NYT Crossword Answers - Dec 12

By Adrian Johnson and Jess Rucks

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Across

  1. 1Some free spots, for shortPSAS
  2. 5GroundsCAUSE
  3. 10Doesn't just talkACTS
  4. 14"You're telling me!"IKNOWRIGHT
  5. 16Word with wet or sweatSUIT
  6. 17Conspiracy theorist's accessoryTINFOILHAT
  7. 18"Don't leave me!," e.g.PLEA
  8. 1916 in a Sweet SixteenTEAMS
  9. 20Main component of a "gutbucket," a jug band instrumentWASHTUB
  10. 22Personal recordsBESTS
  11. 25Padlocked fastenersHASPS
  12. 26Variety of orange named for a European cityVALENCIA
  13. 29What blue crabs do roughly 20 times in their lifetimesMOLT
  14. 30Jobs announcement of 2010IPAD
  15. 31News feed, perhapsRAWFOOTAGE
  16. 35[Waaaaah!]SOB
  17. 36Thick confection used for cake icingFONDANT
  18. 37Part of a golf clubTOE
  19. 38See 5-DownAPPLESAUCE
  20. 40BinaryDUAL
  21. 41SuccorsAIDS
  22. 42Photo session workersSTYLISTS
  23. 44Ace, e.g.SERVE
  24. 46Skater's braking method with the back foot positioned horizontallyTSTOP
  25. 47Relative of a craft fairARTEXPO
  26. 50"Duino Elegies" poetRILKE
  27. 53Saves, as a digital locationPINS
  28. 54Clichéd line from the side of a product packageASSEENONTV
  29. 58It's cool to drinkICEE
  30. 59"I haven't told you the best part ..."THERESMORE
  31. 60Impressively accurate pass, in football slangDART
  32. 61FloatsHANGS
  33. 62Give a bad hand?ABET

Down

  1. 1StonePIT
  2. 2Vaudeville highlightSKIT
  3. 3Pulitzer-winning journalist ApplebaumANNE
  4. 4You might pull one out for a guestSOFABED
  5. 5With 38-Across, one way to sitCRISSCROSS
  6. 6Feel grossAIL
  7. 7"Gross"UGH
  8. 8Playwright who wrote "You see things; and you say 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say 'Why not?'"SHAW
  9. 9"Tell Mama" singer JamesETTA
  10. 10Rocky road ingredient?ASPHALT
  11. 11Distinction for a classic underground workCULTSTATUS
  12. 12BindTIEUP
  13. 13Sticks a fork inSTABS
  14. 15Part of NOWWOMEN
  15. 21"Fiddlesticks!"SHOOT
  16. 23Disney princess in New OrleansTIANA
  17. 24Workshop debrisSAWDUST
  18. 26Possible need for entryVISA
  19. 27EachAPOP
  20. 28Colleague who might be solutions-oriented?LABPARTNER
  21. 29Tropical plants said to bring good fortuneMONEYTREES
  22. 32"That's the truth"FACTS
  23. 33Kid's parentGOAT
  24. 34Hagfish lookalikesEELS
  25. 36Company whose logo has a hidden arrow between its fourth and fifth lettersFEDEX
  26. 39Performance that isn't prerecordedLIVESET
  27. 40Word from the Greek for "folded paper"DIPLOMA
  28. 43Butcher shop buysLOINS
  29. 44Pleasing to the palateSAPID
  30. 45"Buss It" rapper ___ BanksERICA
  31. 48WayPATH
  32. 49Arm of the Dept. of LaborOSHA
  33. 51Part of a cabinetKNOB
  34. 52French 101 verbETRE
  35. 55Whitehouse in D.C., e.g.: Abbr.SEN
  36. 56Physics unit equivalent to roughly 624 gigaelectronvoltsERG
  37. 57Thoroughly evaluateVET

Crossword clues, hints, and answers

Across

  1. 1. Some free spots, for short — Answer: PSAS
  2. 5. Grounds — Answer: CAUSE
  3. 10. Doesn't just talk — Answer: ACTS
  4. 14. "You're telling me!" — Answer: IKNOWRIGHT
  5. 16. Word with wet or sweat — Answer: SUIT
  6. 17. Conspiracy theorist's accessory — Answer: TINFOILHAT
  7. 18. "Don't leave me!," e.g. — Answer: PLEA
  8. 19. 16 in a Sweet Sixteen — Answer: TEAMS
  9. 20. Main component of a "gutbucket," a jug band instrument — Answer: WASHTUB
  10. 22. Personal records — Answer: BESTS
  11. 25. Padlocked fasteners — Answer: HASPS
  12. 26. Variety of orange named for a European city — Answer: VALENCIA
  13. 29. What blue crabs do roughly 20 times in their lifetimes — Answer: MOLT
  14. 30. Jobs announcement of 2010 — Answer: IPAD
  15. 31. News feed, perhaps — Answer: RAWFOOTAGE
  16. 35. [Waaaaah!] — Answer: SOB
  17. 36. Thick confection used for cake icing — Answer: FONDANT
  18. 37. Part of a golf club — Answer: TOE
  19. 38. See 5-Down — Answer: APPLESAUCE
  20. 40. Binary — Answer: DUAL
  21. 41. Succors — Answer: AIDS
  22. 42. Photo session workers — Answer: STYLISTS
  23. 44. Ace, e.g. — Answer: SERVE
  24. 46. Skater's braking method with the back foot positioned horizontally — Answer: TSTOP
  25. 47. Relative of a craft fair — Answer: ARTEXPO
  26. 50. "Duino Elegies" poet — Answer: RILKE
  27. 53. Saves, as a digital location — Answer: PINS
  28. 54. Clichéd line from the side of a product package — Answer: ASSEENONTV
  29. 58. It's cool to drink — Answer: ICEE
  30. 59. "I haven't told you the best part ..." — Answer: THERESMORE
  31. 60. Impressively accurate pass, in football slang — Answer: DART
  32. 61. Floats — Answer: HANGS
  33. 62. Give a bad hand? — Answer: ABET

Down

  1. 1. Stone — Answer: PIT
  2. 2. Vaudeville highlight — Answer: SKIT
  3. 3. Pulitzer-winning journalist Applebaum — Answer: ANNE
  4. 4. You might pull one out for a guest — Answer: SOFABED
  5. 5. With 38-Across, one way to sit — Answer: CRISSCROSS
  6. 6. Feel gross — Answer: AIL
  7. 7. "Gross" — Answer: UGH
  8. 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. 9. "Tell Mama" singer James — Answer: ETTA. Hint: Think of the powerful soul-and-blues vocalist whose fiery performances made “Tell Mama” a classic. 🎤
  10. 10. Rocky road ingredient? — Answer: ASPHALT
  11. 11. Distinction for a classic underground work — Answer: CULTSTATUS
  12. 12. Bind — Answer: TIEUP
  13. 13. Sticks a fork in — Answer: STABS
  14. 15. Part of NOW — Answer: WOMEN
  15. 21. "Fiddlesticks!" — Answer: SHOOT
  16. 23. Disney princess in New Orleans — Answer: TIANA
  17. 24. Workshop debris — Answer: SAWDUST
  18. 26. Possible need for entry — Answer: VISA
  19. 27. Each — Answer: APOP. Hint: Think about the word used to refer to individual items in a collection! 📦
  20. 28. Colleague who might be solutions-oriented? — Answer: LABPARTNER
  21. 29. Tropical plants said to bring good fortune — Answer: MONEYTREES
  22. 32. "That's the truth" — Answer: FACTS
  23. 33. Kid's parent — Answer: GOAT
  24. 34. Hagfish lookalikes — Answer: EELS
  25. 36. Company whose logo has a hidden arrow between its fourth and fifth letters — Answer: FEDEX
  26. 39. Performance that isn't prerecorded — Answer: LIVESET
  27. 40. Word from the Greek for "folded paper" — Answer: DIPLOMA
  28. 43. Butcher shop buys — Answer: LOINS
  29. 44. Pleasing to the palate — Answer: SAPID
  30. 45. "Buss It" rapper ___ Banks — Answer: ERICA
  31. 48. Way — Answer: PATH
  32. 49. Arm of the Dept. of Labor — Answer: OSHA
  33. 51. Part of a cabinet — Answer: KNOB
  34. 52. French 101 verb — Answer: ETRE
  35. 55. Whitehouse in D.C., e.g.: Abbr. — Answer: SEN
  36. 56. Physics unit equivalent to roughly 624 gigaelectronvolts — Answer: ERG
  37. 57. Thoroughly evaluate — Answer: VET

Recent NYT Crossword Answers

The last 7 days of solutions

NYT Crossword 11 December 2025NYT Crossword 10 December 2025NYT Crossword 9 December 2025NYT Crossword 8 December 2025NYT Crossword 7 December 2025NYT Crossword 6 December 2025NYT Crossword 5 December 2025

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.

Full NYT Crossword answer list for December 12, 2025

Every clue from the December 12 grid next to its solution — the same answers as the board above, in one plain list you can scan without tapping.

Across

#ClueAnswer
1Some free spots, for shortPSAS
5GroundsCAUSE
10Doesn't just talkACTS
14"You're telling me!"IKNOWRIGHT
16Word with wet or sweatSUIT
17Conspiracy theorist's accessoryTINFOILHAT
18"Don't leave me!," e.g.PLEA
1916 in a Sweet SixteenTEAMS
20Main component of a "gutbucket," a jug band instrumentWASHTUB
22Personal recordsBESTS
25Padlocked fastenersHASPS
26Variety of orange named for a European cityVALENCIA
29What blue crabs do roughly 20 times in their lifetimesMOLT
30Jobs announcement of 2010IPAD
31News feed, perhapsRAWFOOTAGE
35[Waaaaah!]SOB
36Thick confection used for cake icingFONDANT
37Part of a golf clubTOE
38See 5-DownAPPLESAUCE
40BinaryDUAL
41SuccorsAIDS
42Photo session workersSTYLISTS
44Ace, e.g.SERVE
46Skater's braking method with the back foot positioned horizontallyTSTOP
47Relative of a craft fairARTEXPO
50"Duino Elegies" poetRILKE
53Saves, as a digital locationPINS
54Clichéd line from the side of a product packageASSEENONTV
58It's cool to drinkICEE
59"I haven't told you the best part ..."THERESMORE
60Impressively accurate pass, in football slangDART
61FloatsHANGS
62Give a bad hand?ABET

Down

#ClueAnswer
1StonePIT
2Vaudeville highlightSKIT
3Pulitzer-winning journalist ApplebaumANNE
4You might pull one out for a guestSOFABED
5With 38-Across, one way to sitCRISSCROSS
6Feel grossAIL
7"Gross"UGH
8Playwright who wrote "You see things; and you say 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say 'Why not?'"SHAW
9"Tell Mama" singer JamesETTA
10Rocky road ingredient?ASPHALT
11Distinction for a classic underground workCULTSTATUS
12BindTIEUP
13Sticks a fork inSTABS
15Part of NOWWOMEN
21"Fiddlesticks!"SHOOT
23Disney princess in New OrleansTIANA
24Workshop debrisSAWDUST
26Possible need for entryVISA
27EachAPOP
28Colleague who might be solutions-oriented?LABPARTNER
29Tropical plants said to bring good fortuneMONEYTREES
32"That's the truth"FACTS
33Kid's parentGOAT
34Hagfish lookalikesEELS
36Company whose logo has a hidden arrow between its fourth and fifth lettersFEDEX
39Performance that isn't prerecordedLIVESET
40Word from the Greek for "folded paper"DIPLOMA
43Butcher shop buysLOINS
44Pleasing to the palateSAPID
45"Buss It" rapper ___ BanksERICA
48WayPATH
49Arm of the Dept. of LaborOSHA
51Part of a cabinetKNOB
52French 101 verbETRE
55Whitehouse in D.C., e.g.: Abbr.SEN
56Physics unit equivalent to roughly 624 gigaelectronvoltsERG
57Thoroughly evaluateVET

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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