Home/Archive/Sep 27, 2025

NYT Crossword — September 27, 2025

Saturday’s 15 × 15 puzzle, 68 clues. The full solution is below — answers stay masked until you reveal them, one clue or all at once.

0 of 68 revealed

1S

2L

3I

4P

5A

6S

7I

8F

9A

10C

11C

12R

13A

14H

O

R

S

15E

R

A

C

E

16S

H

O

U

T

17A

H

O

Y

M

A

T

E

Y

18H

A

S

N

T

19D

A

N

C

E

M

O

M

20F

L

E

A

21E

N

S

H

R

I

N

E

22S

23B

E

E

S

24O

Y

S

25L

E

26G

O

S

E

T

27S

28S

29H

30R

U

B

31S

T

E

R

N

32P

O

I

33L

I

E

T

O

34M

E

35P

R

U

36D

E

N

T

37O

T

C

38A

R

G

39O

S

40S

I

R

E

S

41B

A

C

42T

R

I

A

N

43L

E

O

44N

E

E

D

45L

E

46M

O

N

R

47I

48N

49D

50P

E

N

N

51R

E

N

T

A

C

A

R

52O

R

T

O

53N

54L

A

S

E

R

M

A

Z

E

55E

V

E

R

Y

56S

T

O

R

Y

A

R

C

S

57T

E

R

S

E

58D

E

N

S

59S

E

A

S

Across

34 clues

1Thin underlayer

5Comment often made with an eye roll

9African capital whose name translates to "ants"

16Commit a library taboo

17Ship-to-ship communication

19Parent whose child is taking steps to improve?

21Puts in a protected place

23They arose from Ra's tears, according to Egyptian mythology

24Cries of disappointment

25Components of some brick buildings

28It might be living on the edge

31Showing tough love, say

32Mash at a luau

33"Please avoid brutal honesty!"

37Certain drug classification, in brief

38Ally of Athens during the Peloponnesian War

43Period that begins on July 23

44It's not an option

50Brown alternative

51Enterprise enterprise

52WWE star Randy ___

54Part of a high-tech security system

55"Lift ___ Voice and Sing" (protest anthem)

56They go from season to season

58Hibernation stations

Down

34 clues

1Contempt, in slang

2Actress with a dual role in 1998's "The Parent Trap"

3Tends to some pressing matters

5The first Musketeer, alphabetically

6Kept hidden, as information

7Product for winter sidewalk safety

8"Mean Girls" writer

9Firewood choice, or its destiny

10Rubs the wrong way

11Alternative to a crib

12Classic rock?

13Paratha flour

15Digital file?

23Kind of contest with multiple chances to participate

26[This makes me mad!]

27Is on the bottom?

28One who's slow to pick things up

29What an insensitive joke might do

30Locale for many community courts

31"Love Story" author Erich

34Diagnostic tool, in brief

36Natural history museum collection

39Simplest possible phone plan

42Sam Cooke and Marvin Gaye, among others

46Particle accelerator byproduct

47Statement that might follow a hug

48___ Lines (ancient Peruvian geoglyphs)

53What comes before 1/1

54Drug discussed in Aldous Huxley's "Heaven and Hell"

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

Stats & info

Saturday, Sep 27, 2025

15×15

Grid size

68

Total entries

31/194

Black / letter cells

5.7

Avg entry length

10 ltrs

Longest entry

Hardest

Saturday difficulty

PuzzleThe Crossword

PublishedSep 27, 2025

DaySaturday

ThemeThemeless

ConstructorAdrian Johnson and Christina Iverson

EditorWill Shortz

Clue split34 across · 34 down

Longest entries

15DDigital file?10 ltrs 23DKind of contest with multiple chances to participate10 ltrs 14ADerby, e.g.9 ltrs 17AShip-to-ship communication9 ltrs 21APuts in a protected place9 ltrs

Saturday is the hardest grid of the week, themeless and clued as obliquely as the editor allows. This grid has 31 black squares and averages 5.7 letters per entry.