NYT Crossword Clues & Answers - May 31

Target Practice

By Jeffrey Martinovic and Evan Park

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NYT Crossword Clues

Across

  1. 1Sacsayhuamán fortress builders
  2. 6Literary forerunner of Captain Hook
  3. 10Many an Alpha Beta in "Revenge of the Nerds"
  4. 14Help-wanted letters
  5. 17Fermented vegan protein
  6. 19Wrestler/actor John
  7. 20Coin with 12 stars around the border
  8. 21Align
  9. 22Home of the legendary folk hero at 116-Across
  10. 24One involved with checks and balances
  11. 26Without
  12. 27Green spaces
  13. 29Hero of Arabian tales
  14. 30In the past
  15. 31___ Mahal
  16. 32Expertise demonstrated by 116-Across in a fabled feat of precision
  17. 34Home Run ___ (annual M.L.B. event)
  18. 36D.O.J. agency
  19. 39Fuel-efficient Toyota
  20. 40Main ideas
  21. 41Athletic skill mastered by 116-Across
  22. 44W-9 fig.
  23. 45Banned substance, in sports lingo
  24. 46Diego Rivera project
  25. 48Apt name for a lawyer
  26. 49Laughed loudly
  27. 52N.C.A.A. hoops powerhouse
  28. 53Like the Statue of Liberty at night
  29. 55Beatle who sang "Yellow Submarine"
  30. 57Sailor's septet
  31. 60Go-getter's opposite
  32. 62Through
  33. 63"Drat!," in Dortmund
  34. 65"The Situation Room" airer
  35. 66Chirruping bird
  36. 67Pat down
  37. 69City sobriquet that might describe the target for 116-Across, as depicted in this puzzle
  38. 71Stuff in a puff
  39. 72She-ep?
  40. 73Home to the Burj Khalifa, in brief
  41. 74Appointments that may lead to better contacts
  42. 76Dampens
  43. 78"Whoa, ___!"
  44. 80Bel ___ cheese
  45. 81Instinctive
  46. 82Religious dissent
  47. 84$5 bill, slangily
  48. 85Actress Spacek
  49. 87Negative logic gate in electrical engineering
  50. 88Cartesian conclusion
  51. 91Composer of an overture dedicated to 116-Across
  52. 93Gets lost
  53. 96Came to a conclusion
  54. 98"Doctor ___"
  55. 99Start of an encrypted URL
  56. 103Streaker in the night sky ... or a punny description of 116-Across
  57. 106Acid
  58. 108Unprocessed, as data
  59. 109Inspiration for many seasonal festivals
  60. 110Oscar-winning 2019 film directed by Bong Joon Ho
  61. 113Smoke, perhaps
  62. 114What may begin at the end
  63. 116Legendary figure who's the subject of this puzzle
  64. 118Orchard selection
  65. 119Lot calculation
  66. 120"All's well with me"
  67. 121Human
  68. 122Masthead figs.
  69. 123Timid
  70. 124Quibbles
  71. 125Ruses

Down

  1. 1"What a bummer"
  2. 2À la Enya
  3. 3Key with three flats
  4. 4Studios and penthouses: Abbr.
  5. 5"___ me!"
  6. 6Knee parts, for short
  7. 7Part of a track meet
  8. 8Per ___ (accounting term)
  9. 9Undeserved condemnation
  10. 10Watercraft that leave "rooster tails" in their wakes
  11. 11"___ home and native land!"
  12. 12Absolutely whomps, in sports lingo
  13. 13"Bear" that's not a bear
  14. 14Some red wines
  15. 15Smallest quantity of digital data
  16. 16Abandons, as a project
  17. 18Purifying filter acronym
  18. 21Eases
  19. 23Jasmine's tiger companion in "Aladdin"
  20. 25Big name in sewing machines
  21. 28Messes up
  22. 31TV host Banks
  23. 33Longtime jazz bandleader with an Egyptian-inspired name
  24. 35Where Cary Grant orders a Gibson in a classic scene from "North by Northwest"
  25. 37Magnetic unit named for an inventor
  26. 38Productive ... or a punny description of the feat performed by 116-Across?
  27. 42Many a liquor license applicant
  28. 43As of now
  29. 45Board game with ancient origins
  30. 46Gooey chocolate dessert
  31. 47Discover
  32. 50Holds forth
  33. 51Tenth, in Latin
  34. 54Small flycatchers named for their call, not their size
  35. 55Bro kin
  36. 56What 116-Across did before and after this puzzle's feat?
  37. 58Dread-full?
  38. 59Popular beverage brand
  39. 61Dr. ___
  40. 62Compete
  41. 64Bad spelling?
  42. 66Lead-in to bones or bucks
  43. 68Sunbeam
  44. 70Abandons a project, slangily
  45. 75"Oy!"
  46. 77Forwarded
  47. 79Full of tall tales
  48. 80It's better than a bogey
  49. 83Team lineup
  50. 86Like most modern TV broadcasts
  51. 89"Money-back guarantee" and "Limited-time offer"
  52. 90Self-referential
  53. 92Conductor Georg
  54. 93Snaky double curve
  55. 94Really irritated
  56. 95Main lines
  57. 96Full
  58. 97Australian city named for a scientist
  59. 100Closely following
  60. 101Gambler's combo bet
  61. 102Waves sought by surfers
  62. 104Five Pillars religion
  63. 105"Spider-Man" director Sam
  64. 107Stitcher's line
  65. 111Tee time or airtime, e.g.
  66. 112Sorts
  67. 113Corner key
  68. 115Toll
  69. 117Bucket list item?

Crossword clues, hints, and answers

Across

  1. 1. Sacsayhuamán fortress builders — Answer: INCAS
  2. 6. Literary forerunner of Captain Hook — Answer: AHAB
  3. 10. Many an Alpha Beta in "Revenge of the Nerds" — Answer: JOCK
  4. 14. Help-wanted letters — Answer: SOS
  5. 17. Fermented vegan protein — Answer: TEMPEH
  6. 19. Wrestler/actor John — Answer: CENA
  7. 20. Coin with 12 stars around the border — Answer: EURO
  8. 21. Align — Answer: SYNC
  9. 22. Home of the legendary folk hero at 116-Across — Answer: SWITZERLAND
  10. 24. One involved with checks and balances — Answer: TREASURER
  11. 26. Without — Answer: SANS
  12. 27. Green spaces — Answer: PASTURES
  13. 29. Hero of Arabian tales — Answer: ALIBABA
  14. 30. In the past — Answer: AGO
  15. 31. ___ Mahal — Answer: TAJ
  16. 32. Expertise demonstrated by 116-Across in a fabled feat of precision — Answer: MARKSMANSHIP
  17. 34. Home Run ___ (annual M.L.B. event) — Answer: DERBY
  18. 36. D.O.J. agency — Answer: ATF
  19. 39. Fuel-efficient Toyota — Answer: PRIUS
  20. 40. Main ideas — Answer: GISTS
  21. 41. Athletic skill mastered by 116-Across — Answer: ARCHERY
  22. 44. W-9 fig. — Answer: SSN
  23. 45. Banned substance, in sports lingo — Answer: PED
  24. 46. Diego Rivera project — Answer: MURAL
  25. 48. Apt name for a lawyer — Answer: SUE
  26. 49. Laughed loudly — Answer: ROARED
  27. 52. N.C.A.A. hoops powerhouse — Answer: UNC
  28. 53. Like the Statue of Liberty at night — Answer: UPLIT
  29. 55. Beatle who sang "Yellow Submarine" — Answer: STARR
  30. 57. Sailor's septet — Answer: SEAS
  31. 60. Go-getter's opposite — Answer: DEADBEAT
  32. 62. Through — Answer: VIA
  33. 63. "Drat!," in Dortmund — Answer: ACH
  34. 65. "The Situation Room" airer — Answer: CNN
  35. 66. Chirruping bird — Answer: SPARROW
  36. 67. Pat down — Answer: FRISK
  37. 69. City sobriquet that might describe the target for 116-Across, as depicted in this puzzle — Answer: THEBIGA
  38. 71. Stuff in a puff — Answer: AIR
  39. 72. She-ep? — Answer: EWE
  40. 73. Home to the Burj Khalifa, in brief — Answer: UAE
  41. 74. Appointments that may lead to better contacts — Answer: EYEEXAMS
  42. 76. Dampens — Answer: WETS
  43. 78. "Whoa, ___!" — Answer: NELLY
  44. 80. Bel ___ cheese — Answer: PAESE
  45. 81. Instinctive — Answer: GUT
  46. 82. Religious dissent — Answer: HERESY
  47. 84. $5 bill, slangily — Answer: ABE
  48. 85. Actress Spacek — Answer: SISSY
  49. 87. Negative logic gate in electrical engineering — Answer: NOR
  50. 88. Cartesian conclusion — Answer: IAM
  51. 91. Composer of an overture dedicated to 116-Across — Answer: ROSSINI
  52. 93. Gets lost — Answer: SCATS
  53. 96. Came to a conclusion — Answer: ENDED
  54. 98. "Doctor ___" — Answer: WHO
  55. 99. Start of an encrypted URL — Answer: HTTPS
  56. 103. Streaker in the night sky ... or a punny description of 116-Across — Answer: SHOOTINGSTAR
  57. 106. Acid — Answer: LSD
  58. 108. Unprocessed, as data — Answer: RAW
  59. 109. Inspiration for many seasonal festivals — Answer: HARVEST
  60. 110. Oscar-winning 2019 film directed by Bong Joon Ho — Answer: PARASITE
  61. 113. Smoke, perhaps — Answer: CURE
  62. 114. What may begin at the end — Answer: AFTERLIFE
  63. 116. Legendary figure who's the subject of this puzzle — Answer: WILLIAMTELL
  64. 118. Orchard selection — Answer: PEAR
  65. 119. Lot calculation — Answer: AREA
  66. 120. "All's well with me" — Answer: IMOK
  67. 121. Human — Answer: MORTAL
  68. 122. Masthead figs. — Answer: EDS
  69. 123. Timid — Answer: MEEK
  70. 124. Quibbles — Answer: NITS
  71. 125. Ruses — Answer: PLOYS

Down

  1. 1. "What a bummer" — Answer: ITSSAD
  2. 2. À la Enya — Answer: NEWAGE
  3. 3. Key with three flats — Answer: CMINOR
  4. 4. Studios and penthouses: Abbr. — Answer: APTS
  5. 5. "___ me!" — Answer: SEZ
  6. 6. Knee parts, for short — Answer: ACLS
  7. 7. Part of a track meet — Answer: HEAT
  8. 8. Per ___ (accounting term) — Answer: ANNUM
  9. 9. Undeserved condemnation — Answer: BADRAP
  10. 10. Watercraft that leave "rooster tails" in their wakes — Answer: JETSKIS
  11. 11. "___ home and native land!" — Answer: OUR
  12. 12. Absolutely whomps, in sports lingo — Answer: CREAMS
  13. 13. "Bear" that's not a bear — Answer: KOALA
  14. 14. Some red wines — Answer: SYRAHS
  15. 15. Smallest quantity of digital data — Answer: ONEBIT
  16. 16. Abandons, as a project — Answer: SCRAPS
  17. 18. Purifying filter acronym — Answer: HEPA
  18. 21. Eases — Answer: SUBSIDES
  19. 23. Jasmine's tiger companion in "Aladdin" — Answer: RAJAH
  20. 25. Big name in sewing machines — Answer: SINGER
  21. 28. Messes up — Answer: ERRS
  22. 31. TV host Banks — Answer: TYRA
  23. 33. Longtime jazz bandleader with an Egyptian-inspired name — Answer: SUNRA
  24. 35. Where Cary Grant orders a Gibson in a classic scene from "North by Northwest" — Answer: BARCAR
  25. 37. Magnetic unit named for an inventor — Answer: TESLA
  26. 38. Productive ... or a punny description of the feat performed by 116-Across? — Answer: FRUITFUL
  27. 42. Many a liquor license applicant — Answer: CLUBOWNER
  28. 43. As of now — Answer: YET
  29. 45. Board game with ancient origins — Answer: PARCHEESI
  30. 46. Gooey chocolate dessert — Answer: MUDPIE
  31. 47. Discover — Answer: UNEARTH
  32. 50. Holds forth — Answer: ORATES
  33. 51. Tenth, in Latin — Answer: DECIMUS
  34. 54. Small flycatchers named for their call, not their size — Answer: PEWEES
  35. 55. Bro kin — Answer: SIS
  36. 56. What 116-Across did before and after this puzzle's feat? — Answer: TAKEABOW
  37. 58. Dread-full? — Answer: ANGSTY
  38. 59. Popular beverage brand — Answer: SNA
  39. 61. Dr. ___ — Answer: DRE
  40. 62. Compete — Answer: VIE
  41. 64. Bad spelling? — Answer: HEX
  42. 66. Lead-in to bones or bucks — Answer: SAW
  43. 68. Sunbeam — Answer: RAY
  44. 70. Abandons a project, slangily — Answer: BAGSIT
  45. 75. "Oy!" — Answer: YEESH
  46. 77. Forwarded — Answer: SENTOVER
  47. 79. Full of tall tales — Answer: LYING
  48. 80. It's better than a bogey — Answer: PAR
  49. 83. Team lineup — Answer: ROSTER
  50. 86. Like most modern TV broadcasts — Answer: INHD
  51. 89. "Money-back guarantee" and "Limited-time offer" — Answer: ADSPEAK
  52. 90. Self-referential — Answer: META
  53. 92. Conductor Georg — Answer: SOLTI
  54. 93. Snaky double curve — Answer: SSHAPE
  55. 94. Really irritated — Answer: CHAFED
  56. 95. Main lines — Answer: AORTAS
  57. 96. Full — Answer: ENTIRE
  58. 97. Australian city named for a scientist — Answer: DARWIN
  59. 100. Closely following — Answer: TRUETO
  60. 101. Gambler's combo bet — Answer: PARLAY
  61. 102. Waves sought by surfers — Answer: SWELLS
  62. 104. Five Pillars religion — Answer: ISLAM
  63. 105. "Spider-Man" director Sam — Answer: RAIMI
  64. 107. Stitcher's line — Answer: SEAM
  65. 111. Tee time or airtime, e.g. — Answer: SLOT
  66. 112. Sorts — Answer: ILKS
  67. 113. Corner key — Answer: CTRL
  68. 115. Toll — Answer: FEE
  69. 117. Bucket list item? — Answer: MOP

Here are the NYT Crossword answers for Sunday, May 31, 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 31?” 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 31, 2026

The full solution for the May 31 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, May 31.

Hints for the May 31 puzzle

Not ready for the full answer? Here are lighter, spoiler-free nudges for that day's grid, above the solutions. The May 31 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.

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What were the NYT Crossword answers on May 31, 2026?

Every answer for the Sunday, May 31, 2026 NYT Crossword is listed at the top of this page — the confirmed grid as published that day.

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