NYT Crossword November 28, 2025 Answers

Across

1A Pension alternatives, for short 4 5A Hustle 4 9A "Odds are …" 5 14A Drive around the office? 9 16A Actress Watts of "Mulholland Drive" 5 17A Bahamians and Bahrainis 9 18A Speedboat's speed 5 19A Fake account 3 20A Dead ends? 4 21A James in the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame 4 22A Piano études, essentially 7 24A Not above 7 27A Trusty 12 29A Alternative to a fingerprint, maybe 8 30A Golfer McIlroy, the first European male to achieve a career Grand Slam 4 31A Actress ___ Marsay of Disney+'s "Andor" 4 32A The Jazz, on sports tickers 3 33A Coming ___ 4 34A Small band 4 35A Jazz pianist with a memorable recording of "Tea for Two" 8 37A Plant eater? 12 39A What the British call people who make crosswords 7 40A Prepared statement? 7 44A One-named rock idol who was born Paul David Hewson 4 45A Locking horns 4 46A Guess alternative 3 47A Vegges out 5 49A Restaurant sommelier's offering 9 51A Foundational skateboard trick 5 52A Doesn't exactly ham it up 9 53A Sings (out) 5 54A Stereotypical eye-roller 4 55A Informal get-together 4

Down

1D Words of affirmation 5 2D Sam's wife in "The Lord of the Rings" 5 3D Setting of the 1888 painting "Café Terrace at Night" 5 4D Genre for Toots and the Maytals 3 5D Bishop for whom a neighborhood in Paris is named 7 6D Junk food that, ironically, has an exercise in its name 11 7D Runs 4 8D Rap figures, for short 3 9D Similarly 6 10D Flash mob group, perhaps 11 11D Decide where to stay 9 12D One wearing the Star of Life emblem, for short 3 13D "Quite so" 3 15D Back in the race? 7 21D French name meaning "born again" 4 23D "Mind your own beeswax!" 11 24D It's not constructive 11 25D Game division 4 26D "I saw that!" 3 28D Eccentric 5 29D Colorful capsule that splatters 9 31D Like samples 4 33D Appetizer 7 34D Anchors might be seen on them 3 35D ___-Latino 4 36D Funny Fred 7 38D Picks up 6 41D Literary protagonist who "generally gave herself very good advice (though she very seldom followed it)" 5 42D Some hailstone "souvenirs" 5 43D "Oof, sounds terrible!" 5 45D Top-tier 4 47D Softball question 3 48D José ___ (Mexican food brand) 3 49D Humble dwelling 3 50D Served as 3