IDEAL is an answer for the NYT Crossword puzzle. Here you can get the history and usage for IDEAL in NYT Crossword from 1994.
This "IDEAL" answer was first appeared in "12 Dec 1993" NYT Crossword for the hint of "Perfect (26)". It was authored by Cathy Millhauser. Recently, the "IDEAL" answer has been used for "26 Nov 2023" NYT Crossword for the hint of "Best-case". It was authored by Adam Wagner and Michael Lieberman. In the NYT Crossword, this answer has been used most frequently for the hint: "Perfect (26)". "IDEAL" appeared 120 times in Shortz Era puzzles. So lets take a look for clue and answer history of "IDEAL" word.
| Date | Grid | Clue | Author |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Nov 2023 | 60D | Best-case | Adam Wagner and Michael Lieberman |
| 7 Sep 2023 | 57D | Dream | Ryan Patrick Smith |
| 25 May 2023 | 16A | ___ gas law (pV = nRT) | Andrew Kingsley and Garrett Chalfin |
| 25 Mar 2023 | 1A | Like Camelot, where “the snow may never slush upon the hillside” | Robyn Weintraub |
| 7 Feb 2023 | 71A | Optimal | Ellen Leuschner |
| 1 Feb 2023 | 48D | Unbeatable | Dan Caprera |
| 4 Dec 2022 | 35A | Like a dream scenario | Gustie Owens |
| 26 Jun 2022 | 104D | Perfect | Matthew Stock and Finn Vigeland |
| 7 Mar 2022 | 23D | As good as it gets | Sam Acker |
| 14 Nov 2021 | 83D | Perfect | Aimee Lucido and Ella Dershowitz |
| 9 Nov 2021 | 31A | Best possible | Jennifer Lee and Victor Galson |
| 7 Jun 2021 | 47D | Perfect | Erika Ettin |
| 18 Jan 2021 | 31A | Utopian | Jeff Stillman |
| 20 Dec 2020 | 17A | Something to shoot for | Randolph Ross |
| 16 Mar 2020 | 11D | Perfect | Gary Cee |
| 25 Aug 2019 | 75D | Perfect | Matt Ginsberg |
| 1 Jun 2019 | 41D | As good as it gets | Ari Richter |
| 29 Mar 2019 | 14A | Apotheosis | Martin Ashwood-Smith |
| 29 Jan 2019 | 61A | Paragon | Benjamin Kramer |
| 18 Dec 2018 | 8D | It can’t be improved upon | Ross Trudeau |
| 8 Nov 2018 | 54D | It doesn’t get any better than this | Sam Ezersky |
| 16 Oct 2017 | 11D | Like a five-star Yelp review | Jennifer Nutt |
| 3 Oct 2017 | 8D | Something to strive for | Chuck Deodene |
| 19 Jul 2017 | 47A | 10 out of 10 | Michael S. Maurer and Pawel Fludzinski |
| 16 Jul 2017 | 94D | As good as it gets | Andrea Carla Michaels and Pete Muller |
| 6 Apr 2017 | 27D | Model | Damon Gulczynski |
| 22 Dec 2016 | 50A | Perfect | Mark MacLachlan |
| 27 Nov 2016 | 15D | Unimprovable | Matt Ginsberg |
| 31 Oct 2016 | 52D | Perfect | Peter A. Collins |
| 27 Mar 2016 | 80D | Best | Patrick Blindauer |
| 31 Jan 2016 | 13D | 10, say | Yaakov Bendavid |
| 7 Dec 2015 | 22A | Perfect | Jason Mueller |
| 17 Sep 2015 | 61A | Opposite of dystopian | Timothy Polin |
| 5 May 2015 | 66A | Toy company that once made the Magic 8 Ball | Michael Blake and Andrea Carla Michaels |
| 26 Feb 2015 | 14A | Utopian | Caleb Emmons |
| 24 Feb 2015 | 33A | Best possible | Elizabeth A. Long |
| 18 Jan 2015 | 68D | Toy company that made Betsy Wetsy | Joe Krozel |
| 12 Oct 2014 | 18D | World peace, e.g. | Pawel Fludzinski |
| 13 Sep 2014 | 55A | Toy company that introduced Rubik’s Cube | Josh Knapp |
| 3 Jan 2014 | 60A | Perfect | Barry C. Silk and Brad Wilber |
| 17 Jul 2013 | 28D | Rating a 10, say | Robyn Weintraub |
| 25 Feb 2013 | 14A | Perfect | Angela Olson Halsted |
| 1 Nov 2012 | 27D | Model | George Barany and Victor Barocas |
| 22 Aug 2012 | 66A | Worth a 10 | Peter A. Collins |
| 16 Aug 2012 | 62A | Unbeatable | Ethan Cooper |
| 8 Jan 2012 | 18D | Model | Tony Orbach |
| 14 Oct 2009 | 7D | Standard of perfection | Richard Silvestri |
| 28 Jul 2009 | 62A | Perfect | Tony Orbach |
| 8 Jul 2009 | 15A | “In an ___ world …” | Tim Wescott |
| 30 Mar 2009 | 30D | Like a score of 10 for 10 | Andrea Carla Michaels |
| 26 Nov 2008 | 46A | Nonpareil | Harvey Estes |
| 24 Nov 2008 | 52D | Just right | Billie Truitt |
| 26 Oct 2008 | 50A | Beau ___ | Daniel C. Bryant |
| 1 Jul 2008 | 3D | Unimprovable | Ken Bessette |
| 13 May 2008 | 1A | Perfect | Caleb Madison |
| 12 May 2008 | 39A | Like a score of 10 of a possible 10 | Randall J. Hartman |
| 18 Apr 2008 | 12D | Best | Joe DiPietro |
| 10 Feb 2008 | 27A | Toy company that launched Rubik’s Cube | Bill Zais |
| 4 Feb 2008 | 5A | Like a score of 10 out of 10 | Dave and Tracy Mackey |
| 23 Apr 2007 | 48D | Perfect | David Pringle |
| 28 Mar 2007 | 52D | Old toy company that made Rubik’s Cube | Burton Clemans |
| 20 May 2006 | 10A | Goal | Bob Klahn |
| 13 Apr 2006 | 16A | Model | Barry Silk |
| 17 Oct 2005 | 26D | Perfect | Gregory E. Paul |
| 13 Jun 2005 | 50D | Perfect | Earl W. Reed |
| 2 Feb 2005 | 51D | Ultimate goal | Richard Leva and Nancy Salomon |
| 31 Jan 2005 | 33D | Perfect | Randall J. Hartman |
| 17 Jan 2005 | 15A | Perfect | Alison Donald |
| 29 Nov 2004 | 31D | Standard of perfection | Kendall Twigg and Nancy Salomon |
| 15 Nov 2004 | 1D | Perfect | Alison Donald |
| 19 Oct 2004 | 15A | 10 out of 10, e.g. | Adam Cohen |
| 13 Sep 2004 | 40D | Rarely-met goal | Jay Giess |
| 3 May 2004 | 32D | Perfect | Gregory E. Paul |
| 24 Nov 2003 | 17A | Perfect | Nancy Kavanaugh |
| 19 Jun 2003 | 35A | Something to shoot for | Randolph Ross |
| 16 Dec 2002 | 40D | Perfect | Jim Hyres |
| 9 Aug 2002 | 18A | Model | Martin Ashwood-Smith |
| 6 Aug 2002 | 37A | Most suitable | Ethan Cooper and Michael Shteyman |
| 2 Aug 2002 | 39A | Best | Elizabeth C. Gorski |
| 3 May 2002 | 40D | Thumbelina doll maker | William I. Johnston |
| 31 Jan 2002 | 16A | Something to shoot for | Bruce F. Adams |
| 19 Jun 2001 | 44A | Like a 10 | Tyler Hinman |
| 4 Mar 2001 | 114A | Classic toy company | Cathy Millhauser |
| 3 Jan 2001 | 54D | Worth a ten | Fred Piscop |
| 17 Dec 2000 | 71D | Epitomic | Frances Hansen |
| 25 Apr 2000 | 21A | Rating a 10, say | Randall J. Hartman |
| 28 Feb 2000 | 22D | Rating a 10 | Jerry E. Rosman |
| 29 Sep 1999 | 16A | Suitable in every way | Patrick D. Berry |
| 28 Feb 1999 | 61D | Model | Dave Tuller |
| 25 Jan 1999 | 16A | Best | Fran and Lou Sabin |
| 17 Sep 1998 | 18A | Perfectionist’s aim | Robert H. Wolfe |
| 19 Jul 1998 | 80A | 10, in a way | Nancy Salomon |
| 22 Jun 1998 | 19A | Perfect | Shannon Burns |
| 19 Mar 1998 | 41A | 10 out of 10 | Manny Nosowsky |
| 1 Mar 1998 | 30A | Objective | Cathy Millhauser |
| 28 Jan 1998 | 15A | 10 on a scale of 1 to 10 | Mark Gottlieb |
| 24 Nov 1997 | 48A | Perfect | Alex K. Justin |
| 20 Feb 1997 | 24A | Miss America, to some | D. J. Kahn |
| 16 Feb 1997 | 60D | The best | M. Gaffney |
| 26 Jan 1997 | 95A | Consummate | S. Elliott |
| 5 Nov 1996 | 58D | 10 on a scale of 1 to 10 | Jeremiah Farrell |
| 22 Jul 1996 | 17A | Perfect | S. L. Robbins |
| 3 Apr 1996 | 22A | Best | M. Gaffney |
| 4 Mar 1996 | 54D | Perfect | S. B. Whitten |
| 12 Dec 1995 | 19A | Old toy company | Gregory E. Paul |
| 21 Aug 1995 | 43A | Having no drawbacks | Sidney L. Robbins |
| 15 Aug 1995 | 43A | Perfection | Randall J. Hartman |
| 30 Jul 1995 | 51D | Nonpareil | Charles M. Deber |
| 13 Jul 1995 | 50A | Rubik’s Cube company | A.J. Santora |
| 20 Mar 1995 | 14A | Perfection | Sidney L. Robbins |
| 26 Feb 1995 | 21A | Ne plus ultra | Fred Piscop |
| 30 Oct 1994 | 53D | Flawless | R. M. Hopkins |
| 24 Aug 1994 | 15A | Paradigm | Robert Herrig |
| 7 Aug 1994 | 20A | Ne plus ultra | Dean Niles |
| 29 May 1994 | 3D | Pinnacle | Janet R. Bender |
| 8 Mar 1994 | 47D | Model | Harvey Estes |
| 25 Feb 1994 | 32D | Standard | Bob Lubbers |
| 16 Feb 1994 | 35D | Exemplar | John Greenman |
| 25 Jan 1994 | 31A | Old toy company | Joel Davajan |
| 12 Dec 1993 | 108D | Perfect | Cathy Millhauser |
Here you get IDEAL answered all clues with dates, Grid, and Author info. If IDEAL will be used in a new NYT Crossword, that will be updated here.