Tin Man's need

Latest answer — December 29, 2025

45 Across

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NYT Crossword

This clue's Monday, December 29, 2025 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Life story, in brief
  2. 4The "S" of NASA
  3. 9Where Shrek lives
  4. 14Kerfuffle
  5. 15Outer limits
  6. 16They're contained within books
  7. 17Is severely underpaid
  8. 20Andean animal with a long neck
  9. 21Earth goddess
  10. 22Condé ___ (magazine publisher)
  11. 23"Tsk! Tsk!"
  12. 25Humorist Bombeck
  13. 27Motown or RCA
  14. 32Particular place
  15. 35Stephen of "V for Vendetta"
  16. 36Country that contains the southern slope of Mount Everest
  17. 38Chicago trains
  18. 39Seating area for 12 peers
  19. 42Piece of Grubhub info, for short
  20. 43Stringed instrument that rests on the ground
  21. 45Tin Man's need
  22. 46Like the Mariana Trench
  23. 47Works that are heard rather than read
  24. 51Sister of Meg, Jo and Amy in "Little Women"
  25. 52Gives the ax
  26. 55Soaks (up)
  27. 58Puppy sounds
  28. 61Fundamental belief
  29. 63Description for an ideal partner ... or what the ends of 17-, 27-, 39- and 47-Across create?
  30. 66Put on TV
  31. 67Molars and canines
  32. 68Signal for an actor to go onstage
  33. 69Pumpkin, e.g.
  34. 70"Alas ..."
  35. 71TV's "___ Lasso"

Down

  1. 1Cry like a baby
  2. 2Admired figures
  3. 3Battle cry of the U.S. Marine Corps
  4. 4Kind of bagel
  5. 5Many a PC file
  6. 6Really eager
  7. 7Actor Michael of "Arrested Development"
  8. 8Caught sight of
  9. 9Place to be pampered
  10. 101996 #1 hit for the Spice Girls
  11. 11Water, in Colombia
  12. 12Team that plays at Citi Field
  13. 13"Over here!"
  14. 18Onetime retail chain giant
  15. 19___ Grey tea
  16. 24Very light brown
  17. 26Tail-less cat
  18. 28Above, in poetry
  19. 29Synthetic fiber
  20. 30Fencing sword
  21. 31Not on time
  22. 32"Gimme a ___!"
  23. 33Commoner
  24. 34Norway's capital
  25. 37Two lengths of a pool
  26. 39What a punch line may end
  27. 40Part of a drill assembly or comedy routine
  28. 41"Frozen" snowman
  29. 44Seafood with claws
  30. 46Jeter in the Baseball Hall of Fame
  31. 48Rushing yards, e.g., informally
  32. 49"Well, dang it!"
  33. 50Slightly out of tune
  34. 53Put into law
  35. 54Move smoothly to another topic
  36. 55Without a date
  37. 56River past Cincinnati
  38. 57Lima's land
  39. 59Tiny canine pest
  40. 60Drove over the legal limit
  41. 62Ticked (off)
  42. 64Peculiar
  43. 65The Falcons, on a scoreboard

Crossword clues, hints, and answers

Across

  1. 1. Life story, in brief — Answer: BIO
  2. 4. The "S" of NASA — Answer: SPACE
  3. 9. Where Shrek lives — Answer: SWAMP
  4. 14. Kerfuffle — Answer: ADO. Hint: When things get a bit chaotic, you might say there's some of this going on! 😄
  5. 15. Outer limits — Answer: EDGES
  6. 16. They're contained within books — Answer: PAGES
  7. 17. Is severely underpaid — Answer: WORKSFORPEANUTS
  8. 20. Andean animal with a long neck — Answer: LLAMA
  9. 21. Earth goddess — Answer: GAIA
  10. 22. Condé ___ (magazine publisher) — Answer: NAST
  11. 23. "Tsk! Tsk!" — Answer: SHAME
  12. 25. Humorist Bombeck — Answer: ERMA. Hint: This witty writer made everyday life hilariously relatable! 😂
  13. 27. Motown or RCA — Answer: RECORDLABEL
  14. 32. Particular place — Answer: SPOT
  15. 35. Stephen of "V for Vendetta" — Answer: REA. Hint: Think of the Irish actor who played the determined Inspector Finch in this dystopian thriller. 🎬
  16. 36. Country that contains the southern slope of Mount Everest — Answer: NEPAL
  17. 38. Chicago trains — Answer: ELS. Hint: The elevated kind that keeps Chicago moving overhead 🚆
  18. 39. Seating area for 12 peers — Answer: JURYBOX
  19. 42. Piece of Grubhub info, for short — Answer: ETA
  20. 43. Stringed instrument that rests on the ground — Answer: CELLO
  21. 45. Tin Man's need — Answer: OIL
  22. 46. Like the Mariana Trench — Answer: DEEP
  23. 47. Works that are heard rather than read — Answer: BOOKSONTAPE
  24. 51. Sister of Meg, Jo and Amy in "Little Women" — Answer: BETH
  25. 52. Gives the ax — Answer: FIRES
  26. 55. Soaks (up) — Answer: SOPS
  27. 58. Puppy sounds — Answer: ARFS
  28. 61. Fundamental belief — Answer: TENET
  29. 63. Description for an ideal partner ... or what the ends of 17-, 27-, 39- and 47-Across create? — Answer: THETOTALPACKAGE
  30. 66. Put on TV — Answer: AIRED. Hint: What a show gets when it’s finally sent out to the viewers 📺
  31. 67. Molars and canines — Answer: TEETH
  32. 68. Signal for an actor to go onstage — Answer: CUE
  33. 69. Pumpkin, e.g. — Answer: GOURD
  34. 70. "Alas ..." — Answer: SADLY
  35. 71. TV's "___ Lasso" — Answer: TED

Down

  1. 1. Cry like a baby — Answer: BAWL
  2. 2. Admired figures — Answer: IDOLS
  3. 3. Battle cry of the U.S. Marine Corps — Answer: OORAH
  4. 4. Kind of bagel — Answer: SESAME
  5. 5. Many a PC file — Answer: PDF
  6. 6. Really eager — Answer: AGOG
  7. 7. Actor Michael of "Arrested Development" — Answer: CERA
  8. 8. Caught sight of — Answer: ESPIED
  9. 9. Place to be pampered — Answer: SPA
  10. 10. 1996 #1 hit for the Spice Girls — Answer: WANNABE
  11. 11. Water, in Colombia — Answer: AGUA
  12. 12. Team that plays at Citi Field — Answer: METS
  13. 13. "Over here!" — Answer: PSST
  14. 18. Onetime retail chain giant — Answer: KMART
  15. 19. ___ Grey tea — Answer: EARL. Hint: This title comes before the name of a classic citrusy tea. 🍵
  16. 24. Very light brown — Answer: ECRU
  17. 26. Tail-less cat — Answer: MANX
  18. 28. Above, in poetry — Answer: OER
  19. 29. Synthetic fiber — Answer: RAYON
  20. 30. Fencing sword — Answer: EPEE. Hint: A slim blade used in duels and Olympic bouts ⚔️
  21. 31. Not on time — Answer: LATE
  22. 32. "Gimme a ___!" — Answer: SEC
  23. 33. Commoner — Answer: PLEB
  24. 34. Norway's capital — Answer: OSLO
  25. 37. Two lengths of a pool — Answer: LAP
  26. 39. What a punch line may end — Answer: JOKE
  27. 40. Part of a drill assembly or comedy routine — Answer: BIT
  28. 41. "Frozen" snowman — Answer: OLAF. Hint: This cheerful snowman from Arendelle loves warm hugs despite his chilly nature ☃️
  29. 44. Seafood with claws — Answer: LOBSTER
  30. 46. Jeter in the Baseball Hall of Fame — Answer: DEREK
  31. 48. Rushing yards, e.g., informally — Answer: STAT
  32. 49. "Well, dang it!" — Answer: OHRATS
  33. 50. Slightly out of tune — Answer: PITCHY
  34. 53. Put into law — Answer: ENACT
  35. 54. Move smoothly to another topic — Answer: SEGUE
  36. 55. Without a date — Answer: STAG
  37. 56. River past Cincinnati — Answer: OHIO
  38. 57. Lima's land — Answer: PERU
  39. 59. Tiny canine pest — Answer: FLEA
  40. 60. Drove over the legal limit — Answer: SPED
  41. 62. Ticked (off) — Answer: TEED
  42. 64. Peculiar — Answer: ODD
  43. 65. The Falcons, on a scoreboard — Answer: ATL

Recent NYT Crossword Answers

The last 7 days of solutions

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The answer to “Tin Man's need” in the New York Times crossword is OIL — a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on December 29, 2025, a Monday puzzle, at 45-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.

“Tin Man's need” answer

OIL (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 OIL.

Why the answer is OIL

OIL is the 3-letter solution that fits "Tin Man's need" in the NYT Crossword crossword on December 29, 2025 (45-Across). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.

When else has “Tin Man's need” 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 29, 2025 (most recent) → OIL. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

More clues from the NYT Crossword on December 29, 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 29, 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 Monday 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 “Tin Man's need”?

The answer is OIL, a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on December 29, 2025.

How many letters is the answer to “Tin Man's need”?

3 letters: OIL.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on December 29, 2025 (a Monday puzzle), at 45-Across.

Can “Tin Man's need” 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 29, 2025 is on the NYT Crossword answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

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