NY Times Crossword Answers May 12, 2025 | Expert Breakdown & Tips

NY Times Crossword Complete Solution: May 12, 2025

Published on Monday, May 12, 2025 • Updated daily

Our expert breakdown helps you solve the May 12 NYT crossword while expanding your vocabulary. Learn answer strategies and discover word connections.

NY Times Crossword Complete Solution May 12, 2025

Across Clues and Answers (37)

Clue #1: 1. Cowboy's rope

5-letter answer Answer: LASSO

Word Help: Synonyms: lariat, riata, rope

Clue #2: 6. Relative of a milkshake

4-letter answer Answer: MALT

Word Help: Synonyms: malt, malted_milk, malt_liquor

Clue #3: 10. NaCl

4-letter answer Answer: SALT

Word Help: Synonyms: salt, table_salt, SALT

Clue #4: 14. Take place

5-letter answer Answer: OCCUR

Word Help: Synonyms: go_on, happen, come

Clue #5: 15. Director Kazan who helped popularize Method acting

4-letter answer Answer: ELIA

Word Help: Synonyms: Charles_Lamb, Lamb, Elia

Clue #6: 16. Falco of "The Sopranos"

4-letter answer Answer: EDIE

Clue #7: 17. Dessert cocktail with crème de cacao

15-letter answer Answer: BRANDYALEXANDER

Clue #8: 20. "Ready, ___, go!"

3-letter answer Answer: SET

Word Help: Synonyms: located, determine, exercise_set
Antonyms: rise

Clue #9: 21. Serpentine swimmers

4-letter answer Answer: EELS

Word Help: Synonyms: eel

Clue #10: 22. Common destination for a field trip

6-letter answer Answer: MUSEUM

Word Help: Synonyms: museum

Clue #11: 23. Funeral vessel

3-letter answer Answer: URN

Word Help: Synonyms: urn

Clue #12: 24. Contacted using a beeper

5-letter answer Answer: PAGED

Word Help: Synonyms: page, paginate, foliate

Clue #13: 25. Created, as yarn or a spider web

4-letter answer Answer: SPUN

Word Help: Synonyms: spin_around, gyrate, spin

Clue #14: 28. 10-12-year-old

5-letter answer Answer: TWEEN

Clue #15: 31. ___ Francisco

3-letter answer Answer: SAN

Clue #16: 34. Classic board game with the Peppermint Forest and Lollipop Lane

9-letter answer Answer: CANDYLAND

Clue #17: 36. Dig (out)

5-letter answer Answer: GOUGE

Word Help: Synonyms: nick, rack, wring

Clue #18: 38. "Goodie" on classic radio

5-letter answer Answer: OLDIE

Word Help: Synonyms: golden_oldie, oldie

Clue #19: 39. Food label inits.

3-letter answer Answer: RDA

Clue #20: 40. "Inside Out" emotion who says "We should lock the door and scream that curse word we know. It's a good one!"

5-letter answer Answer: ANGER

Word Help: Synonyms: angriness, wrath, choler

Clue #21: 41. Oboe accessories that are often carved by the oboist

5-letter answer Answer: REEDS

Word Help: Synonyms: Walter_Reed, beating-reed_instrument, vibrating_reed

Clue #22: 42. Move from an acrobat or breakdancer

9-letter answer Answer: HANDSTAND

Word Help: Synonyms: handstand

Clue #23: 44. Negative conjunction

3-letter answer Answer: NOR

Clue #24: 45. Montana is the only U.S. state with one in Spanish

5-letter answer Answer: MOTTO

Word Help: Synonyms: slogan, motto, catchword

Clue #25: 46. Defense Against the Dark ___ ("Harry Potter" class)

4-letter answer Answer: ARTS

Word Help: Synonyms: humanities, artistic_creation, graphics

Clue #26: 47. What a baby's bib might protect a onesie from

5-letter answer Answer: DROOL

Word Help: Synonyms: baloney, slobber, slabber

Clue #27: 50. Standout athlete, for short

3-letter answer Answer: MVP

Word Help: Synonyms: most_valuable_player, MVP

Clue #28: 52. Free items that come with drinks

6-letter answer Answer: STRAWS

Word Help: Synonyms: stalk, wheat, stubble

Clue #29: 54. Black-and-white cookie

4-letter answer Answer: OREO

Word Help: Synonyms: oreo, oreo_cookie

Clue #30: 56. What some people confuse with a monkey

3-letter answer Answer: APE

Word Help: Synonyms: anthropoid, ape, copycat

Clue #31: 59. Scottish archipelago west of Norway

15-letter answer Answer: SHETLANDISLANDS

Clue #32: 62. What spectacles perch on

4-letter answer Answer: NOSE

Word Help: Synonyms: poke, wind, pry

Clue #33: 63. "Oh, uh-huh, sure"

4-letter answer Answer: IBET

Clue #34: 64. Magicians' cries

5-letter answer Answer: TADAS

Clue #35: 65. Figure (out)

4-letter answer Answer: SUSS

Word Help: Synonyms: genus_Sus, Sus

Clue #36: 66. Social worker's assignment

4-letter answer Answer: CASE

Word Help: Synonyms: guinea_pig, grammatical_case, showcase

Clue #37: 67. Parental authority

5-letter answer Answer: SAYSO

Across Clues and Answers (37)

Clue #1: 1. Arcing tennis shots

4-letter answer Answer: LOBS

Word Help: Synonyms: lob

Clue #2: 2. Farmland unit

4-letter answer Answer: ACRE

Word Help: Synonyms: Akko, Akka, acre

Clue #3: 3. Jazz singer's improvised syllables

4-letter answer Answer: SCAT

Word Help: Synonyms: scat, lam, take_to_the_woods

Clue #4: 4. What the circle on the Japanese flag represents

3-letter answer Answer: SUN

Word Help: Synonyms: Sun, solarise, insolate

Clue #5: 5. "Can I take your ___?" (server's question)

5-letter answer Answer: ORDER

Word Help: Synonyms: orderliness, lodge, ordinate
Antonyms: deregulate, disorderliness

Clue #6: 6. Brunch or lunch

4-letter answer Answer: MEAL

Word Help: Synonyms: meal, repast

Clue #7: 7. "___ well that ends well!"

4-letter answer Answer: ALLS

Clue #8: 8. Word that would be more grammatical in the title "Lay, Lady, Lay"

3-letter answer Answer: LIE

Word Help: Synonyms: Trygve_Halvden_Lie, prevarication, consist
Antonyms: arise, stand

Clue #9: 9. Beatles song with the lyric "Should five percent appear too small, be thankful I don't take it all"

6-letter answer Answer: TAXMAN

Word Help: Synonyms: tax_collector, internal_revenue_agent, exciseman

Clue #10: 10. Touch or taste

5-letter answer Answer: SENSE

Word Help: Synonyms: common_sense, mother_wit, smell

Clue #11: 11. Source of extra sweetness

10-letter answer Answer: ADDEDSUGAR

Clue #12: 12. Stead

4-letter answer Answer: LIEU

Word Help: Synonyms: lieu, position, stead

Clue #13: 13. Four years, for a president

4-letter answer Answer: TERM

Word Help: Synonyms: term, full_term, terminus

Clue #14: 18. 1983 musical starring Barbra Streisand

5-letter answer Answer: YENTL

Clue #15: 19. Sept. preceder

3-letter answer Answer: AUG

Word Help: Synonyms: August, Aug

Clue #16: 23. Loosened, as a knot

5-letter answer Answer: UNDID

Word Help: Synonyms: undo, unmake, untie
Antonyms: make, wrap

Clue #17: 24. Nitpicker

6-letter answer Answer: PEDANT

Word Help: Synonyms: bookworm, pedant, scholastic

Clue #18: 25. Contempt

5-letter answer Answer: SCORN

Word Help: Synonyms: despite, contemn, freeze_off

Clue #19: 26. Kind of diet inspired by hunters and gatherers

5-letter answer Answer: PALEO

Clue #20: 27. Show up to a gala in a T-shirt, say

10-letter answer Answer: UNDERDRESS

Word Help: Synonyms: dress_down, underdress
Antonyms: dress_up, overdress

Clue #21: 29. Noted painter of soup cans

6-letter answer Answer: WARHOL

Word Help: Synonyms: Warhol, Andy_Warhol

Clue #22: 30. Go until

5-letter answer Answer: ENDAT

Clue #23: 32. Who might help an author get a book deal

5-letter answer Answer: AGENT

Word Help: Synonyms: federal_agent, agentive_role, agent

Clue #24: 33. Stereotypical bookworms

5-letter answer Answer: NERDS

Word Help: Synonyms: dweeb, wonk, nerd

Clue #25: 35. "Affirmative"

3-letter answer Answer: YES

Word Help: Synonyms: yes
Antonyms: no

Clue #26: 36. What you might "fill 'er up" with

3-letter answer Answer: GAS

Word Help: Synonyms: throttle, gasolene, accelerator

Clue #27: 37. Alternative to bottled

5-letter answer Answer: ONTAP

Clue #28: 43. Mosque toppers

5-letter answer Answer: DOMES

Word Help: Synonyms: bean, covered_stadium, noggin

Clue #29: 45. Art with tiles in fancy styles (that might produce smiles)

6-letter answer Answer: MOSAIC

Word Help: Synonyms: mosaic, arial_mosaic, Mosaic

Clue #30: 48. Gives stars to, say

5-letter answer Answer: RATES

Word Help: Synonyms: charge_per_unit, rates, betray

Clue #31: 49. "Wise" bird

3-letter answer Answer: OWL

Word Help: Synonyms: bird_of_night, owl, bird_of_Minerva

Clue #32: 51. Hybrid Chevys

5-letter answer Answer: VOLTS

Word Help: Synonyms: volt, V

Clue #33: 52. Strings with the pattern XXX-XX-XXXX, in brief

4-letter answer Answer: SSNS

Clue #34: 53. "___ shalt not …"

4-letter answer Answer: THOU

Word Help: Synonyms: 1000, one_thousand, G

Clue #35: 54. Poetic tributes

4-letter answer Answer: ODES

Word Help: Synonyms: ode

Clue #36: 55. Formal ceremony

4-letter answer Answer: RITE

Word Help: Synonyms: rite, ritual, religious_rite

Clue #37: 56. Boy's name … or how you might describe 17-, 34-, 42- or 59-Across?

4-letter answer Answer: ANDY

Clue #38: 57. Smartphone predecessors, in brief

4-letter answer Answer: PDAS

Word Help: Synonyms: organiser, personal_organiser, PDA

Clue #39: 58. Competitor of Petro-Canada

4-letter answer Answer: ESSO

Clue #40: 60. Org. with the Knicks and Clippers

3-letter answer Answer: NBA

Clue #41: 61. Battery for some small toys

3-letter answer Answer: AAA

Word Help: Synonyms: AAA, abdominal_aortic_aneurysm

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

NY Times Crossword Answers May 19, 2025 | Expert Breakdown & Tips

NY Times Crossword Complete Solution: May 19, 2025

Published on Monday, May 19, 2025 • Updated daily

Our expert breakdown helps you solve the May 19 NYT crossword while expanding your vocabulary. Learn answer strategies and discover word connections.

Across Clues and Answers (38)

Clue #1: 1. Occasion for pampering

6-letter answer Answer: SPADAY

Clue #2: 7. Like a baby's bottom

4-letter answer Answer: SOFT

Word Help: Synonyms: diffuse, easy, gentle
Antonyms: loud, hard

Clue #3: 11. Taxi

3-letter answer Answer: CAB

Word Help: Synonyms: hack, taxi, cabriolet

Clue #4: 14. The "T" of B.L.T.

6-letter answer Answer: TOMATO

Word Help: Synonyms: Lycopersicon_esculentum, tomato_plant, love_apple

Clue #5: 15. Queen of the Nile, informally

4-letter answer Answer: CLEO

Clue #6: 16. Miley Cyrus's "Party in the ___"

3-letter answer Answer: USA

Word Help: Synonyms: USA, US_Army, America

Clue #7: 17. Casual dining chain with unlimited breadsticks

11-letter answer Answer: OLIVEGARDEN

Clue #8: 19. Take a load off, say

3-letter answer Answer: SIT

Word Help: Synonyms: sit_around, pose, posture
Antonyms: arise, stand

Clue #9: 20. Shake, as a dog's tail

3-letter answer Answer: WAG

Word Help: Synonyms: card, wit, wag

Clue #10: 21. Most-desired group of invitees

5-letter answer Answer: ALIST

Clue #11: 22. Home to Zion National Park

4-letter answer Answer: UTAH

Word Help: Synonyms: UT, Beehive_State, Mormon_State

Clue #12: 23. Capital of Italia

4-letter answer Answer: ROMA

Word Help: Synonyms: Romany, Rommany, Roma

Clue #13: 26. Caller of balls and strikes

3-letter answer Answer: UMP

Word Help: Synonyms: umpire, ump

Clue #14: 27. "... or that's what I think, anyway," online

3-letter answer Answer: IMO

Word Help: Synonyms: International_Maritime_Organization, IMO

Clue #15: 28. Event whose symbol is five interlocking rings

12-letter answer Answer: OLYMPICGAMES

Clue #16: 33. Discontinued Apple program for organizing images

6-letter answer Answer: IPHOTO

Clue #17: 36. Make a digital image of

4-letter answer Answer: SCAN

Word Help: Synonyms: scan, CAT_scan, rake

Clue #18: 37. Race of mythical beings, in fantasy fiction

3-letter answer Answer: FAE

Word Help: Synonyms: fuel-air_explosive, FAE

Clue #19: 38. Musical genre for D'Angelo and Erykah Badu

7-letter answer Answer: NEOSOUL

Clue #20: 40. Some R-rated material

7-letter answer Answer: EROTICA

Word Help: Synonyms: erotica, porno, smut

Clue #21: 42. Number of amendments in the Bill of Rights

3-letter answer Answer: TEN

Word Help: Synonyms: tenner, decade, 10

Clue #22: 43. Jacket closer that's not a button

4-letter answer Answer: SNAP

Word Help: Synonyms: flick, breeze, crack
Antonyms: inelasticity

Clue #23: 45. "We hold these ___ to be self-evident"

6-letter answer Answer: TRUTHS

Word Help: Synonyms: Truth, the_true, trueness
Antonyms: inaccuracy, falsity

Clue #24: 46. Theater binoculars

12-letter answer Answer: OPERAGLASSES

Clue #25: 49. Number of faces on a cube

3-letter answer Answer: SIX

Word Help: Synonyms: sextuplet, sestet, half-dozen

Clue #26: 50. Craftsmanship

3-letter answer Answer: ART

Word Help: Synonyms: graphics, artistic_creation, artistic_production

Clue #27: 51. Silverstein who wrote "A Boy Named Sue"

4-letter answer Answer: SHEL

Clue #28: 54. President's "no"

4-letter answer Answer: VETO

Word Help: Synonyms: negative, nix, blackball
Antonyms: permit, allow

Clue #29: 56. Glimmer

5-letter answer Answer: GLEAM

Word Help: Synonyms: gleam, gleaming, glow

Clue #30: 58. Govt. rule

3-letter answer Answer: REG

Clue #31: 60. "Red" or "Reputation," for Taylor Swift

3-letter answer Answer: ERA

Word Help: Synonyms: era, epoch, geological_era

Clue #32: 61. Starting point for Tropicana or Florida's Natural juice

11-letter answer Answer: ORANGEGROVE

Clue #33: 64. Tease

3-letter answer Answer: RIB

Word Help: Synonyms: laugh_at, jest_at, roast

Clue #34: 65. Dryer fuzz

4-letter answer Answer: LINT

Word Help: Synonyms: lint

Clue #35: 66. Word before name or voyage

6-letter answer Answer: MAIDEN

Word Help: Synonyms: maiden_over, initiatory, maid

Clue #36: 67. Buzzer near a flower

3-letter answer Answer: BEE

Word Help: Synonyms: bee

Clue #37: 68. Odds and ___

4-letter answer Answer: ENDS

Word Help: Synonyms: closing, finish, stop
Antonyms: begin, beginning

Clue #38: 69. "Yikes!" ... or, phonetically, a hint to 17-, 28-, 46- and 61-Across

6-letter answer Answer: OHGEEZ

Across Clues and Answers (38)

Clue #1: 1. Place in an overhead compartment

4-letter answer Answer: STOW

Word Help: Synonyms: stow

Clue #2: 2. From the Arctic

5-letter answer Answer: POLAR

Word Help: Synonyms: glacial, polar, diametric
Antonyms: equatorial

Clue #3: 3. Compadre

5-letter answer Answer: AMIGO

Word Help: Synonyms: amigo

Clue #4: 4. ___ Pilkey, author/illustrator who created Captain Underpants

3-letter answer Answer: DAV

Clue #5: 5. Chowed down

3-letter answer Answer: ATE

Word Help: Synonyms: corrode, Ate, use_up

Clue #6: 6. Meditation method

4-letter answer Answer: YOGA

Word Help: Synonyms: yoga

Clue #7: 7. Pinches pennies, say

7-letter answer Answer: SCRIMPS

Word Help: Synonyms: skimp, scrimp, stint

Clue #8: 8. Alternative to Axe or Brut

8-letter answer Answer: OLDSPICE

Clue #9: 9. Poetical units

4-letter answer Answer: FEET

Word Help: Synonyms: ft, metrical_foot, understructure
Antonyms: head

Clue #10: 10. Colossal amount

3-letter answer Answer: TON

Word Help: Synonyms: gross_ton, ton, long_ton

Clue #11: 11. Personalized in sizing

9-letter answer Answer: CUSTOMFIT

Clue #12: 12. Home of China and India

4-letter answer Answer: ASIA

Word Help: Synonyms: Asia

Clue #13: 13. Relaxing soak

4-letter answer Answer: BATH

Word Help: Synonyms: bath, bathing_tub, Bath

Clue #14: 18. Former student, for short

4-letter answer Answer: ALUM

Word Help: Synonyms: ammonium_alum, alum, potash_alum

Clue #15: 22. Thurman of "Pulp Fiction"

3-letter answer Answer: UMA

Word Help: Synonyms: Uma, genus_Uma

Clue #16: 24. Cow sounds

4-letter answer Answer: MOOS

Word Help: Synonyms: low, moo

Clue #17: 25. Woodwind in a jazz band

7-letter answer Answer: ALTOSAX

Clue #18: 27. Pays no heed to

7-letter answer Answer: IGNORES

Word Help: Synonyms: push_aside, snub, disregard
Antonyms: notice, know

Clue #19: 29. Calves, kittens and cubs

5-letter answer Answer: YOUNG

Word Help: Synonyms: Pres_Young, immature, untried
Antonyms: aged, old

Clue #20: 30. Grocery conveyances

5-letter answer Answer: CARTS

Word Help: Synonyms: hale, cart, handcart

Clue #21: 31. Per person

4-letter answer Answer: EACH

Word Help: Synonyms: for_each_one, from_each_one, apiece

Clue #22: 32. Sail the seven ___

4-letter answer Answer: SEAS

Word Help: Synonyms: sea, ocean

Clue #23: 33. A fan of

4-letter answer Answer: INTO

Clue #24: 34. "Not another ___ out of you!"

4-letter answer Answer: PEEP

Word Help: Synonyms: chirp, cheep, peek

Clue #25: 35. Nickname for Lincoln

9-letter answer Answer: HONESTABE

Clue #26: 39. Film incorrectly announced as Best Picture before "Moonlight"

8-letter answer Answer: LALALAND

Clue #27: 41. Patootie

4-letter answer Answer: TUSH

Word Help: Synonyms: rear, bottom, hind_end

Clue #28: 44. Mom and dad

7-letter answer Answer: PARENTS

Word Help: Synonyms: raise, nurture, rear
Antonyms: child

Clue #29: 47. Carnaval city

3-letter answer Answer: RIO

Word Help: Synonyms: Rio, Rio_de_Janeiro

Clue #30: 48. Kind of party for men only

4-letter answer Answer: STAG

Word Help: Synonyms: tell_on, hart, rat

Clue #31: 52. Wear away, as soil

5-letter answer Answer: ERODE

Word Help: Synonyms: gnaw_at, fret, eat_at

Clue #32: 53. Flood embankment

5-letter answer Answer: LEVEE

Word Help: Synonyms: levee

Clue #33: 54. What often follows a noun

4-letter answer Answer: VERB

Word Help: Synonyms: verb

Clue #34: 55. Pennsylvania city on a Great Lake

4-letter answer Answer: ERIE

Word Help: Synonyms: Erie, Lake_Erie

Clue #35: 56. Ear-to-ear expression

4-letter answer Answer: GRIN

Word Help: Synonyms: smile, grin, smiling

Clue #36: 57. Office missive

4-letter answer Answer: MEMO

Word Help: Synonyms: memo, memoranda, memorandum

Clue #37: 59. Cohort that grew up with the internet

4-letter answer Answer: GENZ

Clue #38: 61. Cry at a bullfight

3-letter answer Answer: OLE

Clue #39: 62. "Argh!"

3-letter answer Answer: GAH

Clue #40: 63. Fix, as an outcome

3-letter answer Answer: RIG

Word Help: Synonyms: set, fishing_gear, set_up

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