Adds unnecessary words to

Latest answer — December 01, 2025

27 Down

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NYT Crossword

This clue's Monday, December 01, 2025 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Office announcement
  2. 5Jump
  3. 9Repairs a hole
  4. 14Ingredient in some smoothie bowls
  5. 15Plus
  6. 16To no ___ (without success)
  7. 17"Remedy" for a riled-up person
  8. 19Dashboard instrument
  9. 20CR-V or Civic
  10. 21George who played Sulu on "Star Trek"
  11. 23Headstone letters
  12. 24Penalty for bank fraud
  13. 27Read thoroughly
  14. 29Rowing implement
  15. 30"Madam, I'm ___"
  16. 31Emu relative
  17. 35Locks up
  18. 39Lower, as the lights
  19. 40Hip person, in old slang
  20. 42Genre for Cardi B or LL Cool J
  21. 43Curry of the N.B.A., informally
  22. 45Boat tie-up location
  23. 46Tortilla ingredient
  24. 47Enjoy a banquet
  25. 49Goes over by hand, as a drawing
  26. 51Antithesis
  27. 57"I've solved it!"
  28. 58Creator of Asteroids and Pong
  29. 59"You should come foraging with me, because I'm a ___" (bad pun)
  30. 62Assigned stars, say
  31. 64Cause of some wintry weather ... or a hint to 17-, 24-, 40- and 51-Across
  32. 66Woman who bests Sherlock in "A Scandal in Bohemia"
  33. 67Largest joint in the body
  34. 68Some airport listings, for short
  35. 69Sends an eggplant emoji, say
  36. 70Feudal underling
  37. 71Fresh and glowing, in skin-care terminology

Down

  1. 1___ 1 (speed of sound)
  2. 2Result of yelling into a cave
  3. 3Supercomputer precursor
  4. 4Container on a ship from the Mideast
  5. 5Napkin's spot
  6. 6Best of the best
  7. 7Narnian talking lion
  8. 8Classic music style beloved by Weird Al Yankovic
  9. 9Performance in which a lady might be sawed in half
  10. 10Actress Noblezada of "Hadestown"
  11. 11Third-smallest country in the world (eight square miles)
  12. 12"Dinner is served!"
  13. 13Caught some Z's
  14. 18Country where sticky rice is a staple
  15. 22Prefix with friendly
  16. 25Zilch
  17. 26British singer Rita
  18. 27Adds unnecessary words to
  19. 28Computer menu heading next to "File"
  20. 32Preceder of skip and jump
  21. 33Ex-QB Manning
  22. 34Absolutely nail
  23. 36Bit of musical flair
  24. 37Effortlessness
  25. 38Establishments offering facials
  26. 40Game in which sound effects are banned
  27. 41Counterpart to sciences
  28. 44Split-___ soup
  29. 46Grew up
  30. 48Young 'un
  31. 50Bit of musical flair
  32. 51"Les Misérables" setting
  33. 52Midway Airport alternative
  34. 53Hospital glove material
  35. 54Wolf groups
  36. 55Disposed (to)
  37. 56Edmonton hockey player
  38. 60Chew, like a dog on a bone
  39. 61Teensy
  40. 63Tolkien tree creature
  41. 65"For sure"

The answer to “Adds unnecessary words to” in the New York Times crossword is PADS — a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on December 1, 2025, a Monday puzzle, at 27-Down. Below you'll find why that fill fits, every other answer we've recorded for this clue, and links into the puzzle it came from.

“Adds unnecessary words to” answer

PADS (4 letters)

Reveal the solution one letter at a time with the tiles above if you'd rather nudge yourself toward it than see the whole word at once. Just want it outright? The answer is PADS.

Why the answer is PADS

PADS is the 4-letter solution that fits "Adds unnecessary words to" in the NYT Crossword crossword on December 1, 2025 (27-Down). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.

What does PADS mean?

Reading the plain dictionary sense of PADS is often the fastest way to see why it answers this clue.

(verb)

  • fill or cover (something) with soft material in order to protect it or its contents, make it more comfortable, or give it a particular shape
  • lengthen a speech, piece of writing, etc. with unnecessary material
  • add false items to (an expenses claim or bill) in order to receive unjustified payment

When else has “Adds unnecessary words to” appeared?

New York Times reuses clues across dates, sometimes with a different answer depending on the grid. Here's where this exact clue has shown up, and what the answer was each time — handy when you're checking whether today's fill is the only one.

December 1, 2025 (most recent) → PADS. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Adds unnecessary words to”?

The answer is PADS, a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on December 1, 2025.

How many letters is the answer to “Adds unnecessary words to”?

4 letters: PADS.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on December 1, 2025 (a Monday puzzle), at 27-Down.

Can “Adds unnecessary words to” have a different answer?

Yes — New York Times sometimes reuses a clue with a different solution to fit the grid. The answers we've recorded for each date it appeared are listed above when available.

Where can I find the rest of this day's NYT Crossword answers?

The full grid for December 1, 2025 is on the NYT Crossword answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

New York Times Crossword is published by The New York Times; WordHint is an independent site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher.

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