Daily Crossword — Monday, May 18, 2026

Daily Crossword - Monday, May 18, 2026

Theme: Reading & Writing

Difficulty: Easy

0:00

Across

1.Prix de ___ de Triomphe (French horse race) (4)

5.Caretaker of a property (5)

10.Year in the reign of Decius (4)

14.Shankar of Indian theater (4)

15.Song syllables (5)

16.Islands off Australia: Abbr. (4)

17.Was unfairly criticized, informally (10)

19.Bear in the sky (4)

20.Asiatic palm tree. (5)

21.Do I dare to ___ peach? --T.S. Eliot (4)

22.__ Mother Should Know (Beatles tune) (4)

23.Ultimatum word (6)

25.Word in many sequel titles (6)

27.It is almost completely empty space (4)

29.Nine LXVIIs (5)

32.Envelope letters (3)

34.Play varsity ball (6)

38.Alternative to a cassette, when making a mix for someone (3)

39.Don't Bring Me Down band (3)

40.Who, me? response (7)

41.Town in Saxony. (3)

42.Hosp. worker (3)

43.Word before or after {/first/} (6)

44.Bldg. maintenance man (4)

45.Stans of a top Dem figure (5)

47.Frequent target of anti-Muslim violence by those who not only are terrible humans but also are terrible at knowing who's a Muslim (4)

49.Idiot (6)

53.___ condolence (6)

57.'70s African dictator (4)

59.Birthplace of the Greek philosopher Bias (4)

61.Atlantic (5)

62.Goddess of the Thugs (4)

63.Friendly invocations. (10)

65.Suffix with flex (4)

66.Jazzy Jeff, in a 1988 Fresh Prince album name (5)

67.Samoan warriors. (4)

68.Brown-___ (4)

69.Surgeon, informally (5)

70.- (4)

Down

1.E. German industrial city (5)

2.Decorate (5)

3.Honey badger (5)

4.Deep blue (7)

5.Amtrak stop (3)

6.Key-shaped, in heraldry (4)

7.To stop: Spain. (5)

8.Delight (5)

9.Bang on (5)

10.Back down (6)

11.Of long duration (9)

12.Form of Jesus (4)

13.Snowboarder's lift (4)

18.Georgetown Hoyas' conference (4)

24.Flatfish genus (5)

26.Official language of Pakistan (4)

28.Grog (4)

30.So __ thee unforgiven: Metallica lyric (4)

31.Cockney employer? (4)

32.Like some males (4)

33.Muskrat Love singer: Forgot-ten (9)

35.Summer-weather stat (3)

36.Nautical ropes (4)

37.Histological dye (5)

39.Yellowstone grazer (3)

40.Theoretical substance from which the universe was created (4)

44.Things revealing basic truths? (7)

46.More junglelike (6)

48.The Power of the Dog Oscar nominee Smit-McPhee (4)

50.A hard ___ hoe (5)

51.Time for a revolution, briefly? (5)

52.In one's cups (5)

54.___ genus omne (5)

55.Beauty brand L'__ (5)

56.Bob of dance (5)

57.Sony co-founder Morita (4)

58.Namesakes of a certain queen. (4)

60.Ray of films (4)

64.GHWB's successor (3)

Solving Tools

Across

1.Prix de ___ de Triomphe (French horse race) (4)

5.Caretaker of a property (5)

10.Year in the reign of Decius (4)

14.Shankar of Indian theater (4)

15.Song syllables (5)

16.Islands off Australia: Abbr. (4)

17.Was unfairly criticized, informally (10)

19.Bear in the sky (4)

20.Asiatic palm tree. (5)

21.Do I dare to ___ peach? --T.S. Eliot (4)

22.__ Mother Should Know (Beatles tune) (4)

23.Ultimatum word (6)

25.Word in many sequel titles (6)

27.It is almost completely empty space (4)

29.Nine LXVIIs (5)

32.Envelope letters (3)

34.Play varsity ball (6)

38.Alternative to a cassette, when making a mix for someone (3)

39.Don't Bring Me Down band (3)

40.Who, me? response (7)

41.Town in Saxony. (3)

42.Hosp. worker (3)

43.Word before or after {/first/} (6)

44.Bldg. maintenance man (4)

45.Stans of a top Dem figure (5)

47.Frequent target of anti-Muslim violence by those who not only are terrible humans but also are terrible at knowing who's a Muslim (4)

49.Idiot (6)

53.___ condolence (6)

57.'70s African dictator (4)

59.Birthplace of the Greek philosopher Bias (4)

61.Atlantic (5)

62.Goddess of the Thugs (4)

63.Friendly invocations. (10)

65.Suffix with flex (4)

66.Jazzy Jeff, in a 1988 Fresh Prince album name (5)

67.Samoan warriors. (4)

68.Brown-___ (4)

69.Surgeon, informally (5)

70.- (4)

Down

1.E. German industrial city (5)

2.Decorate (5)

3.Honey badger (5)

4.Deep blue (7)

5.Amtrak stop (3)

6.Key-shaped, in heraldry (4)

7.To stop: Spain. (5)

8.Delight (5)

9.Bang on (5)

10.Back down (6)

11.Of long duration (9)

12.Form of Jesus (4)

13.Snowboarder's lift (4)

18.Georgetown Hoyas' conference (4)

24.Flatfish genus (5)

26.Official language of Pakistan (4)

28.Grog (4)

30.So __ thee unforgiven: Metallica lyric (4)

31.Cockney employer? (4)

32.Like some males (4)

33.Muskrat Love singer: Forgot-ten (9)

35.Summer-weather stat (3)

36.Nautical ropes (4)

37.Histological dye (5)

39.Yellowstone grazer (3)

40.Theoretical substance from which the universe was created (4)

44.Things revealing basic truths? (7)

46.More junglelike (6)

48.The Power of the Dog Oscar nominee Smit-McPhee (4)

50.A hard ___ hoe (5)

51.Time for a revolution, briefly? (5)

52.In one's cups (5)

54.___ genus omne (5)

55.Beauty brand L'__ (5)

56.Bob of dance (5)

57.Sony co-founder Morita (4)

58.Namesakes of a certain queen. (4)

60.Ray of films (4)

64.GHWB's successor (3)

Solving Tools

About This Reading & Writing Crossword

Today's crossword puzzle from Monday, May 18, 2026 features a Reading & Writing theme with 78 words (39 across, 39 down).

Celebrate the written word with clues about authors, books, poetry, journalism, and literary terms. From classic novels to modern publications.

Easy Difficulty (2 stars):

This 2-star puzzle offers a gentle introduction to crossword solving with straightforward clues and common vocabulary. Perfect for beginners or a relaxing challenge.

May 2026 Crossword Archive

This Reading & Writing crossword puzzle was published on Monday, May 18, 2026 as part of our daily crossword series. Each day brings a new theme and fresh challenges for crossword enthusiasts.

Puzzle Statistics:

• Grid size: 15x15
• Total words: 78
• Across clues: 39
• Down clues: 39
• Theme: Reading & Writing

Browse More May Puzzles

Solving Reading & Writing Puzzles

Reading & Writing themed crosswords offer unique challenges and vocabulary. Here are some strategies for success:

• Look for theme-related words that might span multiple answers
• Consider specialized vocabulary common to reading & writing
• Use crossing letters to confirm unfamiliar terms
• Think about synonyms and alternative meanings within the theme

This easy difficulty puzzle requires basic knowledge and solving techniques. Take your time and enjoy the challenge!

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• Browse our complete puzzle archive
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Daily Crossword — Monday, May 18, 2026