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NYT Crossword — August 23, 2025

Saturday’s 15 × 15 puzzle, 72 clues. The full solution is below — answers stay masked until you reveal them, one clue or all at once.

0 of 72 revealed

1C

2O

3B

4R

5A

6P

7O

8S

9E

10C

11P

12A

13S

14D

A

L

A

I

L

A

M

A

S

15A

L

D

I

16A

N

D

R

O

I

D

A

P

P

17R

E

S

T

18N

A

S

19A

S

H

20N

21E

P

A

L

22C

R

A

23N

24K

S

25A

26G

R

E

E

S

O

27N

28E

D

W

I

N

29R

A

G

30E

G

O

31K

O

32O

33L

34A

I

D

35E

D

A

M

36M

37Y

38J

O

B

H

E

R

E

I

39S

D

O

N

E

40Y

E

U

N

41I

T

S

G

O

O

D

42S

A

M

43B

O

A

44M

I

45T

46T

47S

48T

O

P

49F

O

R

T

50Y

51L

E

E

R

A

T

52R

E

I

K

I

53O

54T

O

55I

P

A

56U

N

D

O

57V

58E

G

A

N

59B

60A

C

O

N

61M

A

I

N

62E

V

I

L

G

E

N

I

U

S

63M

Y

N

A

64R

E

S

C

U

E

C

A

T

Across

33 clues

1Relative of upward dog, to 50-Down

10Many Intuit employees, for short

14Noted line in Buddhism

15International grocery chain founded in Germany

16Galaxy program, e.g.

18Rapper whose father is the jazz musician Olu Dara

19Certain tray's contents

20Country whose name is an anagram of a common means of getting there

22Makes rapidly, with "out"

25Mutually accepts

28M.L.B. All-Star closer ___ Díaz

29Staple at a car wash

30One might be fragile

31Product pitched by a pitcher

35Drew Carey once called it "crossword puzzle cheese" on "Whose Line Is It Anyway?"

36"I've helped all I can"

40Steven ___, Best Actor nominee for 2020's "Minari"

41Field goal announcement

43Bit of drag attire

44Hands, humorously

51Eye up and down

52Japanese healing technique

53Medical lead-in to -scope

55Type of alcoholic beverage that originated in the U.K., despite its name

57Plant-based meat alternative that sizzles

61One's primary character, in video game lingo

62Criminal mastermind

63Very vocal avian

64Purr-fect adoptee

Down

39 clues

1Unfounded rumor

2Tired expression

3Something that can be raised or passed

4Mexico's ___ Conchos

5Literally, "at another time"

6Artificially inflates

7City where the Men's College World Series takes place

8Stuff boiled in sugar shacks

9Place to hear game results and analysis

10"___ noctem" (motto meaning "go enjoy the night")

11"By all means, go ahead!"

12Jingle accompaniment

13Remain untouched

14Take a series of steps?

23Japanese company whose products click with customers

26Composer of "In the Hall of the Mountain King"

27Destination of an annual race since 1973

32It's formed in Pittsburgh

33Allowed to strike

34Horace's "___ Poetica"

35Boy on "The Munsters"

36Island in a classic video game

37"What's your decision?"

38Joined enthusiastically

39Word before how or where, but not who

45White House daughter of the 1960s-'70s

46Have no more money to bet

47Is really into, in slang

49Animated princess of film

501-Across teachers

54Mineral with a Mohs hardness of 1

56"Lemme think ..."

58Night to remember, perhaps

60Anti-apartheid party, in brief

Click a clue for its own page with the answer and a short explanation.

Stats & info

Saturday, Aug 23, 2025

15×15

Grid size

72

Total entries

34/191

Black / letter cells

5.3

Avg entry length

15 ltrs

Longest entry

Hardest

Saturday difficulty

PuzzleThe Crossword

PublishedAug 23, 2025

DaySaturday

ThemeThemeless

ConstructorRyan Judge

EditorWill Shortz

Clue split33 across · 39 down

Longest entries

36A"I've helped all I can"15 ltrs 14ANoted line in Buddhism10 ltrs 16AGalaxy program, e.g.10 ltrs 57APlant-based meat alternative that sizzles10 ltrs 62ACriminal mastermind10 ltrs

Saturday is the hardest grid of the week, themeless and clued as obliquely as the editor allows. This grid has 34 black squares and averages 5.3 letters per entry.