NYT Crossword May 16, 2026 Answers

Across

1A Modern "go-to's" 4 1A Modern "go-to's" 4 5A Curtain for silhouetting on stage 5 5A Curtain for silhouetting on stage 5 10A Bird on the South Carolina state quarter 4 10A Bird on the South Carolina state quarter 4 14A Capote or chesterfield 4 14A Capote or chesterfield 4 15A Emulates E.T., in a way 10 15A Emulates E.T., in a way 10 17A Roman goddess who drives a two-horse chariot 4 17A Roman goddess who drives a two-horse chariot 4 18A Precious self-reference 10 18A Precious self-reference 10 19A Name shared by the singer of the #1 hit "Rock Me Gently" (1974) and the first Korean American elected to the U.S. Senate (2024) 7 19A Name shared by the singer of the #1 hit "Rock Me Gently" (1974) and the first Korean American elected to the U.S. Senate (2024) 7 21A Double-___ cassowary (bird of Indonesia and Australia) 7 21A Double-___ cassowary (bird of Indonesia and Australia) 7 22A Matches with forensics 14 22A Matches with forensics 14 24A Occasions to relax and recharge 6 24A Occasions to relax and recharge 6 25A Obama's third secretary of defense (2013-15) 5 25A Obama's third secretary of defense (2013-15) 5 26A Gasoline brand that offered the Torch Club credit card 5 26A Gasoline brand that offered the Torch Club credit card 5 27A Aid in making salsa 5 27A Aid in making salsa 5 28A Operculum, e.g. 3 28A Operculum, e.g. 3 31A Capital of Greenland 4 31A Capital of Greenland 4 32A They're hard to pull off 5 32A They're hard to pull off 5 33A Spa service, in brief 4 33A Spa service, in brief 4 34A Up to snuff, facetiously 3 34A Up to snuff, facetiously 3 35A Trickles 5 35A Trickles 5 36A Cup holders 5 36A Cup holders 5 37A Many a Porsche 911 5 37A Many a Porsche 911 5 38A Practical types who are often perfectionists, it's said 6 38A Practical types who are often perfectionists, it's said 6 39A Don't start with me! 14 39A Don't start with me! 14 43A Difficult effort 7 43A Difficult effort 7 44A Cut out 7 44A Cut out 7 46A Setting for Seurat's "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte" 10 46A Setting for Seurat's "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte" 10 48A Cold-smoked lox 4 48A Cold-smoked lox 4 49A 7 up, perhaps 10 49A 7 up, perhaps 10 50A Gulf of ___, waters that abut Djibouti and Somaliland 4 50A Gulf of ___, waters that abut Djibouti and Somaliland 4 51A Vanilla units 4 51A Vanilla units 4 52A Spouts 5 52A Spouts 5 53A Romp 4 53A Romp 4

Down

1D Victor over Washington on 11/12/1955 in "Back to the Future, Pt. II" — and in real life 4 1D Victor over Washington on 11/12/1955 in "Back to the Future, Pt. II" — and in real life 4 2D Cattle call 9 2D Cattle call 9 3D Went wide or long, as a tennis ball 9 3D Went wide or long, as a tennis ball 9 4D "No closer!" 8 4D "No closer!" 8 5D Takes off 6 5D Takes off 6 6D Wind pipe? 5 6D Wind pipe? 5 7D Blight 3 7D Blight 3 8D Getting a break on Broadway? 9 8D Getting a break on Broadway? 9 9D Medleys 8 9D Medleys 8 10D Marriott property with the slogan "Whatever Whenever" 6 10D Marriott property with the slogan "Whatever Whenever" 6 11D Triumphs smoothly 5 11D Triumphs smoothly 5 12D ___ Brickowski ("The Lego Movie" protagonist) 5 12D ___ Brickowski ("The Lego Movie" protagonist) 5 13D "What this country ___ …" 5 13D "What this country ___ …" 5 16D Certain volleyballer 6 16D Certain volleyballer 6 20D Deck 4 20D Deck 4 23D Once-popular terra-cotta figurine 7 23D Once-popular terra-cotta figurine 7 24D Trigger hair 4 24D Trigger hair 4 27D State in which Gulliver is discovered by the Lilliputians 9 27D State in which Gulliver is discovered by the Lilliputians 9 28D Combo meal upgrade 9 28D Combo meal upgrade 9 29D Going back ages 9 29D Going back ages 9 30D ___ track 4 30D ___ track 4 32D Folks who enjoy a well-aged beef? 8 32D Folks who enjoy a well-aged beef? 8 33D Borderline 8 33D Borderline 8 35D Echolocation systems 6 35D Echolocation systems 6 36D Element between copper and gallium on the periodic table 4 36D Element between copper and gallium on the periodic table 4 37D Spelling combinations? 6 37D Spelling combinations? 6 38D They're concerned with feeding kits 6 38D They're concerned with feeding kits 6 39D Pharyngeal woe 5 39D Pharyngeal woe 5 40D Cynthia ___, Tony winner for "The Color Purple" 5 40D Cynthia ___, Tony winner for "The Color Purple" 5 41D Buckled 5 41D Buckled 5 42D Extend, in a way 5 42D Extend, in a way 5 45D Chilly and damp 4 45D Chilly and damp 4 47D "___ noticed" 3 47D "___ noticed" 3