Benedict, for one
- 19Central meeting points
- 20timiL
- 2350¢ or $1: Abbr.
- 24Fish more formally known as a batomorph
- 25Capital of Portugal, to natives
- 29Crown of jewels
- 31Penultimate Greek letter
- 33One of four seen on Leonardo da Vinci's "Vitruvian Man"
- 34Goat's cry
- 35Golfer's suppor-
- 38Move like a fox
- 40Get a lode of this!
- 41John from Britain
- 42Evade
- 44"Bad" beginning
- 45Like news that everyone already knows
- 46Legal boundaries?
- 47Kind of cat with a black-and-white coat
- 50More melted, as a marshmallow
- 53Tree alongside a ski run
- 54Bro, e.g.
- 55P | u | n | c | h | e | s
- 59Sound of a perfect basketball shot
- 62"Beware the ___ of a patient man": John Dryden
- 63Ordered
- 64Increase, as interest
- 65German Ms.
- 66Pupil's surroundings
- 67Environmentalist Adams
- 68Site for many stars?
- 69Sounds of disapproval
Down
- 1Short negative review
- 2Floor covering in a Japanese tearoom
- 3"Bingo!"
- 4Stole material
- 5Southern denial
- 6Something tickled on a piano
- 7"Buy ___. They're not making it anymore" (old saying)
- 8Philanthropic group with a clock face in its logo
- 9The so-called "Pineapple Isle"
- 10Goes around and around
- 11Make sense, with "up"
- 12"Maggie ___," classic folk song covered by the Beatles
- 13ChatGPT, Claude, etc.
- 21Inflicts
- 22Muse of history
- 26Lasting damage from a tough experience, metaphorically
- 27Milkshake flavor
- 28Gospel shout
- 30"Fountain of Milk Spreading Itself Uselessly on Three Shoes" painter, 1945
- 31Contented sounds
- 32"Changed my mind," in editing notation
- 35Curl
- 36Hip-knee connectors
- 37Source of linseed oil
- 38It's all a haze
- 39Drug bust unit
- 43Model Miranda
- 47Make neat
- 48Large-eyed African antelope with a duplicative name
- 49Fixate
- 51Give out
- 52Neighbor of Ricky and Lucy, on 1950s TV
- 53Far from house-trained
- 56Dodgy
- 57100%
- 58End piece?
- 59Belinda's business on "The White Lotus"
- 60Prevail
- 61Some test figs.
Crossword clues, hints, and answers
Across
- 1. Gossiped-about duo — Answer: ITEM
- 5. River whose southernmost source is found in Burundi — Answer: NILE
- 9. Animal that expresses anger by spitting — Answer: LLAMA
- 14. Curbside call — Answer: TAXI
- 15. Egg's outline — Answer: OVAL
- 16. Traditional Vietnamese garment whose name means "long shirt" — Answer: AODAI
- 17. 2000 Eminem single with lines from his "biggest fan" — Answer: STAN
- 18. St. Benedict, for one — Answer: MONK
- 19. Central meeting points — Answer: NODES
- 20. timiL — Answer: BACKWARDSCAP
- 23. 50¢ or $1: Abbr. — Answer: AMT
- 24. Fish more formally known as a batomorph — Answer: RAY
- 25. Capital of Portugal, to natives — Answer: LISBOA
- 29. Crown of jewels — Answer: DIADEM
- 31. Penultimate Greek letter — Answer: PSI
- 33. One of four seen on Leonardo da Vinci's "Vitruvian Man" — Answer: ARM
- 34. Goat's cry — Answer: MAA
- 35. Golfer's suppor- — Answer: CUTOFFTEE
- 38. Move like a fox — Answer: SKULK
- 40. Get a lode of this! — Answer: ORE
- 41. John from Britain — Answer: ELTON
- 42. Evade — Answer: MINISKIRT
- 44. "Bad" beginning — Answer: MAL
- 45. Like news that everyone already knows — Answer: OLD
- 46. Legal boundaries? — Answer: ELS
- 47. Kind of cat with a black-and-white coat — Answer: TUXEDO
- 50. More melted, as a marshmallow — Answer: GOOIER
- 53. Tree alongside a ski run — Answer: FIR
- 54. Bro, e.g. — Answer: SIB
- 55. P | u | n | c | h | e | s — Answer: STRIPEDSOCKS
- 59. Sound of a perfect basketball shot — Answer: SWISH
- 62. "Beware the ___ of a patient man": John Dryden — Answer: FURY
- 63. Ordered — Answer: BADE
- 64. Increase, as interest — Answer: PIQUE
- 65. German Ms. — Answer: FRAU
- 66. Pupil's surroundings — Answer: IRIS
- 67. Environmentalist Adams — Answer: ANSEL
- 68. Site for many stars? — Answer: YELP
- 69. Sounds of disapproval — Answer: TSKS
Down
- 1. Short negative review — Answer: ITSBAD
- 2. Floor covering in a Japanese tearoom — Answer: TATAMI
- 3. "Bingo!" — Answer: EXACTAMUNDO
- 4. Stole material — Answer: MINK
- 5. Southern denial — Answer: NOMAAM
- 6. Something tickled on a piano — Answer: IVORY
- 7. "Buy ___. They're not making it anymore" (old saying) — Answer: LAND
- 8. Philanthropic group with a clock face in its logo — Answer: ELKS
- 9. The so-called "Pineapple Isle" — Answer: LANAI
- 10. Goes around and around — Answer: LOOPS
- 11. Make sense, with "up" — Answer: ADD
- 12. "Maggie ___," classic folk song covered by the Beatles — Answer: MAE
- 13. ChatGPT, Claude, etc. — Answer: AIS
- 21. Inflicts — Answer: WREAKS
- 22. Muse of history — Answer: CLIO
- 26. Lasting damage from a tough experience, metaphorically — Answer: BATTLESCARS
- 27. Milkshake flavor — Answer: OREO
- 28. Gospel shout — Answer: AMEN
- 30. "Fountain of Milk Spreading Itself Uselessly on Three Shoes" painter, 1945 — Answer: DALI
- 31. Contented sounds — Answer: PURRS
- 32. "Changed my mind," in editing notation — Answer: STET
- 35. Curl — Answer: COIL
- 36. Hip-knee connectors — Answer: FEMURS
- 37. Source of linseed oil — Answer: FLAX
- 38. It's all a haze — Answer: SMOG
- 39. Drug bust unit — Answer: KILO
- 43. Model Miranda — Answer: KERR
- 47. Make neat — Answer: TIDYUP
- 48. Large-eyed African antelope with a duplicative name — Answer: DIKDIK
- 49. Fixate — Answer: OBSESS
- 51. Give out — Answer: ISSUE
- 52. Neighbor of Ricky and Lucy, on 1950s TV — Answer: ETHEL
- 53. Far from house-trained — Answer: FERAL
- 56. Dodgy — Answer: IFFY
- 57. 100% — Answer: PURE
- 58. End piece? — Answer: OBIT
- 59. Belinda's business on "The White Lotus" — Answer: SPA
- 60. Prevail — Answer: WIN
- 61. Some test figs. — Answer: IQS
Here are the NYT Crossword answers for Thursday, May 21, 2026 — 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 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 May 21, 2026
The full solution for the May 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 Thursday, May 21.
Hints for the May 21 puzzle
Not ready for the full answer? Here are lighter, spoiler-free nudges for that day's grid, above the solutions. The May 21 puzzle fell on a Thursday, 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 Thursday 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 21, 2026?
Every answer for the Thursday, May 21, 2026 NYT Crossword is listed at the top of this page — the confirmed grid as published that day.
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Today's live puzzle is on our NYT Crossword answers today page, updated the moment each new grid goes live.
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