Some Ph.D. students

Crossword Answer — December 09, 2025

Answer

NYT Crossword

Tuesday, December 09, 2025

By Kate Hawkins

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Or reveal one clue at a time with the Hint and Answer buttons below.

NYT Crossword Clues

Across

  1. 1Goes on to say
  2. 5San Diego baseballer
  3. 10Livens (up)
  4. 14Termites, for an aardwolf
  5. 15Cup-shaped flower
  6. 16Give off
  7. 17"Judging from the information available to me ..."
  8. 20Unadulterated
  9. 21San Francisco-to-Santa Cruz dir.
  10. 22Propellers of a shell
  11. 23"These are merely my spur-of-the-moment suggestions ..."
  12. 27Gobbled up
  13. 28Abu Dhabi's country, for short
  14. 29Notable time period
  15. 30Gossip, in slang
  16. 31Accurse
  17. 3333-Down, across the Atlantic
  18. 34"Oh, ___!" (hit Broadway farce about Mrs. Lincoln)
  19. 35Verdant privacy features ... or a punny description of the four longest answers in this puzzle
  20. 38Singer/actress Lady ___
  21. 41Historical
  22. 42Got a good reaction, as a joke
  23. 46Equal: Prefix
  24. 47Swim-bike-run race, for short
  25. 48Sound from someone sitting down at the end of a long day
  26. 49Game with Skip and Reverse cards
  27. 50"Here's my two cents, which might not amount to much ..."
  28. 54"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a ___" (old maxim)
  29. 55Pre-digital TV screen tech
  30. 56Not close by
  31. 57"Feel free to dismiss this idea -- however ..."
  32. 61Survey
  33. 62Temporary tattoo dye
  34. 63"Frozen" character who sings "Let It Go"
  35. 64Influence
  36. 65Burros
  37. 66Pair in a water polo pool

Down

  1. 1Computing pioneer Lovelace
  2. 2Argue
  3. 3Neutralized, as an explosive situation
  4. 4Launch
  5. 5Org. in charge of school fund-raisers
  6. 6One who might ask "Fair dinkum?"
  7. 7Like some minor celebrities
  8. 8Asahi Super Dry or Kirin Lager
  9. 9Org. that oversees air quality initiatives
  10. 10Bit in a round of "He loves me, he loves me not"
  11. 11Professor ___ (title for some retirees)
  12. 12Light lager
  13. 13The Cards, on scoreboards
  14. 18Cover letter accompaniment
  15. 19Mardi Gras city, informally
  16. 23Poke
  17. 24Music app named for a figure in Greek myth
  18. 25Pigmented rings
  19. 26Part of L.G.B.T.Q.+
  20. 32"By Jove, that's it!"
  21. 3333-Across, across the Atlantic
  22. 34Web portal launched with Windows 95
  23. 36Malfunctions in the Matrix, in "The Matrix"
  24. 37Sound of a sad trombone
  25. 38Many an animated meme loop
  26. 39To date
  27. 40Silverback, for one
  28. 43Built to last
  29. 44Give for safekeeping
  30. 45"How stupid of me!"
  31. 47"Edie & ___: A Very Long Engagement" (2009 documentary)
  32. 48Bring into harmony
  33. 51With a wink, say
  34. 52Smooths (out)
  35. 53On a regular basis
  36. 57Special ___
  37. 58"J to ___ L-O! The Remixes" (2002 Jennifer Lopez album)
  38. 59One of the four fundamental states of matter
  39. 60Some Ph.D. students

Crossword clues, hints, and answers

Across

  1. 1. Goes on to say — Answer: ADDS
  2. 5. San Diego baseballer — Answer: PADRE
  3. 10. Livens (up) — Answer: PEPS
  4. 14. Termites, for an aardwolf — Answer: DIET
  5. 15. Cup-shaped flower — Answer: TULIP
  6. 16. Give off — Answer: EMIT. Hint: Think of what a light bulb does when it's turned on! 💡
  7. 17. "Judging from the information available to me ..." — Answer: ASFARASICANTELL
  8. 20. Unadulterated — Answer: PURE
  9. 21. San Francisco-to-Santa Cruz dir. — Answer: SSE
  10. 22. Propellers of a shell — Answer: OARS
  11. 23. "These are merely my spur-of-the-moment suggestions ..." — Answer: JUSTSPITBALLING
  12. 27. Gobbled up — Answer: ATE. Hint: Think about what you do to food when you're really hungry! 🍽️
  13. 28. Abu Dhabi's country, for short — Answer: UAE. Hint: This place is known for its skyscrapers and deserts! 🌵
  14. 29. Notable time period — Answer: ERA
  15. 30. Gossip, in slang — Answer: TEA
  16. 31. Accurse — Answer: BEDAMN
  17. 33. 33-Down, across the Atlantic — Answer: ZEE
  18. 34. "Oh, ___!" (hit Broadway farce about Mrs. Lincoln) — Answer: MARY
  19. 35. Verdant privacy features ... or a punny description of the four longest answers in this puzzle — Answer: HEDGEROWS
  20. 38. Singer/actress Lady ___ — Answer: GAGA
  21. 41. Historical — Answer: OLD
  22. 42. Got a good reaction, as a joke — Answer: LANDED
  23. 46. Equal: Prefix — Answer: ISO
  24. 47. Swim-bike-run race, for short — Answer: TRI. Hint: This competition combines three athletic disciplines into one exciting event! 🏊‍♂️
  25. 48. Sound from someone sitting down at the end of a long day — Answer: AAH
  26. 49. Game with Skip and Reverse cards — Answer: UNO
  27. 50. "Here's my two cents, which might not amount to much ..." — Answer: FORWHATITSWORTH
  28. 54. "Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a ___" (old maxim) — Answer: FIRE
  29. 55. Pre-digital TV screen tech — Answer: CRT
  30. 56. Not close by — Answer: AFAR
  31. 57. "Feel free to dismiss this idea -- however ..." — Answer: ONLYATHOUGHTBUT
  32. 61. Survey — Answer: POLL
  33. 62. Temporary tattoo dye — Answer: HENNA
  34. 63. "Frozen" character who sings "Let It Go" — Answer: ELSA
  35. 64. Influence — Answer: SWAY
  36. 65. Burros — Answer: ASSES
  37. 66. Pair in a water polo pool — Answer: NETS

Down

  1. 1. Computing pioneer Lovelace — Answer: ADA
  2. 2. Argue — Answer: DISPUTE
  3. 3. Neutralized, as an explosive situation — Answer: DEFUSED
  4. 4. Launch — Answer: START
  5. 5. Org. in charge of school fund-raisers — Answer: PTA
  6. 6. One who might ask "Fair dinkum?" — Answer: AUSSIE
  7. 7. Like some minor celebrities — Answer: DLIST
  8. 8. Asahi Super Dry or Kirin Lager — Answer: RICEBEER
  9. 9. Org. that oversees air quality initiatives — Answer: EPA
  10. 10. Bit in a round of "He loves me, he loves me not" — Answer: PETAL
  11. 11. Professor ___ (title for some retirees) — Answer: EMERITA
  12. 12. Light lager — Answer: PILSNER
  13. 13. The Cards, on scoreboards — Answer: STL
  14. 18. Cover letter accompaniment — Answer: RESUME
  15. 19. Mardi Gras city, informally — Answer: NOLA
  16. 23. Poke — Answer: JAB
  17. 24. Music app named for a figure in Greek myth — Answer: PANDORA
  18. 25. Pigmented rings — Answer: AREOLAS
  19. 26. Part of L.G.B.T.Q.+ — Answer: GAY
  20. 32. "By Jove, that's it!" — Answer: AHA
  21. 33. 33-Across, across the Atlantic — Answer: ZED
  22. 34. Web portal launched with Windows 95 — Answer: MSN
  23. 36. Malfunctions in the Matrix, in "The Matrix" — Answer: GLITCHES
  24. 37. Sound of a sad trombone — Answer: WAHWAH
  25. 38. Many an animated meme loop — Answer: GIF
  26. 39. To date — Answer: ASOFNOW
  27. 40. Silverback, for one — Answer: GORILLA
  28. 43. Built to last — Answer: DURABLE
  29. 44. Give for safekeeping — Answer: ENTRUST
  30. 45. "How stupid of me!" — Answer: DOH
  31. 47. "Edie & ___: A Very Long Engagement" (2009 documentary) — Answer: THEA
  32. 48. Bring into harmony — Answer: ATTUNE
  33. 51. With a wink, say — Answer: WRYLY
  34. 52. Smooths (out) — Answer: IRONS
  35. 53. On a regular basis — Answer: OFTEN
  36. 57. Special ___ — Answer: OPS
  37. 58. "J to ___ L-O! The Remixes" (2002 Jennifer Lopez album) — Answer: THA
  38. 59. One of the four fundamental states of matter — Answer: GAS
  39. 60. Some Ph.D. students — Answer: TAS

The answer to “Some Ph.D. students” in the New York Times crossword is TAS — a 3-letter word. This clue ran in the New York Times crossword on December 9, 2025, a Tuesday puzzle, at 60-Down. If it's the entry standing between you and a clean grid, that's the word you need — and below you'll find why it fits, plus links to the day's other clues if more than one square is giving you trouble.

“Some Ph.D. students” answer

TAS (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 TAS.

Why the answer is TAS

TAS is the 3-letter solution that fits "Some Ph.D. students" in the NYT Crossword crossword on December 9, 2025 (60-Down). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.

When else has “Some Ph.D. students” 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 before, and what the answer was each time — handy if you landed here from a puzzle on another date.

December 9, 2025 (this puzzle) → TAS. We haven't indexed an earlier appearance of this exact clue yet.

More clues from the NYT Crossword on December 9, 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 9, 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 Tuesday 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 “Some Ph.D. students”?

The answer is TAS, a 3-letter word. It appeared in the New York Times crossword on December 9, 2025.

How many letters is the answer to “Some Ph.D. students”?

3 letters: TAS.

Where did this clue appear?

In the New York Times crossword on December 9, 2025 (a Tuesday puzzle), at 60-Down.

Can “Some Ph.D. students” 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 9, 2025 is on the NYT Crossword answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

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