17 Across

NYT Daily • August 22, 2025

Ideal resolution

Answer:

FAIRYTALEENDING

Hint:

Think of how perfect conclusions often unfold in stories meant to enchant children.

Explanation:

"Ideal resolution" hints at a perfect ending, and "fairy tale ending" is a common phrase for exactly that—a happy, storybook conclusion. The answer plays on the literal meaning of "resolution" (how a story wraps up) while nodding to the cultural trope of fairy tales always ending with everything magically resolved. It’s a straightforward definition with a touch of wordplay, since "fairy tale ending" itself is a well-known idiom.

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