Home/Archive/May 15, 2025

NYT Crossword — May 15, 2025

Thursday’s 15 × 15 puzzle, 78 clues. The full solution is below — answers stay masked until you reveal them, one clue or all at once.

0 of 78 revealed

1S

2H

3O

4P

5D

6I

7S

8H

9E

10D

11B

12F

13F

14E

A

V

E

15I

M

P

A

L

A

16E

R

A

17T

I

E

D

18NO

NO

H

I

R

T

S

19L

O

X

20A

R

R

I

D

21I

N

T

O

22S

I

Z

E

23E

S

P

24T

25O

P

S

26R

27NO

NO

E

E

D

28A

R

29S

O

N

30T

O

T

O

31A

L

O

U

32C

33A

34P

O

35I

T

36E

37M

38S

39D

O

U

B

40L

E

N

E

G

41A

T

I

V

E

S

42A

N

D

S

O

43T

E

A

R

44L

E

A

N

45F

L

46U

E

47T

48R

Y

S

T

49L

50NO

51NO

O

A

P

52P

53U

S

H

54D

E

55A

56O

D

O

R

57L

58O

O

T

59I

60S

I

A

H

61C

U

D

62H

A

W

K

E

63NO

NO

T

A

T

E

64A

L

L

65S

T

E

E

R

S

66A

R

E

A

67L

E

E

68N

E

S

S

I

E

69B

Y

R

D

Across

39 clues

1Workplace that often has sawdust

5Offered up gossip

11Close one, for short

14Part of a house that might shade part of a patio

15African creature whose name is one letter away from what its horns might do

16Constitutional change long endorsed by NOW

17Some colorful apparel

19Bagel-and-schmear go-with

20Longtime deodorant brand

22Number on a clothing tag

23Unnatural sight, in brief

26Certain grain source

28What might bring down the house?

30Male film character played by a female terrier named Terry

31Brother Felipe, Matty or Jesus of baseball

32Accessory for a guitar neck

39Statements that can be seen as positive ... or a hint to interpreting 17-, 26-, 49- and 62-Across

42"In conclusion …"

47Secret rendezvous

49Old-fashioned homemade cleaner

52Call for delivery?

54Org. concerned with nationwide traffic

59Hoops great ___ Thomas

62Des Moines's domain

64Word after tell or catch

66Sphere ... or 4πr^2, for the surface of a sphere

67Shortest among the top 25 most common U.S. surnames

68Scottish cryptid, informally

69Any member in the group with the 1965 hit "Turn! Turn! Turn!"

Down

39 clues

1Small, clingy bristles on a gecko's foot

2Establishment where things are cut and dried?

3Self-satisfied and then some

4Spa service, for short

5Exhibit in a natural history museum, informally

6Cool cat's "Roger that"

7Dizzy feeling, with "the"

8Eponym of the N.H.L.'s M.V.P. award

9Charger in una corrida

10Chargers in courts, for short

12Suddenly went still

13Like some documents in the pre-internet age

18Acknowledge nonverbally

22With an air of haughtiness

27Shout in a game of tag

31___ Lovelace, mathematician and daughter of Lord Byron

33Lead-in to chamber

34Letter before cue

36Mark Twain tale narrated in the first person by a noted first woman

38Fig. written in boxes on a W-9

40Woman's name spelled out in a 1970 hit

46Burning the midnight oil, say

48Beast with a horn

49In the neighborhood

51Word after wet, pool or chicken

52Slow sorts, in slang

53Baby carriers

60Shot in the dark

62Sister channel of QVC

63Narrow amount to win by

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

Stats & info

Thursday, May 15, 2025

15×15

Grid size

78

Total entries

34/191

Black / letter cells

5.1

Avg entry length

15 ltrs

Longest entry

Tricky

Thursday difficulty

PuzzleThe Crossword

PublishedMay 15, 2025

DayThursday

ThemeUntitled

ConstructorSimeon Seigel

EditorWill Shortz

Clue split39 across · 39 down

Longest entries

39AStatements that can be seen as positive ... or a hint to interpreting 17-, 26-, 49- and 62-Across15 ltrs 17ASome colorful apparel13 ltrs 62ADes Moines's domain13 ltrs 2DEstablishment where things are cut and dried?9 ltrs 3DSelf-satisfied and then some9 ltrs

Thursday is the gimmick day: rebus squares, reversed entries and other tricks are fair game. This grid has 34 black squares and averages 5.1 letters per entry.