Fly by the seat of one's pants Crossword Clue
Looking for the answer to “Fly by the seat of one's pants” from the New York Times crossword of July 20, 2025? It has 5 letters. Flip the tiles one at a time, try a hint first, or look through the rest of that puzzle.
Crossword answer
NEW YORK TIMES, JULY 20, 2025
Tap a tile to see one letter, or show the whole answer.
ADLIB is the answer to “Fly by the seat of one's pants”.
Hints
Three clues to the answer, gentle first. Open one at a time.
Hint 1 Meaning
A 5-letter answer that starts with A.
Hint 2 Anagram
Its letters, scrambled: DBLAI.
Hint 3 Another clue
It has also been clued as “Wing it in the theater”.
More clues from the New York Times (July 20, 2025)
Across
- 1. The small screen's second Golden Age, informally6 letters, starts with PPEAKTV
- 7. Completed in two under par6 letters, starts with EEAGLED
- 13. Indian tourist mecca3 letters, starts with GGOA
- 16. Scoundrel3 letters, starts with CCAD
- 19. One working near home6 letters, starts with UUMPIRE
- 20. Flourish6 letters, starts with TTHRIVE
- 21. "Wait for it ... finished!"7 letters, starts with AANDDONE
- 23. Cardinal point?13 letters, starts with SSISTINECHAPEL
- 25. Philanthropist ___ French Gates7 letters, starts with MMELINDA
- 26. Ignore the alarm, say7 letters, starts with SSLEEPIN
- 27. Tipping point?12 letters, starts with CCASHREGISTER
- 29. Few and far between6 letters, starts with SSCARCE
- 32. Terse affirmation3 letters, starts with IIDO
- 33. Scottish regional accents5 letters, starts with BBURRS
- 34. [My word!]4 letters, starts with GGASP
- 38. Father of Transcendentalism7 letters, starts with EEMERSON
- 41. What makes a twister twistier?3 letters, starts with AANI
- 43. "Absolutamente!"4 letters, starts with SSISI
- 44. Really really5 letters, starts with UULTRA
- 46. ___ Miss3 letters, starts with OOLE
- 47. Cry near a scarecrow3 letters, starts with CCAW
- 49. Airport sign carrier6 letters, starts with MMEETER
- 51. Fine point?9 letters, starts with SSPEEDTRAP
- 53. Plot point?10 letters, starts with HHERBGARDEN
- 56. Swear4 letters, starts with AAVOW
- 57. Tree ring, to a dendrochronologist4 letters, starts with YYEAR
- 59. Potpourri feature5 letters, starts with AAROMA
- 60. What the Mosquirix vaccine targets7 letters, starts with MMALARIA
- 63. "Take a hike, pal!"6 letters, starts with BBEATIT
- 65. Supergiant, e.g.4 letters, starts with SSTAR
- 69. Match point?10 letters, starts with DDATINGSITE
- 72. Flash point?10 letters, starts with PPHOTOBOOTH
- 75. Comic who said "One thing about being narrow-minded — you'll never be lonely"4 letters, starts with SSAHL
- 76. Singsong refrain syllables6 letters, starts with TTRALAS
- 78. Total7 letters, starts with AADDUPTO
- 79. Mary Westmacott, for Agatha Christie5 letters, starts with AALIAS
- 81. Bring up the rear?4 letters, starts with MMOON
- 84. Galoots4 letters, starts with OOAFS
- 85. Style point?10 letters, starts with BBARBERSHOP
- 89. Low point?9 letters, starts with DDAIRYFARM
- 93. Sawbones, in brief6 letters, starts with OORDOCS
- 94. Alternative to Yahoo Mail3 letters, starts with AAOL
- 95. It's just a guess: Abbr.3 letters, starts with EEST
- 96. More cunning5 letters, starts with SSLIER
- 97. Japanese pitcher nicknamed "The Tornado"4 letters, starts with NNOMO
- 98. Frodo's sidekick3 letters, starts with SSAM
- 101. Gym7 letters, starts with PPECLASS
- 104. Stately trees4 letters, starts with EELMS
- 105. Barn-raising participants, maybe5 letters, starts with AAMISH
- 107. ___ Paulo3 letters, starts with SSAO
- 109. Lessens6 letters, starts with AALLAYS
- 111. Sticking point?12 letters, starts with TTATTOOPARLOR
- 115. Smooths, as the way7 letters, starts with GGREASES
- 120. Home to Uganda's presidential palace7 letters, starts with EENTEBBE
- 121. Brownie point?13 letters, starts with GGIRLSCOUTCAMP
- 124. Biting7 letters, starts with AACERBIC
- 125. Flagship Honda model6 letters, starts with AACCORD
- 126. Lover of Bassanio, in Shakespeare6 letters, starts with PPORTIA
- 127. Like hemoglobin3 letters, starts with RRED
- 128. Still3 letters, starts with YYET
- 129. Wise king in the "Iliad" and "Odyssey"6 letters, starts with NNESTOR
- 130. They're not good looks6 letters, starts with SSNEERS
Down
- 1. Kisser4 letters, starts with PPUSS
- 2. Jannings who won the first Best Actor Oscar4 letters, starts with EEMIL
- 3. Sunday school recess?4 letters, starts with AAPSE
- 4. Chinese symbol of hope and prosperity4 letters, starts with KKITE
- 5. Beater of pocket rockets, in Texas hold 'em5 letters, starts with TTRIPS
- 6. "The Floating City"6 letters, starts with VVENICE
- 7. "You get the picture"3 letters, starts with EETC
- 8. Sound while sticking out one's tongue3 letters, starts with AAHH
- 9. Greek sisters of myth6 letters, starts with GGRACES
- 10. Pop star Dua ___4 letters, starts with LLIPA
- 11. Beforetimes?4 letters, starts with EEVES
- 12. Second-most-populous city in the world (after Tokyo)5 letters, starts with DDELHI
- 13. "Let's do this!"6 letters, starts with GGAMEON
- 14. Much-desired blood type, for short4 letters, starts with OONEG
- 15. Fly by the seat of one's pants5 letters, starts with AADLIB
- 16. Repentant8 letters, starts with CCONTRITE
- 17. Author of "The Princess and the Pea" and "The Ugly Duckling"8 letters, starts with AANDERSEN
- 18. Letter opener7 letters, starts with DDEARSIR
- 22. Derelict7 letters, starts with DDISUSED
- 24. Charm6 letters, starts with EENAMOR
- 28. Nutrient inits.3 letters, starts with RRDA
- 30. Race with an anchor5 letters, starts with RRELAY
- 31. Brunch station offering5 letters, starts with CCREPE
- 34. Astronaut Grissom3 letters, starts with GGUS
- 35. Finsteraarhorn, e.g.3 letters, starts with AALP
- 36. Furtiveness7 letters, starts with SSTEALTH
- 37. Triumph7 letters, starts with PPREVAIL
- 39. Common lampshade shade5 letters, starts with OOCHRE
- 40. Scottish negative3 letters, starts with NNAE
- 42. Muslim leader4 letters, starts with IIMAM
- 45. Festoon5 letters, starts with AADORN
- 48. "Star Trek II: The ___ of Khan"5 letters, starts with WWRATH
- 50. Epic time3 letters, starts with EERA
- 52. Stick on a tree4 letters, starts with TTWIG
- 54. Joie de vivre4 letters, starts with BBRIO
- 55. More than wanna5 letters, starts with GGOTTA
- 58. Biblical shepherd4 letters, starts with AABEL
- 60. Many residents, for short3 letters, starts with MMDS
- 61. Org. with a "Tipsy Tow" service3 letters, starts with AAAA
- 62. Up5 letters, starts with AASTIR
- 64. Lhasa ___4 letters, starts with AAPSO
- 65. It's literally "inflated" in the kitchen7 letters, starts with SSOUFFLE
- 66. Mast attachment above a gaff7 letters, starts with TTOPSAIL
- 67. QB stat: Abbr.3 letters, starts with AATT
- 68. Fraternity letter3 letters, starts with RRHO
- 70. Plans for the future, in brief?4 letters, starts with IIRAS
- 71. Actress Smith of Fox's "Empire"5 letters, starts with TTASHA
- 73. Funk4 letters, starts with OODOR
- 74. Annual celebrations, informally5 letters, starts with BBDAYS
- 77. Enough5 letters, starts with AAMPLE
- 79. "The Golden Bachelor" network3 letters, starts with AABC
- 80. Without4 letters, starts with LLESS
- 82. Newbery-winning author Scott ___5 letters, starts with OODELL
- 83. Twangy5 letters, starts with NNASAL
- 85. Cousin of a man crush8 letters, starts with BBROMANCE
- 86. Took in8 letters, starts with AADMITTED
- 87. Cock7 letters, starts with RROOSTER
- 88. Alley ___3 letters, starts with OOOP
- 90. "The plan has been approved!"6 letters, starts with IITSAGO
- 91. Kind of cycle at night3 letters, starts with RREM
- 92. Partner, with "the"3 letters, starts with MMRS
- 93. Hot, hot, hot7 letters, starts with OONATEAR
- 99. Facet6 letters, starts with AASPECT
- 100. Petting zoo noise3 letters, starts with MMAA
- 102. Suburban setting?6 letters, starts with CCARLOT
- 103. IHOP selections6 letters, starts with SSYRUPS
- 106. Woodworking or bird-watching5 letters, starts with HHOBBY
- 108. Heart, e.g.5 letters, starts with OORGAN
- 110. Place atop5 letters, starts with SSETON
- 112. New York theater award first given in 19564 letters, starts with OOBIE
- 113. One of the 10 plagues of Egypt4 letters, starts with LLICE
- 114. Dungeons & Dragons baddies4 letters, starts with OORCS
- 116. One of 24 in Yankee Stadium4 letters, starts with AACRE
- 117. Quench4 letters, starts with SSATE
- 118. Gulf bigwig4 letters, starts with EEMIR
- 119. Some cruise ship amenities4 letters, starts with SSPAS
- 122. Ticketmaster spec3 letters, starts with SSRO
- 123. Navy submarine head: Abbr.3 letters, starts with CCDR
Fresh clues from recent puzzles
Questions
What is the answer to “Fly by the seat of one's pants”?
ADLIB, 5 letters.
When was “Fly by the seat of one's pants” last seen in a crossword?
In the New York Times crossword of July 20, 2025.
How many letters does the answer have?
5 letters, starting with A.