Like a good sponge cake

Latest answer — December 26, 2025

38 Across

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NYT Crossword

This clue's Friday, December 26, 2025 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Dawdler
  2. 9Cuts short
  3. 15Typical sight in a bank robbery cartoon
  4. 16Kitsch
  5. 17Doing some theater work
  6. 18Cracked wheat used in tabbouleh
  7. 19One whose beauty is on the inside
  8. 20Whole kit and caboodle
  9. 22___-Latin (like some modern coinages)
  10. 23Plant that's toxic to cats
  11. 24Some babysitters
  12. 25A cold one is unexpected (and usually unappreciated)
  13. 26Since Jan. 1, on a pay stub
  14. 27Tuesday, in French
  15. 28Song commonly performed outdoors
  16. 29Food that can be prepared de canasta
  17. 30___ Tuesday (end of the pre-Lenten season)
  18. 31One toeing the line?
  19. 35Individually
  20. 36Editorialize
  21. 37Overly self-assertive
  22. 38Like a good sponge cake
  23. 39Down Under bird that scientists are working to "de-extinct"
  24. 42Singular, with or without its first letter
  25. 43Origin story family in DC Comics
  26. 44Facility
  27. 45Certain care provider, for short
  28. 46Re-fresh?
  29. 47It might be marked with an X
  30. 48Linked (with)
  31. 50Drive
  32. 52Harden and become resistant to change
  33. 53Life partner, perhaps?
  34. 54Old coin with a picture of Generalissimo Franco
  35. 55Treated with respect

Down

  1. 1How a supervillain might brag
  2. 2Flip
  3. 3Waiting for support, maybe
  4. 4Like untended plots
  5. 5Funeral ___
  6. 6Broad band?
  7. 7Royal Australian Air Force insignia
  8. 8Competition that combines speed with balance
  9. 9Professor Dumbledore
  10. 10Contest
  11. 11Bevy : quail :: parliament : ___
  12. 12The world's end, in Norse mythology
  13. 13Mr. or Ms. Right
  14. 14Baby sitter?
  15. 21Half of a classic rum cocktail's name
  16. 24Component of a nautilus shell
  17. 25Eric who wrote and illustrated "Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me"
  18. 27Stick by a fireplace
  19. 28Mantra
  20. 29Nearby things
  21. 30Like the pope's guards
  22. 31Area on which to eat or play cards
  23. 32"You can absolutely count on me"
  24. 33Figure in sci-fi's "Attack of the 50 Foot Woman," e.g.
  25. 34Great illustrations
  26. 38Connected
  27. 39Sister of Moses
  28. 40Worth considering
  29. 41Made up
  30. 43Nation dubbed the "cradle of mankind"
  31. 44"Understood?"
  32. 46Big break
  33. 47Stack (up)
  34. 49Casting need
  35. 51Short diner order

The answer to “Like a good sponge cake” in the New York Times crossword is MOIST — a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on December 26, 2025, a Friday puzzle, at 38-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.

“Like a good sponge cake” answer

MOIST (5 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 MOIST.

Why the answer is MOIST

MOIST is the 5-letter solution that fits "Like a good sponge cake" in the NYT Crossword crossword on December 26, 2025 (38-Across). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.

What does MOIST mean?

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

(adjective)

  • slightly wet
  • marked by a fluid discharge

When else has “Like a good sponge cake” 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 26, 2025 (most recent) → MOIST. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Like a good sponge cake”?

The answer is MOIST, a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on December 26, 2025.

How many letters is the answer to “Like a good sponge cake”?

5 letters: MOIST.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on December 26, 2025 (a Friday puzzle), at 38-Across.

Can “Like a good sponge cake” 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 26, 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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