Defense Against the Dark ___ ("Harry Potter" class)

Latest answer — May 12, 2025

46 Across

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NYT Crossword

This clue's Monday, May 12, 2025 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Cowboy's rope
  2. 6Relative of a milkshake
  3. 10NaCl
  4. 14Take place
  5. 15Director Kazan who helped popularize Method acting
  6. 16Falco of "The Sopranos"
  7. 17Dessert cocktail with crème de cacao
  8. 20"Ready, ___, go!"
  9. 21Serpentine swimmers
  10. 22Common destination for a field trip
  11. 23Funeral vessel
  12. 24Contacted using a beeper
  13. 25Created, as yarn or a spider web
  14. 2810-12-year-old
  15. 31___ Francisco
  16. 34Classic board game with the Peppermint Forest and Lollipop Lane
  17. 36Dig (out)
  18. 38"Goodie" on classic radio
  19. 39Food label inits.
  20. 40"Inside Out" emotion who says "We should lock the door and scream that curse word we know. It's a good one!"
  21. 41Oboe accessories that are often carved by the oboist
  22. 42Move from an acrobat or breakdancer
  23. 44Negative conjunction
  24. 45Montana is the only U.S. state with one in Spanish
  25. 46Defense Against the Dark ___ ("Harry Potter" class)
  26. 47What a baby's bib might protect a onesie from
  27. 50Standout athlete, for short
  28. 52Free items that come with drinks
  29. 54Black-and-white cookie
  30. 56What some people confuse with a monkey
  31. 59Scottish archipelago west of Norway
  32. 62What spectacles perch on
  33. 63"Oh, uh-huh, sure"
  34. 64Magicians' cries
  35. 65Figure (out)
  36. 66Social worker's assignment
  37. 67Parental authority

Down

  1. 1Arcing tennis shots
  2. 2Farmland unit
  3. 3Jazz singer's improvised syllables
  4. 4What the circle on the Japanese flag represents
  5. 5"Can I take your ___?" (server's question)
  6. 6Brunch or lunch
  7. 7"___ well that ends well!"
  8. 8Word that would be more grammatical in the title "Lay, Lady, Lay"
  9. 9Beatles song with the lyric "Should five percent appear too small, be thankful I don't take it all"
  10. 10Touch or taste
  11. 11Source of extra sweetness
  12. 12Stead
  13. 13Four years, for a president
  14. 181983 musical starring Barbra Streisand
  15. 19Sept. preceder
  16. 23Loosened, as a knot
  17. 24Nitpicker
  18. 25Contempt
  19. 26Kind of diet inspired by hunters and gatherers
  20. 27Show up to a gala in a T-shirt, say
  21. 29Noted painter of soup cans
  22. 30Go until
  23. 32Who might help an author get a book deal
  24. 33Stereotypical bookworms
  25. 35"Affirmative"
  26. 36What you might "fill 'er up" with
  27. 37Alternative to bottled
  28. 43Mosque toppers
  29. 45Art with tiles in fancy styles (that might produce smiles)
  30. 48Gives stars to, say
  31. 49"Wise" bird
  32. 51Hybrid Chevys
  33. 52Strings with the pattern XXX-XX-XXXX, in brief
  34. 53"___ shalt not ..."
  35. 54Poetic tributes
  36. 55Formal ceremony
  37. 56Boy's name ... or how you might describe 17-, 34-, 42- or 59-Across?
  38. 57Smartphone predecessors, in brief
  39. 58Competitor of Petro-Canada
  40. 60Org. with the Knicks and Clippers
  41. 61Battery for some small toys

Crossword clues, hints, and answers

Across

  1. 1. Cowboy's rope — Answer: LASSO
  2. 6. Relative of a milkshake — Answer: MALT
  3. 10. NaCl — Answer: SALT
  4. 14. Take place — Answer: OCCUR
  5. 15. Director Kazan who helped popularize Method acting — Answer: ELIA
  6. 16. Falco of "The Sopranos" — Answer: EDIE. Hint: This actress is known for her memorable role in a mob drama and her first name rhymes with 'deed.' 🎭
  7. 17. Dessert cocktail with crème de cacao — Answer: BRANDYALEXANDER
  8. 20. "Ready, ___, go!" — Answer: SET
  9. 21. Serpentine swimmers — Answer: EELS
  10. 22. Common destination for a field trip — Answer: MUSEUM
  11. 23. Funeral vessel — Answer: URN
  12. 24. Contacted using a beeper — Answer: PAGED
  13. 25. Created, as yarn or a spider web — Answer: SPUN
  14. 28. 10-12-year-old — Answer: TWEEN
  15. 31. ___ Francisco — Answer: SAN
  16. 34. Classic board game with the Peppermint Forest and Lollipop Lane — Answer: CANDYLAND
  17. 36. Dig (out) — Answer: GOUGE
  18. 38. "Goodie" on classic radio — Answer: OLDIE
  19. 39. Food label inits. — Answer: RDA
  20. 40. "Inside Out" emotion who says "We should lock the door and scream that curse word we know. It's a good one!" — Answer: ANGER
  21. 41. Oboe accessories that are often carved by the oboist — Answer: REEDS
  22. 42. Move from an acrobat or breakdancer — Answer: HANDSTAND
  23. 44. Negative conjunction — Answer: NOR. Hint: This word is often used to connect two negative statements together! 🔗
  24. 45. Montana is the only U.S. state with one in Spanish — Answer: MOTTO
  25. 46. Defense Against the Dark ___ ("Harry Potter" class) — Answer: ARTS
  26. 47. What a baby's bib might protect a onesie from — Answer: DROOL
  27. 50. Standout athlete, for short — Answer: MVP
  28. 52. Free items that come with drinks — Answer: STRAWS
  29. 54. Black-and-white cookie — Answer: OREO
  30. 56. What some people confuse with a monkey — Answer: APE
  31. 59. Scottish archipelago west of Norway — Answer: SHETLANDISLANDS
  32. 62. What spectacles perch on — Answer: NOSE
  33. 63. "Oh, uh-huh, sure" — Answer: IBET
  34. 64. Magicians' cries — Answer: TADAS
  35. 65. Figure (out) — Answer: SUSS. Hint: To figure something out is to give it a careful once-over and spot what’s really going on 🔎
  36. 66. Social worker's assignment — Answer: CASE
  37. 67. Parental authority — Answer: SAYSO

Down

  1. 1. Arcing tennis shots — Answer: LOBS
  2. 2. Farmland unit — Answer: ACRE. Hint: A common measure of land area often used for fields and farms 🌾
  3. 3. Jazz singer's improvised syllables — Answer: SCAT
  4. 4. What the circle on the Japanese flag represents — Answer: SUN
  5. 5. "Can I take your ___?" (server's question) — Answer: ORDER
  6. 6. Brunch or lunch — Answer: MEAL
  7. 7. "___ well that ends well!" — Answer: ALLS
  8. 8. Word that would be more grammatical in the title "Lay, Lady, Lay" — Answer: LIE
  9. 9. Beatles song with the lyric "Should five percent appear too small, be thankful I don't take it all" — Answer: TAXMAN
  10. 10. Touch or taste — Answer: SENSE
  11. 11. Source of extra sweetness — Answer: ADDEDSUGAR
  12. 12. Stead — Answer: LIEU
  13. 13. Four years, for a president — Answer: TERM
  14. 18. 1983 musical starring Barbra Streisand — Answer: YENTL
  15. 19. Sept. preceder — Answer: AUG
  16. 23. Loosened, as a knot — Answer: UNDID
  17. 24. Nitpicker — Answer: PEDANT
  18. 25. Contempt — Answer: SCORN
  19. 26. Kind of diet inspired by hunters and gatherers — Answer: PALEO
  20. 27. Show up to a gala in a T-shirt, say — Answer: UNDERDRESS
  21. 29. Noted painter of soup cans — Answer: WARHOL
  22. 30. Go until — Answer: ENDAT
  23. 32. Who might help an author get a book deal — Answer: AGENT
  24. 33. Stereotypical bookworms — Answer: NERDS
  25. 35. "Affirmative" — Answer: YES
  26. 36. What you might "fill 'er up" with — Answer: GAS
  27. 37. Alternative to bottled — Answer: ONTAP
  28. 43. Mosque toppers — Answer: DOMES
  29. 45. Art with tiles in fancy styles (that might produce smiles) — Answer: MOSAIC
  30. 48. Gives stars to, say — Answer: RATES
  31. 49. "Wise" bird — Answer: OWL
  32. 51. Hybrid Chevys — Answer: VOLTS
  33. 52. Strings with the pattern XXX-XX-XXXX, in brief — Answer: SSNS
  34. 53. "___ shalt not ..." — Answer: THOU
  35. 54. Poetic tributes — Answer: ODES
  36. 55. Formal ceremony — Answer: RITE
  37. 56. Boy's name ... or how you might describe 17-, 34-, 42- or 59-Across? — Answer: ANDY
  38. 57. Smartphone predecessors, in brief — Answer: PDAS
  39. 58. Competitor of Petro-Canada — Answer: ESSO
  40. 60. Org. with the Knicks and Clippers — Answer: NBA
  41. 61. Battery for some small toys — Answer: AAA

Recent NYT Crossword Answers

The last 7 days of solutions

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The answer to “Defense Against the Dark ___ ("Harry Potter" class)” in the New York Times crossword is ARTS — a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on May 12, 2025, a Monday puzzle, at 46-Across. 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.

“Defense Against the Dark ___ ("Harry Potter" class)” answer

ARTS (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 ARTS.

Why the answer is ARTS

ARTS is the 4-letter solution that fits "Defense Against the Dark ___ ("Harry Potter" class)" in the NYT Crossword crossword on May 12, 2025 (46-Across). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.

When else has “Defense Against the Dark ___ ("Harry Potter" class)” 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.

May 12, 2025 (most recent) → ARTS. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

More clues from the NYT Crossword on May 12, 2025

Stuck elsewhere in the grid? Here are some of the crossing and nearby clues from the same puzzle — tap any for its answer and explanation.

Want every clue in one place? The full New York Times answer list for May 12, 2025 is on that day's grid page, and today's live NYT Crossword answers are always one tap from the today page.

About the NYT Crossword

The New York Times crossword, edited by Will Shortz, is the most famous daily puzzle in the United States. It runs a 15×15 grid Monday through Saturday and a larger 21×21 grid on Sunday, and its difficulty deliberately ramps through the week: Monday is the most approachable, Saturday the toughest, with Thursday often reserved for a trick or twist like rebus squares. This page covers a Monday puzzle. A straight-definition entry is the kind of solid mid-grid answer that anchors the trickier crossings around it. Because the NYT reuses short, crossing-friendly words regularly, seeing them once makes them easier to spot next time.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Defense Against the Dark ___ ("Harry Potter" class)”?

The answer is ARTS, a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on May 12, 2025.

How many letters is the answer to “Defense Against the Dark ___ ("Harry Potter" class)”?

4 letters: ARTS.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on May 12, 2025 (a Monday puzzle), at 46-Across.

Can “Defense Against the Dark ___ ("Harry Potter" class)” 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 May 12, 2025 is on the NYT Crossword answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

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