Friday, December 12, 2025
By Adrian Johnson and Jess Rucks
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NYT Crossword Clues
Across
- 1Some free spots, for short
- 5Grounds
- 10Doesn't just talk
- 14"You're telling me!"
- 16Word with wet or sweat
- 17Conspiracy theorist's accessory
- 18"Don't leave me!," e.g.
- 1916 in a Sweet Sixteen
- 20Main component of a "gutbucket," a jug band instrument
- 22Personal records
- 25Padlocked fasteners
- 26Variety of orange named for a European city
- 29What blue crabs do roughly 20 times in their lifetimes
- 30Jobs announcement of 2010
- 31News feed, perhaps
- 35[Waaaaah!]
- 36Thick confection used for cake icing
- 37Part of a golf club
- 38See 5-Down
- 40Binary
- 41Succors
- 42Photo session workers
- 44Ace, e.g.
- 46Skater's braking method with the back foot positioned horizontally
- 47Relative of a craft fair
- 50"Duino Elegies" poet
- 53Saves, as a digital location
- 54Clichéd line from the side of a product package
- 58It's cool to drink
- 59"I haven't told you the best part ..."
- 60Impressively accurate pass, in football slang
- 61Floats
- 62Give a bad hand?
Down
- 1Stone
- 2Vaudeville highlight
- 3Pulitzer-winning journalist Applebaum
- 4You might pull one out for a guest
- 5With 38-Across, one way to sit
- 6Feel gross
- 7"Gross"
- 8Playwright who wrote "You see things; and you say 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say 'Why not?'"
- 9"Tell Mama" singer James
- 10Rocky road ingredient?
- 11Distinction for a classic underground work
- 12Bind
- 13Sticks a fork in
- 15Part of NOW
- 21"Fiddlesticks!"
- 23Disney princess in New Orleans
- 24Workshop debris
- 26Possible need for entry
- 27Each
- 28Colleague who might be solutions-oriented?
- 29Tropical plants said to bring good fortune
- 32"That's the truth"
- 33Kid's parent
- 34Hagfish lookalikes
- 36Company whose logo has a hidden arrow between its fourth and fifth letters
- 39Performance that isn't prerecorded
- 40Word from the Greek for "folded paper"
- 43Butcher shop buys
- 44Pleasing to the palate
- 45"Buss It" rapper ___ Banks
- 48Way
- 49Arm of the Dept. of Labor
- 51Part of a cabinet
- 52French 101 verb
- 55Whitehouse in D.C., e.g.: Abbr.
- 56Physics unit equivalent to roughly 624 gigaelectronvolts
- 57Thoroughly evaluate
Crossword clues, hints, and answers
Across
- 1. Some free spots, for short — Answer: PSAS
- 5. Grounds — Answer: CAUSE
- 10. Doesn't just talk — Answer: ACTS
- 14. "You're telling me!" — Answer: IKNOWRIGHT
- 16. Word with wet or sweat — Answer: SUIT
- 17. Conspiracy theorist's accessory — Answer: TINFOILHAT
- 18. "Don't leave me!," e.g. — Answer: PLEA
- 19. 16 in a Sweet Sixteen — Answer: TEAMS
- 20. Main component of a "gutbucket," a jug band instrument — Answer: WASHTUB
- 22. Personal records — Answer: BESTS
- 25. Padlocked fasteners — Answer: HASPS
- 26. Variety of orange named for a European city — Answer: VALENCIA
- 29. What blue crabs do roughly 20 times in their lifetimes — Answer: MOLT
- 30. Jobs announcement of 2010 — Answer: IPAD
- 31. News feed, perhaps — Answer: RAWFOOTAGE
- 35. [Waaaaah!] — Answer: SOB
- 36. Thick confection used for cake icing — Answer: FONDANT
- 37. Part of a golf club — Answer: TOE
- 38. See 5-Down — Answer: APPLESAUCE
- 40. Binary — Answer: DUAL
- 41. Succors — Answer: AIDS
- 42. Photo session workers — Answer: STYLISTS
- 44. Ace, e.g. — Answer: SERVE
- 46. Skater's braking method with the back foot positioned horizontally — Answer: TSTOP
- 47. Relative of a craft fair — Answer: ARTEXPO
- 50. "Duino Elegies" poet — Answer: RILKE
- 53. Saves, as a digital location — Answer: PINS
- 54. Clichéd line from the side of a product package — Answer: ASSEENONTV
- 58. It's cool to drink — Answer: ICEE
- 59. "I haven't told you the best part ..." — Answer: THERESMORE
- 60. Impressively accurate pass, in football slang — Answer: DART
- 61. Floats — Answer: HANGS
- 62. Give a bad hand? — Answer: ABET
Down
- 1. Stone — Answer: PIT
- 2. Vaudeville highlight — Answer: SKIT
- 3. Pulitzer-winning journalist Applebaum — Answer: ANNE
- 4. You might pull one out for a guest — Answer: SOFABED
- 5. With 38-Across, one way to sit — Answer: CRISSCROSS
- 6. Feel gross — Answer: AIL
- 7. "Gross" — Answer: UGH
- 8. Playwright who wrote "You see things; and you say 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say 'Why not?'" — Answer: SHAW
- 9. "Tell Mama" singer James — Answer: ETTA
- 10. Rocky road ingredient? — Answer: ASPHALT
- 11. Distinction for a classic underground work — Answer: CULTSTATUS
- 12. Bind — Answer: TIEUP
- 13. Sticks a fork in — Answer: STABS
- 15. Part of NOW — Answer: WOMEN
- 21. "Fiddlesticks!" — Answer: SHOOT
- 23. Disney princess in New Orleans — Answer: TIANA
- 24. Workshop debris — Answer: SAWDUST
- 26. Possible need for entry — Answer: VISA
- 27. Each — Answer: APOP
- 28. Colleague who might be solutions-oriented? — Answer: LABPARTNER
- 29. Tropical plants said to bring good fortune — Answer: MONEYTREES
- 32. "That's the truth" — Answer: FACTS
- 33. Kid's parent — Answer: GOAT
- 34. Hagfish lookalikes — Answer: EELS
- 36. Company whose logo has a hidden arrow between its fourth and fifth letters — Answer: FEDEX
- 39. Performance that isn't prerecorded — Answer: LIVESET
- 40. Word from the Greek for "folded paper" — Answer: DIPLOMA
- 43. Butcher shop buys — Answer: LOINS
- 44. Pleasing to the palate — Answer: SAPID
- 45. "Buss It" rapper ___ Banks — Answer: ERICA
- 48. Way — Answer: PATH
- 49. Arm of the Dept. of Labor — Answer: OSHA
- 51. Part of a cabinet — Answer: KNOB
- 52. French 101 verb — Answer: ETRE
- 55. Whitehouse in D.C., e.g.: Abbr. — Answer: SEN
- 56. Physics unit equivalent to roughly 624 gigaelectronvolts — Answer: ERG
- 57. Thoroughly evaluate — Answer: VET
Here are the NYT Crossword answers for Friday, December 12, 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 December 12?” 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 December 12, 2025
The full solution for the December 12 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, December 12.
Hints for the December 12 puzzle
Not ready for the full answer? Here are lighter, spoiler-free nudges for that day's grid, above the solutions. The December 12 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 December 12, 2025?
Every answer for the Friday, December 12, 2025 NYT Crossword is listed at the top of this page — the confirmed grid as published that day.
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