LA Times Crossword Answers for Thursday, May 21, 2026
Thursday, May 21, 2026/81 clues solved
Every clue and answer from today's LA Times Crossword for Thursday, May 21, 2026, across and down, in grid order. Clues are kept with their answers rather than listed separately, so a half-remembered clue from an old grid stays findable — the whole archive is searchable the same way.
Stuck on one clue?0/81 solved
Check a single clue without seeing the rest. The underscores show how many letters the answer has.
Across
- 1Texting format initials
- 4Eel in maki sushi
- 9Language of Sri Lanka
- 14"Long," in Hawaiian
- 15Sure to end badly
- 16__ Cortina 2026
- 17Under the weather
- 18*Brunch choice
- 20Only major U.S. city founded by a woman
- 22Roadside org.
- 23Draped silk dress
- 24*Apprenticeship in the ways of The Force
- 29Digital exec
- 30Purple bloom
- 31World Series mo.
- 32Comedy series featuring Lily Tomlin
- 34Grown boys
- 35Educational acronym
- 36Opera solos
- 37Unpublicized restaurant offering, or a feature of the answer to each starred clue
- 41Call dibs on
- 44Charger, e.g.
- 45Navigation tech
- 48Tolkien characters who like to eat six meals a day
- 51Locavore's org.
- 52Small cut
- 53Result of advancing in the field?
- 54*Negro Leagues player in the Baseball Hall of Fame
- 57Key West, e.g.
- 59__ shu pork
- 60Oyster opener
- 61*"I Just Called To Say I Love You" singer
- 66Sock part
- 67Barbershop parts
- 68Leg day exercise
- 69Music producer Brian
- 70Snacks stuffed with "stuf"
- 71Couple of bucks?
- 72Web feed initials
Down
- 1Jerky brand
- 2"Tartuffe" playwright
- 3First sultan of Syria and Egypt
- 4Not well-matched
- 5Swe. neighbor
- 6Astonishment
- 7Martini liquor
- 8Like some ruins in Peru
- 9"Beetlejuice" director Burton
- 10Bitter beers
- 11Last book of the Old Testament
- 12Laziness
- 13Skin soothers
- 16Disney film set in Polynesia
- 19Call, as a cab
- 21Sue Grafton's "__ for Malice"
- 25Campus mil. unit
- 26Laptop brand
- 27"I feel seen"
- 28Fertilizer from bats
- 33Mentor of Minions
- 35Big rigs
- 37Sis, for one
- 38Speed reader?
- 39Inspiring figure
- 40Footnote abbr.
- 41Artist known for fabric-wrapped installations
- 42Maine course
- 43Central Texas city
- 45Sparkly stuff
- 46City birds
- 47Sound investments?
- 49Makes less wild
- 50Put away
- 52Didn't play
- 55Loses steam?
- 56Sauna openings?
- 58Kitchen initialism
- 62Tax agcy.
- 63Fan
- 64"The Code Breaker" subj.
- 65Pasta ingredient
Hints before the answers
- Today's grid is 16x15 with 81 entries.
- There are 39 across and 42 down.
- The longest answer has 12 letters and is 18-across.
- Constructed by Heather Stanger McIntire %26 Shannon Rapp.
All 81 answers
Show every answerFull spoiler
- 1ATexting format initialsSMS
- 4AEel in maki sushiUNAGI
- 9ALanguage of Sri LankaTAMIL
- 14A"Long," in HawaiianLOA
- 15ASure to end badlyNOWIN
- 16A__ Cortina 2026MILANO
- 17AUnder the weatherILL
- 18A*Brunch choiceFRENCHOMELET
- 20AOnly major U.S. city founded by a womanMIAMI
- 22ARoadside org.AAA
- 23ADraped silk dressSARI
- 24A*Apprenticeship in the ways of The ForceJEDITRAINING
- 29ADigital execCTO
- 30APurple bloomIRIS
- 31AWorld Series mo.OCT
- 32AComedy series featuring Lily TomlinLAUGHIN
- 34AGrown boysMEN
- 35AEducational acronymSTEM
- 36AOpera solosARIAS
- 37AUnpublicized restaurant offering, or a feature of the answer to each starred clueSECRETMENU
- 41ACall dibs onCLAIM
- 44ACharger, e.g.AUTO
- 45ANavigation techGPS
- 48ATolkien characters who like to eat six meals a dayHOBBITS
- 51ALocavore's org.CSA
- 52ASmall cutSLIT
- 53AResult of advancing in the field?RBI
- 54A*Negro Leagues player in the Baseball Hall of FameSATCHELPAIGE
- 57AKey West, e.g.ISLE
- 59A__ shu porkMOO
- 60AOyster openerOTTER
- 61A*"I Just Called To Say I Love You" singerSTEVIEWONDER
- 66ASock partTOE
- 67ABarbershop partsTENORS
- 68ALeg day exerciseLUNGE
- 69AMusic producer BrianENO
- 70ASnacks stuffed with "stuf"OREOS
- 71ACouple of bucks?STAGS
- 72AWeb feed initialsRSS
- 1DJerky brandSLIMJIM
- 2D"Tartuffe" playwrightMOLIERE
- 3DFirst sultan of Syria and EgyptSALADIN
- 4DNot well-matchedUNFIT
- 5DSwe. neighborNOR
- 6DAstonishmentAWE
- 7DMartini liquorGIN
- 8DLike some ruins in PeruINCAN
- 9D"Beetlejuice" director BurtonTIM
- 10DBitter beersALES
- 11DLast book of the Old TestamentMALACHI
- 12DLazinessINERTIA
- 13DSkin soothersLOTIONS
- 16DDisney film set in PolynesiaMOANA
- 19DCall, as a cabHAIL
- 21DSue Grafton's "__ for Malice"MIS
- 25DCampus mil. unitROTC
- 26DLaptop brandACER
- 27D"I feel seen"ITME
- 28DFertilizer from batsGUANO
- 33DMentor of MinionsGRU
- 35DBig rigsSEMIS
- 37DSis, for oneSIB
- 38DSpeed reader?TACH
- 39DInspiring figureMUSE
- 40DFootnote abbr.ETAL
- 41DArtist known for fabric-wrapped installationsCHRISTO
- 42DMaine courseLOBSTER
- 43DCentral Texas cityABILENE
- 45DSparkly stuffGLITTER
- 46DCity birdsPIGEONS
- 47DSound investments?STEREOS
- 49DMakes less wildTAMES
- 50DPut awaySTOW
- 52DDidn't playSAT
- 55DLoses steam?COOLS
- 56DSauna openings?PORES
- 58DKitchen initialismEVOO
- 62DTax agcy.IRS
- 63DFanNUT
- 64D"The Code Breaker" subj.DNA
- 65DPasta ingredientEGG
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Questions
What are today's LA Times Crossword answers?
The Thursday, May 21, 2026 grid has 81 entries. Every clue and its solution is listed above.
Is there a theme in the Thursday, May 21, 2026 puzzle?
No theme has been published for this grid.
Where can I find older LA Times Crossword answers?
Every past grid stays online with its full solution, so an old clue is always one search away.
How many clues are in the LA Times Crossword?
Today's grid has 81 entries. Weekday grids are usually 15x15; Sunday puzzles run larger.