20 Across

NYT Daily • August 22, 2025

Like challenging kite-flying weather

Answer:

GUSTY

Hint:

Sudden bursts of wind might send your kite soaring unpredictably this way.

Explanation:

This clue describes weather that makes kite-flying tricky—specifically, wind that comes in strong, sudden bursts. "Gusty" fits because it means blustery or characterized by unpredictable gusts, which is exactly the kind of wind that can send a kite soaring or crashing. The wordplay is straightforward here, using the literal meaning of "gusty" to match the idea of challenging conditions for flying a kite.

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