Mournful cries

Latest answer — December 16, 2025

38 Down

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NYT Crossword

This clue's Tuesday, December 16, 2025 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Library acquisition
  2. 5Insta and Snap
  3. 9Start
  4. 14Roughly equivalent (to)
  5. 15Homie
  6. 16Maine-to-Florida hwy.
  7. 17What shares a key with "(" on a keyboard
  8. 18Reason to buy a magazine, perhaps
  9. 20Hockey feints
  10. 22Like someone who knows everything about a niche subject, maybe
  11. 23Prefix with cache or tag
  12. 24Person in hot pants?
  13. 26Name on a prestigious award
  14. 28It may be blond or pale
  15. 31Disgusting
  16. 33C-suite types
  17. 36Last stop before security, often
  18. 38Words of communal support
  19. 39Texter's "Then again ..."
  20. 40Groundbreaking 1988 Japanese animated action film
  21. 42Orchestra-tuning instrument
  22. 43Negligent
  23. 45Turnabout, they say
  24. 47Tiny amount
  25. 48Pay taxes via the internet
  26. 49Air traveler's info
  27. 50Drinks served at fountains
  28. 52Govt. IDs
  29. 54Down Under land: Abbr.
  30. 56Computer acronym since the 1960s
  31. 58Inventor Nikola
  32. 62The IBM Simon Personal Communicator is considered the world's first one
  33. 65Couple, in gossip
  34. 66"Aw, shucks!"
  35. 67Decorative pitcher
  36. 68Wacky
  37. 69Lords' lands
  38. 70Tells (on)
  39. 71After 1-Across, shelf accessories ... or what can be placed "around" the halves of 18-, 36-, 45- and 62-Across to make new phrases?

Down

  1. 1Genesis or Yes
  2. 2Many a character in "The Grapes of Wrath"
  3. 3Barnyard sound
  4. 4Prepare to be knighted
  5. 5Epitome of simplicity
  6. 6Genre for Genesis or Yes, informally
  7. 7Lead (the way)
  8. 8Glossy finishes
  9. 9Active and enthusiastic sort
  10. 10Approx.
  11. 11Easily found on the internet, say
  12. 12Memo heading
  13. 13Grammy-winning R&B; artist whose stage name is said to have been inspired by "The Matrix"
  14. 19Golden Age studio known for many Astaire/Rogers films
  15. 21You might heave a big one
  16. 25Places
  17. 27Mike in "Breaking Bad," for example
  18. 28Cancel, as a space launch
  19. 29Procrastinator's mantra
  20. 30What someone seeking validation might need
  21. 32Shallow boat with a square stern
  22. 34Neighbor of a Slovene
  23. 35"Take it easy!"
  24. 37Brother to Groucho
  25. 38Mournful cries
  26. 41One in a box at the theater?
  27. 44Tranquilizes
  28. 46Penalty in Monopoly
  29. 48Artist known for his "impossible staircases"
  30. 51Symbol of divine authority in hieroglyphics
  31. 53Grab control of
  32. 54Words before a date
  33. 55Tentative greeting
  34. 57The Hawkeye State
  35. 59Show extreme fandom for, in slang
  36. 60Give temporarily
  37. 61Ryan and Adams of Hollywood
  38. 63Whistle blower or flag thrower
  39. 64Hosp. hot spots

The answer to “Mournful cries” in the New York Times crossword is WAILS — a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on December 16, 2025, a Tuesday puzzle, at 38-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.

“Mournful cries” answer

WAILS (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 WAILS.

Why the answer is WAILS

WAILS is the 5-letter solution that fits "Mournful cries" in the NYT Crossword crossword on December 16, 2025 (38-Down). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.

What does WAILS mean?

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

(noun)

  • a prolonged high-pitched cry of pain, grief, or anger

When else has “Mournful cries” 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 16, 2025 (most recent) → WAILS. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Mournful cries”?

The answer is WAILS, a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on December 16, 2025.

How many letters is the answer to “Mournful cries”?

5 letters: WAILS.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on December 16, 2025 (a Tuesday puzzle), at 38-Down.

Can “Mournful cries” 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 16, 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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