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.