Daily Puzzle Solution
NYT Crossword
Monday, May 25, 2026
The New York Times crossword puzzle for Monday, May 25, 2026 features 78 clues. Today's puzzle has an average answer length of 4.8 letters. The longest answer is "GHOSTPEPPER".
Total Clues
78
Longest
GHOSTPEPPER
Avg Length
4.8
Shortest
MAT
Featured Clue
"Variety of chili that can reach a Scoville score of 1+ million"
11 Letters
GHOSTPEPPER
ALLComplete Solution List
Jokes around
4KIDS
Not very spicy
4MILD
Super 8 or Red Roof Inn
5MOTEL
Paper cut?
4EDIT
Big name in laptops
4ACER
Public relations concern
5IMAGE
Steamy segment in a movie
9LOVESCENE
Fruit that makes your lips pucker
5LEMON
Tennis skirt feature
5PLEAT
Lack of light
8DARKNESS
Locale for a plastic flamingo
4LAWN
Yoga studio essential
3MAT
De-tension center?
3SPA
Variety of chili that can reach a Scoville score of 1+ million
11GHOSTPEPPER
European ski destination
4ALPS
Volcanic spew
3ASH
Sample collected by Ancestry.com
6SALIVA
Daily Planet reporter Lois
4LANE
Show the ropes
5TEACH
___ Sesame!
4OPEN
Comfortable
6ATEASE
Anguish
3WOE
Manage, as a bar
4TEND
California national park known for its dryness
11DEATHVALLEY
Pig's digs
3STY
Number starting a countdown
3TEN
Sitting on
4ATOP
Bring dishonor upon
8BESMIRCH
"I'm sleepy" signals
5YAWNS
Ancient Mexican Empire
5AZTEC
1980s hit with the lyric "Me mind on fire, me soul on fire" ... or how one might describe 17-, 30- and 48-Across?
9HOTHOTHOT
Back of a car or front of an elephant
5TRUNK
Orchestral woodwind
4OBOE
Place of buzziness
4HIVE
Most watches have three of these
5HANDS
Japanese electronics giant
4SONY
An estimated 25% of modern phone calls
4SPAM
Seaweed in an underwater forest
4KELP
Revered figure
4IDOL
Go off the deep end
4DIVE
Incredible bargain
5STEAL
Kraft ___ & Cheese
3MAC
Lead-in to maker or breaker
3ICE
Give, but expect back
4LEND
Experienced during sleep
6DREAMT
Frothy drink often served with boba
7MILKTEA
A ladybug landing on you is considered a good one
4OMEN
Opposite of wild
4TAME
Alter ___ (other selves)
4EGOS
Camera shop purchase
4LENS
Adult male deer
4STAG
A hardened criminal might have a long one
8RAPSHEET
Yeah, yeah
8WHATEVER
Missing part of the Great Sphinx of Giza
4NOSE
Leafy lunch order
5SALAD
Piece of armadillo armor
5PLATE
Common sleep disorder
5APNEA
Item worn over the shoulders
5SHAWL
The __ thickens!
4PLOT
Vocal cords, informally
5PIPES
Happening
5EVENT
Singer Newman with the hit "You've Got a Friend in Me"
5RANDY
Chair or pew
4SEAT
Coke or Pepsi
4COLA
Gimmicky routines
7SHTICKS
Dried poblanos used in mole sauce
6ANCHOS
Toy on a string
4YOYO
Trails
5PATHS
Relaxing soak
4BATH
Book just after Ezekiel, alphabetically
4EZRA
Flabbergast
4STUN
Patch up
4MEND
Drifter in search of work
4HOBO
What to do with egg whites when making meringue
4WHIP
Luminous stellar explosion
4NOVA
Women in ___ (educational advocacy group)
4STEM
Colossal quantity
3TON
Yoo-hoo
3HEY