NYT Crossword Answers for May 16, 2026

NYT Crossword answers for May 16, 2026 are listed below by Across and Down clue.

Want hints before revealing everything? Browse clue-by-clue hints for this puzzle.

Across Answers

Modern "go-to's" View hint and explanation

URLS

Curtain for silhouetting on stage View hint and explanation

SCRIM

up, perhaps View hint and explanation

EVENSTEVEN

10A

Bird on the South Carolina state quarter View hint and explanation

WREN

14A

Capote or chesterfield View hint and explanation

COAT

15A

Emulates E.T., in a way View hint and explanation

PHONESHOME

17A

Roman goddess who drives a two-horse chariot View hint and explanation

LUNA

18A

Precious self-reference View hint and explanation

LITTLEOLME

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) View hint and explanation

ANDYKIM

21A

Double-___ cassowary (bird of Indonesia and Australia) View hint and explanation

WATTLED

22A

Matches with forensics View hint and explanation

DEBATECONTESTS

24A

Occasions to relax and recharge View hint and explanation

MEDAYS

25A

Obama's third secretary of defense (2013-15) View hint and explanation

HAGEL

26A

Gasoline brand that offered the Torch Club credit card View hint and explanation

AMOCO

27A

Aid in making salsa View hint and explanation

DICER

28A

Operculum, e.g. View hint and explanation

LID

31A

Capital of Greenland View hint and explanation

NUUK

32A

They're hard to pull off View hint and explanation

FEATS

33A

Spa service, in brief View hint and explanation

MANI

34A

Up to snuff, facetiously View hint and explanation

EPT

35A

Trickles View hint and explanation

SEEPS

36A

Cup holders View hint and explanation

ZARFS

37A

Many a Porsche 911 View hint and explanation

COUPE

38A

Practical types who are often perfectionists, it's said View hint and explanation

VIRGOS

39A

Don't start with me! View hint and explanation

SECONDSTRINGER

43A

Difficult effort View hint and explanation

TRAVAIL

44A

Cut out View hint and explanation

EXCISED

46A

Setting for Seurat's "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte" View hint and explanation

RIVERSEINE

48A

Cold-smoked lox View hint and explanation

NOVA

49A

up, perhaps View hint and explanation

EVENSTEVEN

50A

Gulf of ___, waters that abut Djibouti and Somaliland View hint and explanation

ADEN

51A

Vanilla units View hint and explanation

PODS

52A

Spouts View hint and explanation

SPEWS

53A

Romp View hint and explanation

LARK

Down Answers

Victor over Washington on 11/12/1955 in "Back to the Future, Pt. II" — and in real life View hint and explanation

UCLA

Cattle call View hint and explanation

ROUNDEMUP

Went wide or long, as a tennis ball View hint and explanation

LANDEDOUT

"No closer!" View hint and explanation

STAYBACK

Takes off View hint and explanation

SPLITS

Wind pipe? View hint and explanation

CHIME

Blight View hint and explanation

ROT

Getting a break on Broadway? View hint and explanation

INTWOACTS

Medleys View hint and explanation

MELANGES

10D

Marriott property with the slogan "Whatever Whenever" View hint and explanation

WHOTEL

11D

Triumphs smoothly View hint and explanation

ROLLS

12D

___ Brickowski ("The Lego Movie" protagonist) View hint and explanation

EMMET

13D

"What this country ___ ..." View hint and explanation

NEEDS

16D

Certain volleyballer View hint and explanation

SETTER

20D

Deck View hint and explanation

KAYO

23D

Once-popular terra-cotta figurine View hint and explanation

CHIAPET

24D

Trigger hair View hint and explanation

MANE

27D

State in which Gulliver is discovered by the Lilliputians View hint and explanation

DEEPSLEEP

28D

Combo meal upgrade View hint and explanation

LARGESODA

29D

Going back ages View hint and explanation

INFOREVER

30D

___ track View hint and explanation

DISS

32D

Folks who enjoy a well-aged beef? View hint and explanation

FEUDISTS

33D

Borderline View hint and explanation

MARGINAL

35D

Echolocation systems View hint and explanation

SONARS

36D

Element between copper and gallium on the periodic table View hint and explanation

ZINC

37D

Spelling combinations? View hint and explanation

COVENS

38D

They're concerned with feeding kits View hint and explanation

VIXENS

39D

Pharyngeal woe View hint and explanation

STREP

40D

Cynthia ___, Tony winner for "The Color Purple" View hint and explanation

ERIVO

41D

Buckled View hint and explanation

CAVED

42D

Extend, in a way View hint and explanation

RENEW

45D

Chilly and damp View hint and explanation

DANK

47D

"___ noticed" View hint and explanation

IVE