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NYT Crossword — October 20, 2025

Monday’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
1I
2P
3A
4D
5A
6T
7B
8A
9T
10B
11D
12A
13Y
14C
A
F
E
15M
E
R
C
I
16A
R
L
O
17E
R
R
S
18B
R
I
D
E
19Z
U
L
U
20C
O
O
K
21I
E
S
N
C
R
22E
A
M
23A
L
E
24G
R
E
G
25O
A
S
26E
27S
28P
E
D
29A
L
30R
O
31C
32K
N
R
O
L
L
33L
O
34B
35N
U
N
36L
O
O
37R
38A
39V
I
O
L
40I
41P
O
42P
43S
O
N
G
44A
G
E
45A
C
46T
47B
R
O
48S
U
R
49F
50N
T
U
R
51F
52E
X
53T
54R
55A
56H
A
Y
A
O
57A
S
58K
S
59R
E
D
60S
C
R
61A
62T
C
H
N
S
63N
I
F
F
64F
65R
A
T
66N
I
H
A
O
67O
V
E
R
68L
I
M
O
69A
L
E
R
T
70T
I
R
E
71U
B
E
R
72L
E
A
P
S
73E
A
S
E

Across

38 clues
1Apple tablet
5Facing the pitcher
10Time to blow out the candles on a cake, informally
14Informal eatery
15Thanks, in France
16Singer Guthrie
17Says 2 + 2 = 5, e.g.
18Wedding cake figurine
19Last language alphabetically on Google Translate
20Milkshake flavor made with Oreos
23The "A" of I.P.A.
24Pitcher Maddux who won the Cy Young Award in four consecutive years
25Welcome sights for thirsty people in deserts
28Accelerator or brake
30Music genre that Joan Jett "loves"
33Arcing tennis shot
35Member of a convent
36Lavatory, in Liverpool
37Pasta often filled with ricotta
41Listing on the Billboard Hot 100
4450 years, for Bilbo Baggins in "The Hobbit"
45Play a part in a play
47"My man!"
48Two-part steakhouse entree
52Bonus
56Filmmaker Miyazaki
57Questions
59Color that means "stop"
60Like some scented stickers
64Sorority's counterpart, in brief
66Mandarin "hello"
67Head ___ heels
68Chauffeured vehicle
69Message often accompanied by an exclamation point in a triangle
70Michelin product
71Alternative to a Lyft
72Jumps
73Make simpler

Down

40 clues
1What covers the North Pole
2End of some sentences
3Having a certain natural hairstyle
4Furniture piece for a talk show host
5Shade of yellow
6More abrupt in language
7Hire to the team
8Band with the aptly titled debut album "High Voltage"
9Stratum
10Marketplace with stalls
11Occasion for a percussionist to shine
12With 13-Down, "___ can eat" (restaurant come-on)
13See 12-Down
21Inuit's home
22Time unit aptly hidden in "paleontology"
26University in North Carolina
27Difficult, tiring work
29Comic actress Wong
31Unit of flour
32Door handle
34Untuneful trumpet sound
37Lacking much thought
38Water, in Oaxaca
39Aforementioned
40Hospital area with IVs
42News media
43Crosstown rivals of the Cubbies
46Windpipe
49Decision-making consideration
50Neither here ___ there
51Only black key in a G major scale
53Fodder for "Jeopardy!"
54Alludes (to)
55Not interrupted by commercials ... or shortened like the middle words of 20-, 30-, 48- and 60-Across?
58Ties that are hard to untie
61Super-uptight
62Bit of bathroom décor
63Do, re or mi
64It goes around every year
65Short ___ (beef cut)

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

Stats & info

Monday, Oct 20, 2025
15×15
Grid size
78
Total entries
37/188
Black / letter cells
4.8
Avg entry length
13 ltrs
Longest entry
Easiest
Monday difficulty
PuzzleThe Crossword
PublishedOct 20, 2025
DayMonday
ThemeUntitled
ConstructorAdam Aaronson
EditorWill Shortz
Clue split38 across · 40 down
Longest entries
20AMilkshake flavor made with Oreos13 ltrs60ALike some scented stickers13 ltrs30AMusic genre that Joan Jett "loves"9 ltrs48ATwo-part steakhouse entree9 ltrs11DOccasion for a percussionist to shine8 ltrs

Monday grids are the gentlest of the week: straightforward definitions, familiar fill and almost no wordplay. This grid has 37 black squares and averages 4.8 letters per entry.