P | u | n | c | h | e | s

Crossword Answer — May 21, 2026

Answer
NYT Crossword Answers

NYT Crossword

Thursday, May 21, 2026

By Zhou Zhang and Mallory Montgomery

Tap a square to reveal a letter.

Or reveal one clue at a time with the Hint and Answer buttons below.

NYT Crossword Clues

Across

  1. 1Gossiped-about duo
  2. 5River whose southernmost source is found in Burundi
  3. 9Animal that expresses anger by spitting
  4. 14Curbside call
  5. 15Egg's outline
  6. 16Traditional Vietnamese garment whose name means "long shirt"
  7. 172000 Eminem single with lines from his "biggest fan"
  8. 18St. Benedict, for one
  9. 19Central meeting points
  10. 20timiL
  11. 2350¢ or $1: Abbr.
  12. 24Fish more formally known as a batomorph
  13. 25Capital of Portugal, to natives
  14. 29Crown of jewels
  15. 31Penultimate Greek letter
  16. 33One of four seen on Leonardo da Vinci's "Vitruvian Man"
  17. 34Goat's cry
  18. 35Golfer's suppor-
  19. 38Move like a fox
  20. 40Get a lode of this!
  21. 41John from Britain
  22. 42Evade
  23. 44"Bad" beginning
  24. 45Like news that everyone already knows
  25. 46Legal boundaries?
  26. 47Kind of cat with a black-and-white coat
  27. 50More melted, as a marshmallow
  28. 53Tree alongside a ski run
  29. 54Bro, e.g.
  30. 55P | u | n | c | h | e | s
  31. 59Sound of a perfect basketball shot
  32. 62"Beware the ___ of a patient man": John Dryden
  33. 63Ordered
  34. 64Increase, as interest
  35. 65German Ms.
  36. 66Pupil's surroundings
  37. 67Environmentalist Adams
  38. 68Site for many stars?
  39. 69Sounds of disapproval

Down

  1. 1Short negative review
  2. 2Floor covering in a Japanese tearoom
  3. 3"Bingo!"
  4. 4Stole material
  5. 5Southern denial
  6. 6Something tickled on a piano
  7. 7"Buy ___. They're not making it anymore" (old saying)
  8. 8Philanthropic group with a clock face in its logo
  9. 9The so-called "Pineapple Isle"
  10. 10Goes around and around
  11. 11Make sense, with "up"
  12. 12"Maggie ___," classic folk song covered by the Beatles
  13. 13ChatGPT, Claude, etc.
  14. 21Inflicts
  15. 22Muse of history
  16. 26Lasting damage from a tough experience, metaphorically
  17. 27Milkshake flavor
  18. 28Gospel shout
  19. 30"Fountain of Milk Spreading Itself Uselessly on Three Shoes" painter, 1945
  20. 31Contented sounds
  21. 32"Changed my mind," in editing notation
  22. 35Curl
  23. 36Hip-knee connectors
  24. 37Source of linseed oil
  25. 38It's all a haze
  26. 39Drug bust unit
  27. 43Model Miranda
  28. 47Make neat
  29. 48Large-eyed African antelope with a duplicative name
  30. 49Fixate
  31. 51Give out
  32. 52Neighbor of Ricky and Lucy, on 1950s TV
  33. 53Far from house-trained
  34. 56Dodgy
  35. 57100%
  36. 58End piece?
  37. 59Belinda's business on "The White Lotus"
  38. 60Prevail
  39. 61Some test figs.

Crossword clues, hints, and answers

Across

  1. 1. Gossiped-about duo — Answer: ITEM
  2. 5. River whose southernmost source is found in Burundi — Answer: NILE
  3. 9. Animal that expresses anger by spitting — Answer: LLAMA
  4. 14. Curbside call — Answer: TAXI
  5. 15. Egg's outline — Answer: OVAL
  6. 16. Traditional Vietnamese garment whose name means "long shirt" — Answer: AODAI
  7. 17. 2000 Eminem single with lines from his "biggest fan" — Answer: STAN
  8. 18. St. Benedict, for one — Answer: MONK
  9. 19. Central meeting points — Answer: NODES
  10. 20. timiL — Answer: BACKWARDSCAP
  11. 23. 50¢ or $1: Abbr. — Answer: AMT
  12. 24. Fish more formally known as a batomorph — Answer: RAY
  13. 25. Capital of Portugal, to natives — Answer: LISBOA
  14. 29. Crown of jewels — Answer: DIADEM
  15. 31. Penultimate Greek letter — Answer: PSI
  16. 33. One of four seen on Leonardo da Vinci's "Vitruvian Man" — Answer: ARM
  17. 34. Goat's cry — Answer: MAA
  18. 35. Golfer's suppor- — Answer: CUTOFFTEE
  19. 38. Move like a fox — Answer: SKULK
  20. 40. Get a lode of this! — Answer: ORE
  21. 41. John from Britain — Answer: ELTON
  22. 42. Evade — Answer: MINISKIRT
  23. 44. "Bad" beginning — Answer: MAL
  24. 45. Like news that everyone already knows — Answer: OLD
  25. 46. Legal boundaries? — Answer: ELS
  26. 47. Kind of cat with a black-and-white coat — Answer: TUXEDO
  27. 50. More melted, as a marshmallow — Answer: GOOIER
  28. 53. Tree alongside a ski run — Answer: FIR
  29. 54. Bro, e.g. — Answer: SIB
  30. 55. P | u | n | c | h | e | s — Answer: STRIPEDSOCKS
  31. 59. Sound of a perfect basketball shot — Answer: SWISH
  32. 62. "Beware the ___ of a patient man": John Dryden — Answer: FURY
  33. 63. Ordered — Answer: BADE
  34. 64. Increase, as interest — Answer: PIQUE
  35. 65. German Ms. — Answer: FRAU
  36. 66. Pupil's surroundings — Answer: IRIS. Hint: The colored ring around the eye’s central opening helps regulate incoming light. 👁️
  37. 67. Environmentalist Adams — Answer: ANSEL
  38. 68. Site for many stars? — Answer: YELP
  39. 69. Sounds of disapproval — Answer: TSKS

Down

  1. 1. Short negative review — Answer: ITSBAD
  2. 2. Floor covering in a Japanese tearoom — Answer: TATAMI
  3. 3. "Bingo!" — Answer: EXACTAMUNDO
  4. 4. Stole material — Answer: MINK
  5. 5. Southern denial — Answer: NOMAAM
  6. 6. Something tickled on a piano — Answer: IVORY
  7. 7. "Buy ___. They're not making it anymore" (old saying) — Answer: LAND
  8. 8. Philanthropic group with a clock face in its logo — Answer: ELKS
  9. 9. The so-called "Pineapple Isle" — Answer: LANAI
  10. 10. Goes around and around — Answer: LOOPS
  11. 11. Make sense, with "up" — Answer: ADD
  12. 12. "Maggie ___," classic folk song covered by the Beatles — Answer: MAE
  13. 13. ChatGPT, Claude, etc. — Answer: AIS
  14. 21. Inflicts — Answer: WREAKS
  15. 22. Muse of history — Answer: CLIO
  16. 26. Lasting damage from a tough experience, metaphorically — Answer: BATTLESCARS
  17. 27. Milkshake flavor — Answer: OREO
  18. 28. Gospel shout — Answer: AMEN
  19. 30. "Fountain of Milk Spreading Itself Uselessly on Three Shoes" painter, 1945 — Answer: DALI
  20. 31. Contented sounds — Answer: PURRS
  21. 32. "Changed my mind," in editing notation — Answer: STET
  22. 35. Curl — Answer: COIL
  23. 36. Hip-knee connectors — Answer: FEMURS
  24. 37. Source of linseed oil — Answer: FLAX
  25. 38. It's all a haze — Answer: SMOG
  26. 39. Drug bust unit — Answer: KILO
  27. 43. Model Miranda — Answer: KERR
  28. 47. Make neat — Answer: TIDYUP
  29. 48. Large-eyed African antelope with a duplicative name — Answer: DIKDIK
  30. 49. Fixate — Answer: OBSESS
  31. 51. Give out — Answer: ISSUE
  32. 52. Neighbor of Ricky and Lucy, on 1950s TV — Answer: ETHEL
  33. 53. Far from house-trained — Answer: FERAL
  34. 56. Dodgy — Answer: IFFY
  35. 57. 100% — Answer: PURE
  36. 58. End piece? — Answer: OBIT
  37. 59. Belinda's business on "The White Lotus" — Answer: SPA
  38. 60. Prevail — Answer: WIN
  39. 61. Some test figs. — Answer: IQS

The answer to “P | u | n | c | h | e | s” in the New York Times crossword is STRIPEDSOCKS — a 12-letter word. This clue ran in the New York Times crossword on May 21, 2026, a Thursday puzzle, at 55-Across. 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.

“P | u | n | c | h | e | s” answer

STRIPEDSOCKS (12 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 STRIPEDSOCKS.

Why the answer is STRIPEDSOCKS

STRIPEDSOCKS is the 12-letter solution that fits "P | u | n | c | h | e | s" in the NYT Crossword crossword on May 21, 2026 (55-Across). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.

When else has “P | u | n | c | h | e | s” 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.

May 21, 2026 (this puzzle) → STRIPEDSOCKS. We haven't indexed an earlier appearance of this exact clue yet.

More clues from the NYT Crossword on May 21, 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 May 21, 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 Thursday 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 “P | u | n | c | h | e | s”?

The answer is STRIPEDSOCKS, a 12-letter word. It appeared in the New York Times crossword on May 21, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “P | u | n | c | h | e | s”?

12 letters: STRIPEDSOCKS.

Where did this clue appear?

In the New York Times crossword on May 21, 2026 (a Thursday puzzle), at 55-Across.

Can “P | u | n | c | h | e | s” 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 May 21, 2026 is on the NYT Crossword answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

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