NYT Crossword
Monday, May 25, 2026
By Anthony Grubb
Tap a square to reveal a letter.
Or reveal one clue at a time with the Hint and Answer buttons below.
Crossword clues, hints, and answers
Across
- 1. Jokes (around) — Answer: KIDS
- 5. Not very spicy — Answer: MILD
- 9. Super 8 or Red Roof Inn — Answer: MOTEL
- 14. Paper cut? — Answer: EDIT
- 15. Big name in laptops — Answer: ACER
- 16. Public relations concern — Answer: IMAGE
- 17. Steamy segment in a movie — Answer: LOVESCENE
- 19. Fruit that makes your lips pucker — Answer: LEMON
- 20. Tennis skirt feature — Answer: PLEAT
- 21. Lack of light — Answer: DARKNESS
- 23. Locale for a plastic flamingo — Answer: LAWN
- 26. Yoga studio essential — Answer: MAT
- 27. De-tension center? — Answer: SPA
- 30. Variety of chili that can reach a Scoville score of 1+ million — Answer: GHOSTPEPPER
- 36. European ski destination — Answer: ALPS
- 38. Volcanic spew — Answer: ASH
- 39. Sample collected by Ancestry.com — Answer: SALIVA
- 40. Daily Planet reporter Lois — Answer: LANE
- 41. Show the ropes — Answer: TEACH
- 43. "___ sesame!" — Answer: OPEN
- 44. Comfortable — Answer: ATEASE. Hint: Feeling relaxed, calm, and free from worry describes this state. 😌
- 46. Anguish — Answer: WOE
- 47. Manage, as a bar — Answer: TEND
- 48. California national park known for its dryness — Answer: DEATHVALLEY
- 51. Pigs' digs — Answer: STY. Hint: Where you might find some oinking companions enjoying a little mud! 🐖
- 52. Number starting a countdown — Answer: TEN
- 53. Sitting on — Answer: ATOP
- 55. Bring dishonor upon — Answer: BESMIRCH
- 60. "I'm sleepy" signals — Answer: YAWNS
- 64. Ancient Mexican empire — Answer: AZTEC
- 65. 1980s hit with the lyric "Me mind on fire, me soul on fire" ... or how one might describe 17-, 30- and 48-Across? — Answer: HOTHOTHOT
- 68. Back of a car or front of an elephant — Answer: TRUNK
- 69. Orchestral woodwind — Answer: OBOE
- 70. Place of buzziness? — Answer: HIVE
- 71. Most watches have three of these — Answer: HANDS
- 72. Japanese electronics giant — Answer: SONY
- 73. An estimated 25% of modern phone calls — Answer: SPAM
Down
- 1. Seaweed in an underwater forest — Answer: KELP
- 2. Revered figure — Answer: IDOL
- 3. Go off the deep end? — Answer: DIVE
- 4. Incredible bargain — Answer: STEAL
- 5. Kraft ___ & Cheese — Answer: MAC
- 6. Lead-in to maker or breaker — Answer: ICE
- 7. Give, but expect back — Answer: LEND
- 8. Experienced during sleep — Answer: DREAMT
- 9. Frothy drink often served with boba — Answer: MILKTEA
- 10. A ladybug landing on you is considered a good one — Answer: OMEN
- 11. Opposite of wild — Answer: TAME
- 12. Alter ___ (other selves) — Answer: EGOS
- 13. Camera shop purchase — Answer: LENS
- 18. Adult male deer — Answer: STAG
- 22. A hardened criminal might have a long one — Answer: RAPSHEET
- 24. "Yeah, yeah" — Answer: WHATEVER
- 25. Missing part of the Great Sphinx of Giza — Answer: NOSE
- 27. Leafy lunch order — Answer: SALAD
- 28. Piece of armadillo armor — Answer: PLATE
- 29. Common sleep disorder — Answer: APNEA
- 31. Item worn over the shoulders — Answer: SHAWL
- 32. "The ___ thickens ..." — Answer: PLOT
- 33. Vocal cords, informally — Answer: PIPES
- 34. Happening — Answer: EVENT. Hint: Think of an occurrence or notable occasion taking place. 🎉
- 35. Singer Newman with the hit "You've Got a Friend in Me" — Answer: RANDY
- 37. Chair or pew — Answer: SEAT
- 42. Coke or Pepsi — Answer: COLA
- 45. Gimmicky routines — Answer: SHTICKS
- 49. Dried poblanos used in mole sauce — Answer: ANCHOS
- 50. Toy on a string — Answer: YOYO
- 54. Trails — Answer: PATHS
- 55. Relaxing soak — Answer: BATH
- 56. Book just after Ezekiel, alphabetically — Answer: EZRA
- 57. Flabbergast — Answer: STUN
- 58. Patch up — Answer: MEND
- 59. Drifter in search of work — Answer: HOBO
- 61. What to do with egg whites when making meringue — Answer: WHIP
- 62. Luminous stellar explosion — Answer: NOVA
- 63. Women in ___ (educational advocacy group) — Answer: STEM
- 66. Colossal quantity — Answer: TON
- 67. "Yoo-hoo!" — Answer: HEY
The answer to “Drifter in search of work” in the New York Times crossword is HOBO — a 4-letter word. This clue ran in the New York Times crossword on May 25, 2026, a Monday puzzle, at 59-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.
“Drifter in search of work” answer
HOBO (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 HOBO.
Why the answer is HOBO
HOBO is the 4-letter solution that fits "Drifter in search of work" in the NYT Crossword crossword on May 25, 2026 (59-Down). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.
When else has “Drifter in search of work” 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 25, 2026 (this puzzle) → HOBO. We haven't indexed an earlier appearance of this exact clue yet.
More clues from the NYT Crossword on May 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.
- Bring dishonor upon → BESMIRCH
- 1980s hit with the lyric "Me mind on fire, me soul on fire" ... or how one might describe 17-, 30- and 48-Across? → HOTHOTHOT
- Orchestral woodwind → OBOE
- Japanese electronics giant → SONY
- "I'm sleepy" signals → YAWNS
- Patch up → MEND
- Flabbergast → STUN
- What to do with egg whites when making meringue → WHIP
Want every clue in one place? The full New York Times answer list for May 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 Monday 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 “Drifter in search of work”?
The answer is HOBO, a 4-letter word. It appeared in the New York Times crossword on May 25, 2026.
How many letters is the answer to “Drifter in search of work”?
4 letters: HOBO.
Where did this clue appear?
In the New York Times crossword on May 25, 2026 (a Monday puzzle), at 59-Down.
Can “Drifter in search of work” 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 25, 2026 is on the NYT Crossword answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.