Painstakingly explain something ... or a hint to 17-, 26- and 45-Across

Latest answer — December 17, 2025

60 Across

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NYT Crossword

This clue's Wednesday, December 17, 2025 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Lock combinations?
  2. 6___ League
  3. 10Single instruction
  4. 14Enemy W.W. II vessel
  5. 15Turner of old movies
  6. 16Powerful impulse
  7. 17Group of grumps sitting around kvetching?
  8. 19Elmer's nemesis
  9. 20Meeting, casually
  10. 21A smartphone has lots of these
  11. 22Centerpiece of "The Hobbit"
  12. 23Community property pronoun
  13. 25Like barked orders
  14. 26Ali vs. Frazier, e.g.?
  15. 34Genre for GloRilla
  16. 35Official mandate
  17. 36Fellow fighter
  18. 37Brand once known as "Standard Oil Company of Indiana"
  19. 39Mardi Gras day, in brief
  20. 40Works on a muffler, say
  21. 41Welcome figure on Wall Street, unwelcome figure in a china shop
  22. 42See 50-Down
  23. 44To and ___
  24. 45Welcome sight on a whale-watching cruise?
  25. 48Poindexter
  26. 49TV freebie of a sort
  27. 50Easter Island's country
  28. 52Dark-skinned fruit
  29. 55Pieces of advice
  30. 59Primordial substance
  31. 60Painstakingly explain something ... or a hint to 17-, 26- and 45-Across
  32. 62Takes a tour of
  33. 63Compassionate
  34. 64Terra ___
  35. 65Does the math, in a way
  36. 66Pot grower?
  37. 67H, on the N.Y.S.E.

Down

  1. 1Tarot suit associated with the element of water
  2. 2Yamaha product
  3. 3What makes a stud become studious?
  4. 4Fully get
  5. 5Hog's home
  6. 6"That's a real shame"
  7. 7Steakhouse order
  8. 8Marchers in sidewalk cracks
  9. 9Howl at the moon
  10. 10Chevy S.U.V.
  11. 11Authentic
  12. 12Ones from platypuses have leathery shells
  13. 13Fly by night ... or by day
  14. 18Compact holder
  15. 22Neighbor of Ont.
  16. 24Red carpet hairstyle, perhaps
  17. 25Jost's longtime "Weekend Update" co-anchor
  18. 26Food you might eat wearing a bib
  19. 27Overplay for the audience
  20. 28Was the bigger person, say
  21. 29Follow, as advice
  22. 30Have faith in
  23. 31Canines, e.g.
  24. 32Mega-
  25. 33Big name in chicken or boxing
  26. 381990s comedy inspired by "Emma"
  27. 40"Get Smart" bad guys
  28. 42Suffix with beat or neat
  29. 43Throw off
  30. 46Stick in the ground?
  31. 47Just about anything on a string
  32. 50With 42-Across, the Mafia
  33. 51Cultivated, in a way
  34. 52Start a turn in Twister
  35. 53Time to do without
  36. 54Gary's ___ Towne Tavern (rival bar on "Cheers")
  37. 56Minuscule amount
  38. 57Short stroke
  39. 58Batting avg., e.g.
  40. 60Rocksteady relative
  41. 61"___ bin ein Berliner"

The answer to “Painstakingly explain something ... or a hint to 17-, 26- and 45-Across” in the New York Times crossword is SPELLITOUT — a 10-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on December 17, 2025, a Wednesday puzzle, at 60-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.

“Painstakingly explain something ... or a hint to 17-, 26- and 45-Across” answer

SPELLITOUT (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 SPELLITOUT.

Why the answer is SPELLITOUT

SPELLITOUT is the 10-letter solution that fits "Painstakingly explain something ... or a hint to 17-, 26- and 45-Across" in the NYT Crossword crossword on December 17, 2025 (60-Across). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.

When else has “Painstakingly explain something ... or a hint to 17-, 26- and 45-Across” 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 17, 2025 (most recent) → SPELLITOUT. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Painstakingly explain something ... or a hint to 17-, 26- and 45-Across”?

The answer is SPELLITOUT, a 10-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on December 17, 2025.

How many letters is the answer to “Painstakingly explain something ... or a hint to 17-, 26- and 45-Across”?

10 letters: SPELLITOUT.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on December 17, 2025 (a Wednesday puzzle), at 60-Across.

Can “Painstakingly explain something ... or a hint to 17-, 26- and 45-Across” 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 17, 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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