Friday, October 17, 2025
By Karen Steinberg
Tap a square to reveal a letter.
Or reveal one clue at a time with the Hint and Answer buttons below.
NYT Crossword Clues
Across
- 1What a comment might be made in
- 5Plant often confused with algae
- 9"The Craft"
- 14Pulitzer-winning historian and journalist Applebaum
- 15Understanding response
- 16Amazon smart speakers
- 17British singer with the top 10 albums "Crash" and "Brat"
- 19Some suitors
- 20Sets in motion
- 21Sake, for one
- 23Not fixed, as a stone
- 24Drinking game with projectiles
- 25Sign of healing
- 26New service member
- 27Mental image, for short?
- 28Fun-size, so to speak
- 29Stalk
- 31First releases
- 33Taking out the trash and others
- 35Lab liquids
- 36Max ___, boxer nicknamed "Madcap Maxie"
- 37Corn ___ (snack misnomer)
- 39Longtime Nestlé candy brand
- 41Arizona tribe with matrilineal clans
- 421992 Whoopi Goldberg comedy
- 45Survived, so to speak
- 46Portmanteau for evidence based solely on personal accounts
- 47Popular name of the 1958 Italian hit "Nel Blu, Dipinto di Blu"
- 48___ month
- 49Act of writing down whatever comes to mind in order to clear mental clutter
- 51Wipe
- 52Biblical locale in a Steinbeck title
- 53Golfer Aoki
- 54Rationed (out)
- 55Bleak
- 56Gravitate
Down
- 1Historic Émile Zola letter of 1898
- 2Improved
- 3Meaty dog treats "in a blanket"
- 4Less prolix
- 5Customizable Nintendo avatars
- 6Mac platform renamed in 2016
- 7Condition of discretion
- 8More seductive
- 9One managing online content
- 10Drink that comes with free refills
- 11Word with easy or high
- 12Matter
- 13Insufferable sorts
- 18Court call
- 22Handles beautifully, in slang
- 24Bills worth 100 buckaroos
- 26British singer with the hits "R.I.P." and "Radioactive"
- 28Showed embarrassment, say
- 30Event typically occurring in one's late 40s or early 50s
- 32Hoped-for scenario
- 33America, for one: Abbr.
- 34DC figure since 1938
- 36Brand of rum mentioned in Hemingway novels
- 38Certain unit of detergent
- 40Pet gear often eschewed in favor of someone's lap
- 41"Stop the presses!"
- 42Capital that's home to the oldest university in the Western U.S. (1842)
- 43Habituate
- 44Upper house of the French parliament
- 45With, in Spanish
- 47Plant on a pergola
- 50___ Lingus
Crossword clues, hints, and answers
Across
- 1. What a comment might be made in — Answer: JEST
- 5. Plant often confused with algae — Answer: MOSS
- 9. "The Craft" — Answer: WICCA
- 14. Pulitzer-winning historian and journalist Applebaum — Answer: ANNE
- 15. Understanding response — Answer: ISEE
- 16. Amazon smart speakers — Answer: ECHOS
- 17. British singer with the top 10 albums "Crash" and "Brat" — Answer: CHARLIXCX
- 19. Some suitors — Answer: BEAUS
- 20. Sets in motion — Answer: CAUSES
- 21. Sake, for one — Answer: RICEWINE
- 23. Not fixed, as a stone — Answer: UNSET
- 24. Drinking game with projectiles — Answer: BEERDARTS
- 25. Sign of healing — Answer: SCAR
- 26. New service member — Answer: RECRUIT
- 27. Mental image, for short? — Answer: EEG
- 28. Fun-size, so to speak — Answer: TINY
- 29. Stalk — Answer: STEM
- 31. First releases — Answer: DEBUTS
- 33. Taking out the trash and others — Answer: CHORES
- 35. Lab liquids — Answer: SERA
- 36. Max ___, boxer nicknamed "Madcap Maxie" — Answer: BAER
- 37. Corn ___ (snack misnomer) — Answer: NUT
- 39. Longtime Nestlé candy brand — Answer: SNOCAPS
- 41. Arizona tribe with matrilineal clans — Answer: HOPI
- 42. 1992 Whoopi Goldberg comedy — Answer: SISTERACT
- 45. Survived, so to speak — Answer: COPED
- 46. Portmanteau for evidence based solely on personal accounts — Answer: ANECDATA
- 47. Popular name of the 1958 Italian hit "Nel Blu, Dipinto di Blu" — Answer: VOLARE
- 48. ___ month — Answer: LUNAR
- 49. Act of writing down whatever comes to mind in order to clear mental clutter — Answer: BRAINDUMP
- 51. Wipe — Answer: ERASE
- 52. Biblical locale in a Steinbeck title — Answer: EDEN
- 53. Golfer Aoki — Answer: ISAO
- 54. Rationed (out) — Answer: METED
- 55. Bleak — Answer: DIRE
- 56. Gravitate — Answer: TEND
Down
- 1. Historic Émile Zola letter of 1898 — Answer: JACCUSE
- 2. Improved — Answer: ENHANCED
- 3. Meaty dog treats "in a blanket" — Answer: SNAUSAGES
- 4. Less prolix — Answer: TERSER
- 5. Customizable Nintendo avatars — Answer: MIIS
- 6. Mac platform renamed in 2016 — Answer: OSX
- 7. Condition of discretion — Answer: SECRECY
- 8. More seductive — Answer: SEXIER
- 9. One managing online content — Answer: WEBEDITOR
- 10. Drink that comes with free refills — Answer: ICEWATER
- 11. Word with easy or high — Answer: CHAIR
- 12. Matter — Answer: COUNT
- 13. Insufferable sorts — Answer: ASSES
- 18. Court call — Answer: LET
- 22. Handles beautifully, in slang — Answer: CRUSHES
- 24. Bills worth 100 buckaroos — Answer: BENS
- 26. British singer with the hits "R.I.P." and "Radioactive" — Answer: RITAORA
- 28. Showed embarrassment, say — Answer: TURNEDRED
- 30. Event typically occurring in one's late 40s or early 50s — Answer: MENOPAUSE
- 32. Hoped-for scenario — Answer: BESTCASE
- 33. America, for one: Abbr. — Answer: CAPT
- 34. DC figure since 1938 — Answer: SUPERMAN
- 36. Brand of rum mentioned in Hemingway novels — Answer: BACARDI
- 38. Certain unit of detergent — Answer: TIDEPOD
- 40. Pet gear often eschewed in favor of someone's lap — Answer: CATBED
- 41. "Stop the presses!" — Answer: HOLDIT
- 42. Capital that's home to the oldest university in the Western U.S. (1842) — Answer: SALEM
- 43. Habituate — Answer: INURE
- 44. Upper house of the French parliament — Answer: SENAT
- 45. With, in Spanish — Answer: CON
- 47. Plant on a pergola — Answer: VINE
- 50. ___ Lingus — Answer: AER
Here are the NYT Crossword answers for Friday, October 17, 2025 — every solution for that day's 15×15 (21×21 on Sunday) puzzle, listed at the top of this page. Whether you're catching up on a puzzle you missed, settling a “what was the answer on October 17?” question, or checking a grid you finished that day, the complete clue-by-clue solution is right here. Looking for today's puzzle instead? Head to our live NYT Crossword answers page.
NYT Crossword answers for October 17, 2025
The full solution for the October 17 NYT Crossword is shown above, laid out clue by clue — every Across answer followed by every Down answer, exactly as that day's grid read. Each answer is listed separately, so you can check just the clue you were stuck on and leave the rest. This is the confirmed grid as published on Friday, October 17.
Hints for the October 17 puzzle
Not ready for the full answer? Here are lighter, spoiler-free nudges for that day's grid, above the solutions. The October 17 puzzle fell on a Friday, and with the New York Times crossword that matters: the grid gets harder as the week goes on, from an easy Monday to a fiendish Saturday, with a large themed puzzle on Sunday. So a Friday grid tells you how much misdirection to expect — and if a clue that day seemed to make no sense, the weekday is usually the reason. Use the hints for the trickiest clues, then reveal the answers above only if you need them.
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Frequently asked questions
What were the NYT Crossword answers on October 17, 2025?
Every answer for the Friday, October 17, 2025 NYT Crossword is listed at the top of this page — the confirmed grid as published that day.
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