NYT CROSSWORD • WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2026

NYT Crossword Answers May 20, 2026

Complete answer list for the May 20, 2026 New York Times Crossword. Across and Down, every clue, every answer — plus the full grid below.

By Kathleen DuncanEdited by Will ShortzGrid 15×1570 clues

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MONMAY
18
2026
By Rena Cohen
TUEMAY
19
2026
By Brad Wiegmann
WEDMAY
20
2026
By Kathleen Duncan
THUMAY
21
2026
By Zhou Zhang and Mallory Mon…
FRIMAY
22
2026
By Gene Louise De Vera

The Grid

1T
2I
3K
4I
5B
6A
7R
8E
9M
10B
11O
12S
13S
14H
A
T
E
R
A
D
E
15V
I
E
N
N
A
16O
F
F
Y
E
A
R
E
17L
E
C
T
I
O
N
18O
T
I
S
19O
D
I
N
20R
O
O
D
21G
U
22C
23C
I
24R
E
25C
A
N
T
S
26S
27O
U
P
O
F
T
28H
E
D
A
Y
29E
R
R
30N
O
L
O
31T
A
32T
33E
34R
35A
C
E
36R
B
37Y
O
38M
39C
L
A
R
A
40L
A
S
E
R
41H
O
42D
A
43K
I
N
44V
I
45S
46U
A
L
E
F
47F
E
C
T
48S
49A
50G
E
O
I
L
51A
L
E
A
P
52P
I
E
R
53G
T
54O
S
55L
O
56B
57S
58I
S
N
T
59T
H
A
T
S
60P
61E
C
I
A
L
62C
L
E
E
S
E
63R
E
C
K
O
N
S
O
64Y
E
S
D
A
D
65A
S
S
E
N
T
S

Click a clue to reveal it in the grid.

Across 31

  1. 1Establishment that serves zombies, perhaps ↗TIKIBAR
  2. 8Adorn with raised lettering ↗EMBOSS
  3. 14"Drink" for vocal critics ↗HATERADE
  4. 15European city that "waits for you," in a Billy Joel tune ↗VIENNA
  5. 16Nontraditional time for voting someone into office ↗OFFYEARELECTION
  6. 18Redding who sang "(Sittin' on) The Dock of the Bay" ↗OTIS
  7. 19God played by Anthony Hopkins in Marvel movies ↗ODIN
  8. 20Church cross ↗ROOD
  9. 21Florence-based fashion house ↗GUCCI
  10. 24Takes back a public statement ↗RECANTS
  11. 26What a waiter might offer to start you off ↗SOUPOFTHEDAY
  12. 29Make a boo-boo ↗ERR
  13. 30___ contendere (court plea) ↗NOLO
  14. 31Spud ↗TATER
  15. 35Biting ↗ACERB
  16. 37___ Kippur ↗YOM
  17. 39Actress Bow of the silent film era ↗CLARA
  18. 40Light show tool ↗LASER
  19. 41TV personality Kotb ↗HODA
  20. 43Clan ↗KIN
  21. 44Bit of movie magic ↗VISUALEFFECT
  22. 48"Essential" product used as an anti-acne treatment ↗SAGEOIL
  23. 51Take ___ of faith ↗ALEAP
  24. 52Place for a seafood dinner ↗PIER
  25. 53Classic Pontiacs ↗GTOS
  26. 55Arcing tennis shots ↗LOBS
  27. 58Condescending rhetorical question … or what you might say about 16-, 26- and 44-Across? ↗ISNTTHATSPECIAL
  28. 62John in the sketch "The Fish-Slapping Dance" ↗CLEESE
  29. 63"Seems right," folksily ↗RECKONSO
  30. 64Words a teenager might say with an eye roll ↗YESDAD
  31. 65Says OK ↗ASSENTS

Down 39

  1. 1Mustachioed president who succeeded another mustachioed president in 1909 ↗TAFT
  2. 2"Don't know why I thought any different!" ↗ITFIGURES
  3. 3Gets hyped ↗KEYSUP
  4. 4Fury ↗IRE
  5. 5Farmyard bleat ↗BAA
  6. 6With deftness ↗ADROITLY
  7. 7Clarinet, for one ↗REED
  8. 8Made level ↗EVENED
  9. 9Careful, this might be hot! ↗MIC
  10. 10Act of Judas ↗BETRAYAL
  11. 11Word with ring or roll ↗ONION
  12. 12Hoity-toity one ↗SNOOT
  13. 13Smooths, in a way ↗SANDS
  14. 14"___ boy!" ↗HOO
  15. 17Old Italian money ↗LIRE
  16. 22Musical notation that means "with vigor" ↗CONBRIO
  17. 23Boardroom bigwig, in brief ↗CFO
  18. 25Spot to drink a matcha with a Manx ↗CATCAFE
  19. 26Ocean prey for a 27-Down ↗SEAL
  20. 27Ocean predator of a 26-Down ↗ORCA
  21. 28Big to-do ↗HOOHA
  22. 32Be in charge, informally ↗TAKEPOINT
  23. 33Protagonist of "That ’70s Show" ↗ERIC
  24. 34Speech full of invective ↗RANT
  25. 36Went back (to), as a prior state ↗REVERTED
  26. 38Epitome of slowness ↗MOLASSES
  27. 42Director Guillermo ___ Toro ↗DEL
  28. 45Expressed frustration, maybe ↗SIGHED
  29. 46Beauty company whose Nasdaq ticker symbol is its name ↗ULTA
  30. 47Atlanta athlete ↗FALCON
  31. 48Risqué ↗SPICY
  32. 49Walkway for newlyweds ↗AISLE
  33. 50They're part of what makes you you ↗GENES
  34. 54"___ Noche en Miami" (Bad Bunny song) ↗OTRA
  35. 56Low voice ↗BASS
  36. 57___-mo ↗SLO
  37. 59Org. whose staffers wear royal blue uniforms ↗TSA
  38. 60Lenovo products, informally ↗PCS
  39. 61Just get (by) ↗EKE