Wednesday, December 17, 2025
By Gary Larson and Doug Peterson
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Or reveal one clue at a time with the Hint and Answer buttons below.
NYT Crossword Clues
Across
- 1Lock combinations?
- 6___ League
- 10Single instruction
- 14Enemy W.W. II vessel
- 15Turner of old movies
- 16Powerful impulse
- 17Group of grumps sitting around kvetching?
- 19Elmer's nemesis
- 20Meeting, casually
- 21A smartphone has lots of these
- 22Centerpiece of "The Hobbit"
- 23Community property pronoun
- 25Like barked orders
- 26Ali vs. Frazier, e.g.?
- 34Genre for GloRilla
- 35Official mandate
- 36Fellow fighter
- 37Brand once known as "Standard Oil Company of Indiana"
- 39Mardi Gras day, in brief
- 40Works on a muffler, say
- 41Welcome figure on Wall Street, unwelcome figure in a china shop
- 42See 50-Down
- 44To and ___
- 45Welcome sight on a whale-watching cruise?
- 48Poindexter
- 49TV freebie of a sort
- 50Easter Island's country
- 52Dark-skinned fruit
- 55Pieces of advice
- 59Primordial substance
- 60Painstakingly explain something ... or a hint to 17-, 26- and 45-Across
- 62Takes a tour of
- 63Compassionate
- 64Terra ___
- 65Does the math, in a way
- 66Pot grower?
- 67H, on the N.Y.S.E.
Down
- 1Tarot suit associated with the element of water
- 2Yamaha product
- 3What makes a stud become studious?
- 4Fully get
- 5Hog's home
- 6"That's a real shame"
- 7Steakhouse order
- 8Marchers in sidewalk cracks
- 9Howl at the moon
- 10Chevy S.U.V.
- 11Authentic
- 12Ones from platypuses have leathery shells
- 13Fly by night ... or by day
- 18Compact holder
- 22Neighbor of Ont.
- 24Red carpet hairstyle, perhaps
- 25Jost's longtime "Weekend Update" co-anchor
- 26Food you might eat wearing a bib
- 27Overplay for the audience
- 28Was the bigger person, say
- 29Follow, as advice
- 30Have faith in
- 31Canines, e.g.
- 32Mega-
- 33Big name in chicken or boxing
- 381990s comedy inspired by "Emma"
- 40"Get Smart" bad guys
- 42Suffix with beat or neat
- 43Throw off
- 46Stick in the ground?
- 47Just about anything on a string
- 50With 42-Across, the Mafia
- 51Cultivated, in a way
- 52Start a turn in Twister
- 53Time to do without
- 54Gary's ___ Towne Tavern (rival bar on "Cheers")
- 56Minuscule amount
- 57Short stroke
- 58Batting avg., e.g.
- 60Rocksteady relative
- 61"___ bin ein Berliner"
Crossword clues, hints, and answers
Across
- 1. Lock combinations? — Answer: COIFS
- 6. ___ League — Answer: ARAB
- 10. Single instruction — Answer: STEP
- 14. Enemy W.W. II vessel — Answer: UBOAT
- 15. Turner of old movies — Answer: LANA
- 16. Powerful impulse — Answer: URGE
- 17. Group of grumps sitting around kvetching? — Answer: POUTYPARTY
- 19. Elmer's nemesis — Answer: BUGS
- 20. Meeting, casually — Answer: SESH
- 21. A smartphone has lots of these — Answer: USES
- 22. Centerpiece of "The Hobbit" — Answer: QUEST
- 23. Community property pronoun — Answer: OUR
- 25. Like barked orders — Answer: CURT
- 26. Ali vs. Frazier, e.g.? — Answer: CHAMPSATTHEBOUT
- 34. Genre for GloRilla — Answer: RAP
- 35. Official mandate — Answer: DECREE
- 36. Fellow fighter — Answer: ALLY
- 37. Brand once known as "Standard Oil Company of Indiana" — Answer: AMOCO
- 39. Mardi Gras day, in brief — Answer: TUE
- 40. Works on a muffler, say — Answer: KNITS
- 41. Welcome figure on Wall Street, unwelcome figure in a china shop — Answer: BULL
- 42. See 50-Down — Answer: NOSTRA
- 44. To and ___ — Answer: FRO
- 45. Welcome sight on a whale-watching cruise? — Answer: SPOUTINTHEOCEAN
- 48. Poindexter — Answer: GEEK
- 49. TV freebie of a sort — Answer: PSA
- 50. Easter Island's country — Answer: CHILE
- 52. Dark-skinned fruit — Answer: SLOE
- 55. Pieces of advice — Answer: TIPS
- 59. Primordial substance — Answer: OOZE
- 60. Painstakingly explain something ... or a hint to 17-, 26- and 45-Across — Answer: SPELLITOUT
- 62. Takes a tour of — Answer: SEES
- 63. Compassionate — Answer: KIND
- 64. Terra ___ — Answer: COTTA
- 65. Does the math, in a way — Answer: ADDS
- 66. Pot grower? — Answer: ANTE
- 67. H, on the N.Y.S.E. — Answer: HYATT
Down
- 1. Tarot suit associated with the element of water — Answer: CUPS
- 2. Yamaha product — Answer: OBOE
- 3. What makes a stud become studious? — Answer: IOUS
- 4. Fully get — Answer: FATHOM
- 5. Hog's home — Answer: STY
- 6. "That's a real shame" — Answer: ALAS
- 7. Steakhouse order — Answer: RARE
- 8. Marchers in sidewalk cracks — Answer: ANTS
- 9. Howl at the moon — Answer: BAY
- 10. Chevy S.U.V. — Answer: SUBURBAN
- 11. Authentic — Answer: TRUETOLIFE
- 12. Ones from platypuses have leathery shells — Answer: EGGS
- 13. Fly by night ... or by day — Answer: PEST
- 18. Compact holder — Answer: PURSE
- 22. Neighbor of Ont. — Answer: QUE
- 24. Red carpet hairstyle, perhaps — Answer: UPDO
- 25. Jost's longtime "Weekend Update" co-anchor — Answer: CHE
- 26. Food you might eat wearing a bib — Answer: CRABS
- 27. Overplay for the audience — Answer: HAMUP
- 28. Was the bigger person, say — Answer: APOLOGIZED
- 29. Follow, as advice — Answer: ACTON
- 30. Have faith in — Answer: TRUST
- 31. Canines, e.g. — Answer: TEETH
- 32. Mega- — Answer: ULTRA
- 33. Big name in chicken or boxing — Answer: TYSON
- 38. 1990s comedy inspired by "Emma" — Answer: CLUELESS
- 40. "Get Smart" bad guys — Answer: KAOS
- 42. Suffix with beat or neat — Answer: NIK
- 43. Throw off — Answer: REPEL
- 46. Stick in the ground? — Answer: TEE
- 47. Just about anything on a string — Answer: CATTOY
- 50. With 42-Across, the Mafia — Answer: COSA
- 51. Cultivated, in a way — Answer: HOED
- 52. Start a turn in Twister — Answer: SPIN
- 53. Time to do without — Answer: LENT
- 54. Gary's ___ Towne Tavern (rival bar on "Cheers") — Answer: OLDE
- 56. Minuscule amount — Answer: IOTA
- 57. Short stroke — Answer: PUTT
- 58. Batting avg., e.g. — Answer: STAT
- 60. Rocksteady relative — Answer: SKA
- 61. "___ bin ein Berliner" — Answer: ICH
Here are the NYT Crossword answers for Wednesday, December 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 December 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 December 17, 2025
The full solution for the December 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 Wednesday, December 17.
Hints for the December 17 puzzle
Not ready for the full answer? Here are lighter, spoiler-free nudges for that day's grid, above the solutions. The December 17 puzzle fell on a Wednesday, 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 Wednesday 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 17, 2025?
Every answer for the Wednesday, December 17, 2025 NYT Crossword is listed at the top of this page — the confirmed grid as published that day.
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