Shrub that sounds regretful

The answer to “Shrub that sounds regretful” in the New York Times crossword is RUE — a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on December 24, 2025, a Wednesday puzzle, at 61-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.

“Shrub that sounds regretful” answer

RUE (3 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 RUE.

Why the answer is RUE

RUE is the 3-letter solution that fits "Shrub that sounds regretful" in the NYT Crossword crossword on December 24, 2025 (61-Across). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.

What does RUE mean?

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

When else has “Shrub that sounds regretful” 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 24, 2025 (most recent) → RUE. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

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