Like Pastel Shades Crossword Clue

By: Five Letter Words | Last edited: Apr 23, 2025

Looking to solve the "Like pastel shades" crossword clue from the April 23, 2025, New York Times Mini puzzle? We've identified the perfect 4-letter answer you need. To enhance your solving experience, we've developed interactive tools to make the process more engaging. Discover the answer gradually using our letter-by-letter reveal feature, or explore our carefully designed hints—including helpful anagrams, similar clues with the same answer, or detailed definitions to guide your thought process. We've also streamlined navigation between related clues from the same puzzle for a smooth solving experience. Ready to expand your color vocabulary and crossword skills? Let's explore the solution together!

Crossword Answer:

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About This Clue

The April 23, 2025 New York Times Mini Crossword featured the clue "Like pastel shades" with the answer PALE. This clue asks for an adjective that describes the characteristic appearance of pastel colors, which are known for their light, muted quality and reduced intensity compared to their more vivid counterparts.

Color Connection

Pastel colors are created by adding white to a pure hue, resulting in colors that are less saturated and lighter than their original form. The term "pale" accurately describes these colors because they appear faded or washed-out compared to more vibrant colors. Common pastel shades include pale pink, pale blue, pale yellow, and pale green, all of which are popular in fashion, interior design, and art. Pastels are often associated with softness, gentleness, and a sense of calm, making them popular choices for nurseries, spring fashion collections, and Easter decorations. The muted quality of pastel colors makes them easy to coordinate with other colors and ideal for creating subtle, harmonious color schemes. In art history, pastels gained particular popularity during the 18th century with the rise of pastel portraiture, and they experienced a resurgence in the Art Deco period of the 1920s and 1930s, as well as in 1980s design aesthetics.

NYT Mini Crossword Tips

When solving clues related to colors in crosswords, it helps to think about common adjectives used to describe different color qualities. For color-related clues like this one, consider words that describe intensity, brightness, saturation, or tone. In this case, understanding that pastel shades are characterized by their lightness or lack of intensity points to "pale" as the answer. Color clues in the NYT Mini often test general vocabulary rather than specialized color theory knowledge, making them accessible to most solvers. When you encounter a clue about color characteristics, think about common descriptive terms that might fit the number of letters required by the crossing answers.

Related Crossword Answers

More Clues & Answers For The New York Times Mini (April 23, 2025)

ACROSS

• 1. With 7-Across, flight option that saves money at the expense of sleep
• 4. Like pastel shades
• 5. Appliance on a patio
• 6. Simplicity
• 7. See 1-Across

DOWN

• 1. Underpaid employee's request
• 2. Fashion magazine with a palindromic name
• 3. Director Guillermo ___ Toro
• 4. Thank God, say
• 5. "Will you look at that!"