Distinction for a classic underground work

Latest answer — December 12, 2025

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NYT Crossword

This clue's Friday, December 12, 2025 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Some free spots, for short
  2. 5Grounds
  3. 10Doesn't just talk
  4. 14"You're telling me!"
  5. 16Word with wet or sweat
  6. 17Conspiracy theorist's accessory
  7. 18"Don't leave me!," e.g.
  8. 1916 in a Sweet Sixteen
  9. 20Main component of a "gutbucket," a jug band instrument
  10. 22Personal records
  11. 25Padlocked fasteners
  12. 26Variety of orange named for a European city
  13. 29What blue crabs do roughly 20 times in their lifetimes
  14. 30Jobs announcement of 2010
  15. 31News feed, perhaps
  16. 35[Waaaaah!]
  17. 36Thick confection used for cake icing
  18. 37Part of a golf club
  19. 38See 5-Down
  20. 40Binary
  21. 41Succors
  22. 42Photo session workers
  23. 44Ace, e.g.
  24. 46Skater's braking method with the back foot positioned horizontally
  25. 47Relative of a craft fair
  26. 50"Duino Elegies" poet
  27. 53Saves, as a digital location
  28. 54Clichéd line from the side of a product package
  29. 58It's cool to drink
  30. 59"I haven't told you the best part ..."
  31. 60Impressively accurate pass, in football slang
  32. 61Floats
  33. 62Give a bad hand?

Down

  1. 1Stone
  2. 2Vaudeville highlight
  3. 3Pulitzer-winning journalist Applebaum
  4. 4You might pull one out for a guest
  5. 5With 38-Across, one way to sit
  6. 6Feel gross
  7. 7"Gross"
  8. 8Playwright who wrote "You see things; and you say 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say 'Why not?'"
  9. 9"Tell Mama" singer James
  10. 10Rocky road ingredient?
  11. 11Distinction for a classic underground work
  12. 12Bind
  13. 13Sticks a fork in
  14. 15Part of NOW
  15. 21"Fiddlesticks!"
  16. 23Disney princess in New Orleans
  17. 24Workshop debris
  18. 26Possible need for entry
  19. 27Each
  20. 28Colleague who might be solutions-oriented?
  21. 29Tropical plants said to bring good fortune
  22. 32"That's the truth"
  23. 33Kid's parent
  24. 34Hagfish lookalikes
  25. 36Company whose logo has a hidden arrow between its fourth and fifth letters
  26. 39Performance that isn't prerecorded
  27. 40Word from the Greek for "folded paper"
  28. 43Butcher shop buys
  29. 44Pleasing to the palate
  30. 45"Buss It" rapper ___ Banks
  31. 48Way
  32. 49Arm of the Dept. of Labor
  33. 51Part of a cabinet
  34. 52French 101 verb
  35. 55Whitehouse in D.C., e.g.: Abbr.
  36. 56Physics unit equivalent to roughly 624 gigaelectronvolts
  37. 57Thoroughly evaluate

Crossword clues, hints, and answers

Across

  1. 1. Some free spots, for short — Answer: PSAS
  2. 5. Grounds — Answer: CAUSE
  3. 10. Doesn't just talk — Answer: ACTS
  4. 14. "You're telling me!" — Answer: IKNOWRIGHT
  5. 16. Word with wet or sweat — Answer: SUIT
  6. 17. Conspiracy theorist's accessory — Answer: TINFOILHAT
  7. 18. "Don't leave me!," e.g. — Answer: PLEA
  8. 19. 16 in a Sweet Sixteen — Answer: TEAMS
  9. 20. Main component of a "gutbucket," a jug band instrument — Answer: WASHTUB
  10. 22. Personal records — Answer: BESTS
  11. 25. Padlocked fasteners — Answer: HASPS
  12. 26. Variety of orange named for a European city — Answer: VALENCIA
  13. 29. What blue crabs do roughly 20 times in their lifetimes — Answer: MOLT
  14. 30. Jobs announcement of 2010 — Answer: IPAD
  15. 31. News feed, perhaps — Answer: RAWFOOTAGE
  16. 35. [Waaaaah!] — Answer: SOB
  17. 36. Thick confection used for cake icing — Answer: FONDANT
  18. 37. Part of a golf club — Answer: TOE
  19. 38. See 5-Down — Answer: APPLESAUCE
  20. 40. Binary — Answer: DUAL
  21. 41. Succors — Answer: AIDS
  22. 42. Photo session workers — Answer: STYLISTS
  23. 44. Ace, e.g. — Answer: SERVE
  24. 46. Skater's braking method with the back foot positioned horizontally — Answer: TSTOP
  25. 47. Relative of a craft fair — Answer: ARTEXPO
  26. 50. "Duino Elegies" poet — Answer: RILKE
  27. 53. Saves, as a digital location — Answer: PINS
  28. 54. Clichéd line from the side of a product package — Answer: ASSEENONTV
  29. 58. It's cool to drink — Answer: ICEE
  30. 59. "I haven't told you the best part ..." — Answer: THERESMORE
  31. 60. Impressively accurate pass, in football slang — Answer: DART
  32. 61. Floats — Answer: HANGS
  33. 62. Give a bad hand? — Answer: ABET

Down

  1. 1. Stone — Answer: PIT
  2. 2. Vaudeville highlight — Answer: SKIT
  3. 3. Pulitzer-winning journalist Applebaum — Answer: ANNE
  4. 4. You might pull one out for a guest — Answer: SOFABED
  5. 5. With 38-Across, one way to sit — Answer: CRISSCROSS
  6. 6. Feel gross — Answer: AIL
  7. 7. "Gross" — Answer: UGH
  8. 8. Playwright who wrote "You see things; and you say 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say 'Why not?'" — Answer: SHAW
  9. 9. "Tell Mama" singer James — Answer: ETTA. Hint: Think of the powerful soul-and-blues vocalist whose fiery performances made “Tell Mama” a classic. 🎤
  10. 10. Rocky road ingredient? — Answer: ASPHALT
  11. 11. Distinction for a classic underground work — Answer: CULTSTATUS
  12. 12. Bind — Answer: TIEUP
  13. 13. Sticks a fork in — Answer: STABS
  14. 15. Part of NOW — Answer: WOMEN
  15. 21. "Fiddlesticks!" — Answer: SHOOT
  16. 23. Disney princess in New Orleans — Answer: TIANA
  17. 24. Workshop debris — Answer: SAWDUST
  18. 26. Possible need for entry — Answer: VISA
  19. 27. Each — Answer: APOP. Hint: Think about the word used to refer to individual items in a collection! 📦
  20. 28. Colleague who might be solutions-oriented? — Answer: LABPARTNER
  21. 29. Tropical plants said to bring good fortune — Answer: MONEYTREES
  22. 32. "That's the truth" — Answer: FACTS
  23. 33. Kid's parent — Answer: GOAT
  24. 34. Hagfish lookalikes — Answer: EELS
  25. 36. Company whose logo has a hidden arrow between its fourth and fifth letters — Answer: FEDEX
  26. 39. Performance that isn't prerecorded — Answer: LIVESET
  27. 40. Word from the Greek for "folded paper" — Answer: DIPLOMA
  28. 43. Butcher shop buys — Answer: LOINS
  29. 44. Pleasing to the palate — Answer: SAPID
  30. 45. "Buss It" rapper ___ Banks — Answer: ERICA
  31. 48. Way — Answer: PATH
  32. 49. Arm of the Dept. of Labor — Answer: OSHA
  33. 51. Part of a cabinet — Answer: KNOB
  34. 52. French 101 verb — Answer: ETRE
  35. 55. Whitehouse in D.C., e.g.: Abbr. — Answer: SEN
  36. 56. Physics unit equivalent to roughly 624 gigaelectronvolts — Answer: ERG
  37. 57. Thoroughly evaluate — Answer: VET

Recent NYT Crossword Answers

The last 7 days of solutions

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The answer to “Distinction for a classic underground work” in the New York Times crossword is CULTSTATUS — a 10-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on December 12, 2025, a Friday puzzle, at 11-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.

“Distinction for a classic underground work” answer

CULTSTATUS (10 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 CULTSTATUS.

Why the answer is CULTSTATUS

CULTSTATUS is the 10-letter solution that fits "Distinction for a classic underground work" in the NYT Crossword crossword on December 12, 2025 (11-Down). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.

When else has “Distinction for a classic underground work” 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 12, 2025 (most recent) → CULTSTATUS. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

More clues from the NYT Crossword on December 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 December 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 Friday 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 “Distinction for a classic underground work”?

The answer is CULTSTATUS, a 10-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on December 12, 2025.

How many letters is the answer to “Distinction for a classic underground work”?

10 letters: CULTSTATUS.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on December 12, 2025 (a Friday puzzle), at 11-Down.

Can “Distinction for a classic underground work” 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 12, 2025 is on the NYT Crossword answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

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