NY Times Crossword Answers May 20, 2025 | Expert Breakdown & Tips

NY Times Crossword Complete Solution: May 20, 2025

Published on Tuesday, May 20, 2025 • Updated daily

Our expert breakdown helps you solve the May 20 NYT crossword while expanding your vocabulary. Learn answer strategies and discover word connections.

Across Clues and Answers (35)

Clue #1: 1. Bit or byte

4-letter answer Answer: UNIT

Word Help: Synonyms: building_block, whole, social_unit

Clue #2: 5. Laundry collectors

4-letter answer Answer: BINS

Word Help: Synonyms: BIN, binful, ABA_transit_number

Clue #3: 9. Good thing to bring to a competition

5-letter answer Answer: AGAME

Clue #4: 14. Comedian Trevor with the memoir "Born a Crime"

4-letter answer Answer: NOAH

Word Help: Synonyms: Noah

Clue #5: 15. Give off

4-letter answer Answer: EMIT

Word Help: Synonyms: give_out, utter, pass_off
Antonyms: absorb

Clue #6: 16. Ring-tailed primate

5-letter answer Answer: LEMUR

Word Help: Synonyms: lemur

Clue #7: 17. Consistent with party policy

9-letter answer Answer: ONMESSAGE

Clue #8: 19. Court colleague of Kagan and Kavanaugh

5-letter answer Answer: ALITO

Clue #9: 20. "Eye on the ball," "Get under it!," "I got it!," etc.

12-letter answer Answer: CATCHPHRASES

Word Help: Synonyms: catch_phrase, catchphrase

Clue #10: 22. Like some ground balls

6-letter answer Answer: ONEHOP

Clue #11: 25. CPR pro

3-letter answer Answer: EMT

Clue #12: 26. Queen of Olympus

4-letter answer Answer: HERA

Word Help: Synonyms: Here, Hera

Clue #13: 27. Pet rescue grp.

5-letter answer Answer: ASPCA

Clue #14: 31. Minnesota congresswoman Ilhan

4-letter answer Answer: OMAR

Clue #15: 35. Mink, ferret, stoat, etc.

11-letter answer Answer: WEASELWORDS

Clue #16: 38. Indiana or Independence, in D.C.

3-letter answer Answer: AVE

Clue #17: 39. Detroit dud of the 1950s

5-letter answer Answer: EDSEL

Clue #18: 40. Wall St. debut

3-letter answer Answer: IPO

Word Help: Synonyms: initial_public_offering, initial_offering, IPO

Clue #19: 41. "You're just too complimentary!"

5-letter answer Answer: AWGEE

Clue #20: 43. 4G ___ (letters on a cellphone screen)

3-letter answer Answer: LTE

Clue #21: 44. "Ta-da," "All done," "There you have it," etc.

11-letter answer Answer: FINISHLINES

Clue #22: 47. Poet Byron, for one

4-letter answer Answer: LORD

Word Help: Synonyms: lord, Creator, Divine
Antonyms: noblewoman, Lady

Clue #23: 49. Like pound cake

5-letter answer Answer: DENSE

Word Help: Synonyms: slow, dim, dense

Clue #24: 50. Bird whose name sounds like a hip-hop dance move

4-letter answer Answer: NENE

Clue #25: 51. Employ

3-letter answer Answer: USE

Word Help: Synonyms: enjoyment, purpose, expend

Clue #26: 53. Crafters' knives

6-letter answer Answer: XACTOS

Clue #27: 55. Yield, Stop, Dead End, etc.

12-letter answer Answer: SIGNLANGUAGE

Clue #28: 61. Tennis champ Naomi

5-letter answer Answer: OSAKA

Word Help: Synonyms: Osaka

Clue #29: 62. Freighter

9-letter answer Answer: CARGOSHIP

Clue #30: 66. On the up and up

5-letter answer Answer: LEGIT

Clue #31: 67. Too

4-letter answer Answer: ALSO

Word Help: Synonyms: besides, as_well, likewise

Clue #32: 68. Vibe

4-letter answer Answer: AURA

Word Help: Synonyms: aureole, air, aura

Clue #33: 69. College V.I.P.s

5-letter answer Answer: DEANS

Word Help: Synonyms: dean, doyen, James_Byron_Dean

Clue #34: 70. Cryptanalyst Turing

4-letter answer Answer: ALAN

Clue #35: 71. What spring may bring

4-letter answer Answer: THAW

Word Help: Synonyms: thaw, melting, unthaw

Across Clues and Answers (35)

Clue #1: 1. Card game shout

3-letter answer Answer: UNO

Clue #2: 2. Oui's opposite

3-letter answer Answer: NON

Word Help: Synonyms: not, non

Clue #3: 3. Response to "Who's going?"

3-letter answer Answer: IAM

Clue #4: 4. Action film climax one might "cut to," in a saying

8-letter answer Answer: THECHASE

Clue #5: 5. Closest confidant

7-letter answer Answer: BESTPAL

Clue #6: 6. Apple all-in-one

4-letter answer Answer: IMAC

Clue #7: 7. Walt Whitman's "As the Time Draws ___"

4-letter answer Answer: NIGH

Word Help: Synonyms: most, well-nigh, near
Antonyms: far

Clue #8: 8. Call repeated in an aerobics class

4-letter answer Answer: STEP

Word Help: Synonyms: stair, stone's_throw, dance_step

Clue #9: 9. Wake-up call

5-letter answer Answer: ALARM

Word Help: Synonyms: alarum, warning_device, alert

Clue #10: 10. Dessert served with the query "Cono o coppetta?" in Italy

6-letter answer Answer: GELATO

Clue #11: 11. Somme friends

4-letter answer Answer: AMIS

Clue #12: 12. Silence on Zoom

4-letter answer Answer: MUTE

Word Help: Synonyms: silent, tone_down, damp

Clue #13: 13. Cherubic Greek god

4-letter answer Answer: EROS

Word Help: Synonyms: Eros, physical_attraction, concupiscence

Clue #14: 18. ___ Paulo, Brazil

3-letter answer Answer: SAO

Clue #15: 21. Circle at the top of a stick figure

4-letter answer Answer: HEAD

Word Help: Synonyms: headspring, caput, chief
Antonyms: foot, tail

Clue #16: 22. "Such is life!"

6-letter answer Answer: OHWELL

Clue #17: 23. Must

6-letter answer Answer: NEEDTO

Clue #18: 24. Chalk accompanier

6-letter answer Answer: ERASER

Word Help: Synonyms: eraser

Clue #19: 28. Consumers of hogwash

5-letter answer Answer: SWINE

Word Help: Synonyms: swine

Clue #20: 29. Stop by

5-letter answer Answer: POPIN

Clue #21: 30. Hybridize

5-letter answer Answer: CROSS

Word Help: Synonyms: grumpy, Cross, get_across
Antonyms: uncross

Clue #22: 32. Souvenir for a refrigerator

6-letter answer Answer: MAGNET

Word Help: Synonyms: attracter, attractor, magnet

Clue #23: 33. Moisturizer brand

6-letter answer Answer: AVEENO

Clue #24: 34. ___ Pieces

6-letter answer Answer: REESES

Clue #25: 36. Fey figure of folklore

3-letter answer Answer: ELF

Word Help: Synonyms: imp, ELF, gremlin

Clue #26: 37. Khan who founded Khan Academy

3-letter answer Answer: SAL

Clue #27: 42. Flinches in response to

8-letter answer Answer: WINCESAT

Clue #28: 45. Brainstorm

4-letter answer Answer: IDEA

Word Help: Synonyms: theme, thought, approximation

Clue #29: 46. Utah, geometrically speaking

7-letter answer Answer: HEXAGON

Word Help: Synonyms: hexagon

Clue #30: 48. What "America runs on," in a franchise slogan

6-letter answer Answer: DUNKIN

Clue #31: 52. Bed supports

5-letter answer Answer: SLATS

Word Help: Synonyms: spline, slat

Clue #32: 54. "Give it ___"

3-letter answer Answer: AGO

Word Help: Synonyms: agone, ago

Clue #33: 55. Auctioned off, e.g.

4-letter answer Answer: SOLD

Word Help: Synonyms: sell, betray, trade
Antonyms: buy, unsold

Clue #34: 56. "Oh, OK"

4-letter answer Answer: ISEE

Clue #35: 57. Crazy (about)

4-letter answer Answer: GAGA

Word Help: Synonyms: gaga, dotty, wild

Clue #36: 58. March Madness org.

4-letter answer Answer: NCAA

Clue #37: 59. Chutzpah

4-letter answer Answer: GALL

Word Help: Synonyms: impudence, resentment, cheekiness

Clue #38: 60. ___ Major

4-letter answer Answer: URSA

Clue #39: 63. "What'd you say?"

3-letter answer Answer: HUH

Clue #40: 64. Public radio host Glass

3-letter answer Answer: IRA

Word Help: Synonyms: ire, IRA, Provisional_IRA

Clue #41: 65. Where to find a kitten's "toe beans"

3-letter answer Answer: PAW

Word Help: Synonyms: mitt, hand, paw

Expert Solving Strategies

• Look for fill-in-the-blank clues first (they're often easiest)
• Watch for question marks indicating wordplay
• Check vowel patterns in partially solved words

Related Search Terms

NYT Crossword Help, Daily Puzzle Solutions, Crossword Answer Finder, May Crossword Answers