NYT Crossword Answers - Dec 21

Present Time

By David Kwong

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

Across

  1. 1Some Arctic transports
  2. 10S.E.C. football powerhouse, for short
  3. 141950s hangout with a jukebox
  4. 20Game piece made of four squares
  5. 21"The Kite Runner" protagonist
  6. 22Skulks
  7. 23Joins gradually
  8. 24"Doggone it!"
  9. 25Treatment
  10. 26Blue colorant obtained from the indigo plant
  11. 27Wrangler alternative
  12. 28Brightly colored Mediterranean flowers
  13. 30Rap's Run-___
  14. 31Course catalog?
  15. 32When Aries transitions to Taurus
  16. 34Sweetly, on scores
  17. 35"I'll pass"
  18. 36Input of certain mining
  19. 38Montalbán who played Khan in "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan"
  20. 40Timer setting
  21. 42Areas of influence
  22. 45Mental health org.
  23. 46Fraudulently make seem like
  24. 48Covers completely
  25. 49Wyoming peak
  26. 51Like a corporation with a new logo, perhaps
  27. 54Comment from someone caught in the rain
  28. 56Yellow avenue in Monopoly
  29. 58A bit off, say
  30. 59Hyatt alternative
  31. 60Hard-boiled genre
  32. 62TheForce.net for "Star Wars," for example
  33. 64Dark side
  34. 65Former big name in browsers
  35. 67U.F.O.-watching org.
  36. 68By way of, informally
  37. 70Kemo ___ (the Lone Ranger)
  38. 71Sailor's patron
  39. 72Fleetwood Mac hit named for a Celtic goddess
  40. 76Daddy
  41. 79Eponymous British financier James ___
  42. 81By saying this you mean well
  43. 82Wrap seller
  44. 83Adopted, as a pet
  45. 85Wasn't folded in a suitcase, say
  46. 87Developed, as baby teeth
  47. 89Sci-fi miniaturizer
  48. 91Emanations
  49. 93Boldly face
  50. 94Kind of cipher in which A becomes B, B becomes C, e.g.
  51. 95Guardians, on a scoreboard
  52. 96Bit of birdspeak
  53. 98Damp, mildewy quality
  54. 99They hold water
  55. 102Silence
  56. 103Lying faceup
  57. 104___ Park, Calif.
  58. 105Air
  59. 107Disney subsidiary
  60. 111A little help?
  61. 112Evaded, as a sensitive issue
  62. 114Some pings, in brief
  63. 115"Fie on ___!" (Shakespearean cry)
  64. 116Skips over
  65. 118Few and far between
  66. 119Regulars at parks with ramps, informally
  67. 121Reply after having one's memory jogged
  68. 122Some time ago
  69. 123"What's done is done!"
  70. 124Stick (to)
  71. 125Garden interloper
  72. 126Church parts crossing naves

Down

  1. 1Make furious
  2. 2"The Family Circus" cartoonist Bil ___
  3. 3Tennis line judge's ruling
  4. 4Duke Ellington classic with the lyric "That was my heart serenading you"
  5. 5West side of L.A.?
  6. 6"Is there still time for me to join you?"
  7. 751 to the hour
  8. 8Stage direction
  9. 9Phillipa of Broadway
  10. 10Grammy winner Erykah
  11. 11___ Gorman, "The Hill We Climb" poet
  12. 12Copy
  13. 13Iced-tea-and-lemonade refreshments
  14. 14Spending romp
  15. 15Output of certain mining
  16. 16Counterpart of a sub
  17. 17Fast start?
  18. 18Father, familiarly
  19. 19Mentally overpower, with "out"
  20. 28Like most moccasins
  21. 29Great Dane of cartoons, informally
  22. 33More livid
  23. 37Keister, in Leicester
  24. 392015 chart-topping hit for the Weeknd
  25. 40Symbolic for its time
  26. 41Shoe company with an iconic checkerboard design
  27. 42Descendant
  28. 43Apple: Fr.
  29. 44Is without
  30. 47Rabid in appearance
  31. 50Woman's nickname that sounds like two letters
  32. 51Rice-A-___
  33. 52"Borderlands" director ___ Roth
  34. 53Hiding place
  35. 55Gene pools?
  36. 57Org. with its own alphabet
  37. 61Abbr. not found on most smartphones
  38. 63"Aren't ___ lucky one?!"
  39. 66It has a lot of secretaries
  40. 67Shirt collar stiffener
  41. 69Where to find six "presents" in this puzzle?
  42. 71Knock 'em dead
  43. 72Coolidge who sang the theme for "Octopussy"
  44. 73Just getting started with
  45. 74Green shade
  46. 75What Joe Montana was in the '80s
  47. 76A TD scores six of these
  48. 77"Fancy, that!"
  49. 78Prickly denizen of coral reefs
  50. 80Famed lawyer in the 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial
  51. 81Most minimal
  52. 84Some Korean exports
  53. 86Calmed deceptively
  54. 88Baseball slugger's stat
  55. 90Bird used to deliver messages on "Game of Thrones"
  56. 92Blueprints
  57. 97Author Zora Neale ___
  58. 98Noodled on, with "over"
  59. 100Girlfriend in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off"
  60. 101Informant
  61. 103"Ta-ta!"
  62. 104Tricky pool shot
  63. 106Someone enjoying a walk in the park
  64. 108Mentally with it
  65. 109___ four
  66. 110Fits one inside the other
  67. 112Porcine : pigs :: cervine : ___
  68. 113Essential
  69. 117It might be good for a change
  70. 119One who knows the drill?: Abbr.
  71. 120Teslas, e.g., for short

Here are the NYT Crossword answers for Sunday, December 21, 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 21?” 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 21, 2025

The full solution for the December 21 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 Sunday, December 21.

Full NYT Crossword answer list for December 21, 2025

Every clue from the December 21 grid next to its solution — the same answers as the board above, in one plain list you can scan without tapping.

Across

#ClueAnswer
1Some Arctic transportsSKIPLANES
10S.E.C. football powerhouse, for shortBAMA
141950s hangout with a jukeboxSODAOP
20Game piece made of four squaresTETROMINO
21"The Kite Runner" protagonistAMIR
22SkulksPROWLS
23Joins graduallyEASESINTO
24"Doggone it!"DARN
25TreatmentREMEDY
26Blue colorant obtained from the indigo plantANIL
27Wrangler alternativeLEE
28Brightly colored Mediterranean flowersSUNROSES
30Rap's Run-___DMC
31Course catalog?MENU
32When Aries transitions to TaurusAPRIL
34Sweetly, on scoresDOLCE
35"I'll pass"NAH
36Input of certain miningDATA
38Montalbán who played Khan in "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan"RICARDO
40Timer settingOVEN
42Areas of influenceSPHERES
45Mental health org.APA
46Fraudulently make seem likePOFFAS
48Covers completelyCOATS
49Wyoming peakTETON
51Like a corporation with a new logo, perhapsREBRANDED
54Comment from someone caught in the rainIMSOED
56Yellow avenue in MonopolyVENTNOR
58A bit off, sayONSALE
59Hyatt alternativeOMNI
60Hard-boiled genreNOIR
62TheForce.net for "Star Wars," for exampleFANSITE
64Dark sideYIN
65Former big name in browsersNETSCAPE
67U.F.O.-watching org.SETI
68By way of, informallyTHRU
70Kemo ___ (the Lone Ranger)SABE
71Sailor's patronSTEO
72Fleetwood Mac hit named for a Celtic goddessRHIANNON
76DaddyPOP
79Eponymous British financier James ___BARCLAY
81By saying this you mean wellBIEN
82Wrap sellerDELI
83Adopted, as a petTOOKIN
85Wasn't folded in a suitcase, sayLAYFLAT
87Developed, as baby teethGREWIN
89Sci-fi miniaturizerSHRINKRAY
91EmanationsAURAS
93Boldly faceBRAVE
94Kind of cipher in which A becomes B, B becomes C, e.g.CAESAR
95Guardians, on a scoreboardCLE
96Bit of birdspeakCHITTER
98Damp, mildewy qualityMUST
99They hold waterVESSELS
102SilenceHUSH
103Lying faceupSUP
104___ Park, Calif.MENLO
105AirETHER
107Disney subsidiaryESPN
111A little help?ELF
112Evaded, as a sensitive issueDANCOUND
114Some pings, in briefIMS
115"Fie on ___!" (Shakespearean cry)THEE
116Skips overELIDES
118Few and far betweenRARE
119Regulars at parks with ramps, informallySKATERATS
121Reply after having one's memory joggedYESYES
122Some time agoONCE
123"What's done is done!"GETOVERIT
124Stick (to)ADHERE
125Garden interloperWEED
126Church parts crossing navesTRANSEPTS

Down

#ClueAnswer
1Make furiousSTEAM
2"The Family Circus" cartoonist Bil ___KEANE
3Tennis line judge's rulingITSIN
4Duke Ellington classic with the lyric "That was my heart serenading you"PRELUDETOISS
5West side of L.A.?LOS
6"Is there still time for me to join you?"AMILATE
751 to the hourNINEPAST
8Stage directionENTER
9Phillipa of BroadwaySOO
10Grammy winner ErykahBADU
11___ Gorman, "The Hill We Climb" poetAMANDA
12CopyMIRROR
13Iced-tea-and-lemonade refreshmentsARNOLDPERS
14Spending rompSPREE
15Output of certain miningORES
16Counterpart of a subDOM
17Fast start?AWEDNESDAY
18Father, familiarlyOLDMAN
19Mentally overpower, with "out"PSYCH
28Like most moccasinsSLIPON
29Great Dane of cartoons, informallySCOOB
33More lividIRATER
37Keister, in LeicesterARSE
392015 chart-topping hit for the WeekndCANTFEEYFACE
40Symbolic for its timeOFANERA
41Shoe company with an iconic checkerboard designVANS
42DescendantSCION
43Apple: Fr.POMME
44Is withoutHASNT
47Rabid in appearanceFROTHING
50Woman's nickname that sounds like two lettersEVIE
51Rice-A-___RONI
52"Borderlands" director ___ RothELI
53Hiding placeDEN
55Gene pools?DNABANKS
57Org. with its own alphabetNATO
61Abbr. not found on most smartphonesOPER
63"Aren't ___ lucky one?!"ITHE
66It has a lot of secretariesCABINET
67Shirt collar stiffenerSTAY
69Where to find six "presents" in this puzzle?UNDERTHETREE
71Knock 'em deadSLAY
72Coolidge who sang the theme for "Octopussy"RITA
73Just getting started withNEWAT
74Green shadeOLIVE
75What Joe Montana was in the '80sNINER
76A TD scores six of thesePTS
77"Fancy, that!"OOH
78Prickly denizen of coral reefsPORCUPFISH
80Famed lawyer in the 1925 Scopes Monkey TrialCLARENCROW
81Most minimalBAREST
84Some Korean exportsKIAS
86Calmed deceptivelyLULLED
88Baseball slugger's statRBIS
90Bird used to deliver messages on "Game of Thrones"RAVEN
92BlueprintsSCHEMATA
97Author Zora Neale ___HURSTON
98Noodled on, with "over"MULLED
100Girlfriend in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off"SLOANE
101InformantSOURCE
103"Ta-ta!"SEEYA
104Tricky pool shotMASSE
106Someone enjoying a walk in the parkHIKER
108Mentally with itSHARP
109___ fourPETIT
110Fits one inside the otherNESTS
112Porcine : pigs :: cervine : ___DEER
113EssentialNEED
117It might be good for a changeDYE
119One who knows the drill?: Abbr.SGT
120Teslas, e.g., for shortEVS

Hints for the December 21 puzzle

Not ready for the full answer? Here are lighter, spoiler-free nudges for that day's grid, above the solutions. The December 21 puzzle fell on a Sunday, 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 Sunday 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.

Looking for a different day?

Prefer to solve rather than peek? The play button opens the puzzle so you can try that day's grid yourself, then come back to check your answers. Stuck on a single clue from any puzzle, our crossword solver reveals just that answer from your known letters.

Frequently asked questions

What were the NYT Crossword answers on December 21, 2025?

Every answer for the Sunday, December 21, 2025 NYT Crossword is listed at the top of this page — the confirmed grid as published that day.

Where can I find today's NYT Crossword answers?

Today's live puzzle is on our NYT Crossword answers today page, updated the moment each new grid goes live.

How do I look up a different date?

Use the previous/next links above to step day by day, or open the today page to browse the full dated archive.

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