Patterns
Crossword Answer — December 24, 2025
NYT Crossword
Wednesday, December 24, 2025
By Ella Dershowitz
Tap a square to reveal a letter.
Or reveal one clue at a time with the Hint and Answer buttons below.
Crossword clues, hints, and answers
Across
- 1. Whom you might say "hey" to every day — Answer: SIRI
- 5. Collect — Answer: AMASS
- 10. Indicator of an important email — Answer: STAR
- 14. One of many in a Swiss Army knife — Answer: TOOL
- 15. "Name your ___" — Answer: PRICE
- 16. Predator in a pod — Answer: ORCA
- 17. Salad topping that's actually from America and is rarely consumed in its namesake land — Answer: ITALIANDRESSING
- 20. Wheelchair access paths — Answer: RAMPS
- 21. Spanish "Listen up!" — Answer: OYE
- 22. "Shucks, you're too kind" — Answer: AWGEE
- 23. As a P.S. — Answer: ALSO
- 25. Sharp quality — Answer: EDGE
- 27. "Out of Africa" author actually named Karen Christentze von Blixen-Finecke — Answer: ISAKDINESEN
- 30. Knee parts, for short — Answer: ACLS. Hint: These are crucial for stabilizing your movement on the field! 🏃♂️
- 32. Wee winter workers — Answer: ELVES
- 33. It keeps the rain away — Answer: TARP
- 36. Shout at a Real Madrid game — Answer: GOL
- 37. Kosher barbecue option — Answer: BEEFRIB
- 39. Kenan's partner in comedy — Answer: KEL
- 40. Where Noah's Ark landed — Answer: ARARAT
- 42. Grant — Answer: GIVETO
- 44. Observance celebrating a decision actually made on July 2 -- the date when John Adams predicted it would be celebrated — Answer: INDEPENDENCEDAY
- 48. "Scream" queen Campbell — Answer: NEVE
- 49. Jockey's handful — Answer: REINS
- 50. Humans : Homo :: bees : ___ — Answer: APIS
- 51. Frees (of) — Answer: RIDS
- 53. Includes online, in a way — Answer: CCS
- 54. Blueprint — Answer: PLAN
- 55. Some high-level H.S. classes — Answer: APS
- 56. Aids for minors buying liquor ... or a hint to 17-, 27- and 44-Across — Answer: FAKEIDS
- 59. ___ Faire — Answer: REN
- 61. Shrub that sounds regretful — Answer: RUE
- 62. Telethon contributions — Answer: PLEDGES
- 63. Ironman race, familiarly — Answer: TRI
- 64. Kind of oil in some edibles — Answer: CBD
- 65. "How ___ It End?" (Taylor Swift song) — Answer: DID
- 66. Lunch lady's hair holder — Answer: NET
- 67. Fancy handbag inits. — Answer: YSL
Down
- 1. Recipe directive — Answer: STIR
- 2. Speck — Answer: IOTA
- 3. Travel without an itinerary, say — Answer: ROAM
- 4. "Count me out" — Answer: ILLPASS
- 5. Org. for therapists — Answer: APA
- 6. Silly character on the "Sesame Street" segment "Elmo's World" — Answer: MRNOODLE
- 7. "S.N.L." alum Bryant — Answer: AIDY
- 8. Free copy of a film sent to awards show voters — Answer: SCREENER
- 9. Perceive — Answer: SEE
- 10. "That's very kind of you" — Answer: SOSWEET
- 11. Class where you learn how to get a tan? — Answer: TRIG
- 12. Pimples — Answer: ACNE
- 13. Fury — Answer: RAGE
- 18. Cuba, por ejemplo — Answer: ISLA
- 19. Looks weighed down — Answer: SAGS
- 24. Pesky biter, informally — Answer: SKEETER
- 26. Patterns — Answer: DESIGNS
- 27. Unwise — Answer: ILLADVISED
- 28. Procedure with frozen eggs, for short — Answer: IVF
- 29. No-clothes college gathering — Answer: NAKEDPARTY
- 30. "Really, we're still doing this?!" — Answer: AGAIN
- 31. Convenient spot for a pint — Answer: CORNERPUB
- 34. Orthodontists' offerings — Answer: RETAINERS
- 35. Tricksy schemes — Answer: PLOYS
- 37. Cooked rice, in Korean cuisine — Answer: BAP
- 38. Ballpoint brand — Answer: BIC
- 41. Clarinetist's need — Answer: REED
- 43. Wiener schnitzel meat — Answer: VEAL
- 45. Snogged — Answer: NECKED
- 46. Cut into small cubes — Answer: DICED
- 47. Coast Guard rank — Answer: ENSIGN
- 52. Cops near Alcatraz, for short — Answer: SFPD
- 54. "Hey! Over here!" — Answer: PSST
- 55. Rainbow's shape — Answer: ARC
- 57. ___ Stroker, Tony Award-winning actress in "Oklahoma!" — Answer: ALI
- 58. Low mark — Answer: DEE
- 60. Zilch — Answer: NIL
The answer to “Patterns” in the New York Times crossword is DESIGNS — a 7-letter word. This clue ran in the New York Times crossword on December 24, 2025, a Wednesday puzzle, at 26-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.
“Patterns” answer
DESIGNS (7 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 DESIGNS.
Why the answer is DESIGNS
DESIGNS is the 7-letter solution that fits "Patterns" in the NYT Crossword crossword on December 24, 2025 (26-Down). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.
When else has “Patterns” 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 24, 2025 (this puzzle) → DESIGNS. We haven't indexed an earlier appearance of this exact clue yet.
More clues from the NYT Crossword crossword on December 24, 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.
- Sharp quality → EDGE
- "Out of Africa" author actually named Karen Christentze von Blixen-Finecke → ISAKDINESEN
- Wee winter workers → ELVES
- Kosher barbecue option → BEEFRIB
- Grant → GIVETO
- Observance celebrating a decision actually made on July 2 -- the date when John Adams predicted it would be celebrated → INDEPENDENCEDAY
- Jockey's handful → REINS
- Unwise → ILLADVISED
Want every clue in one place? The full New York Times answer list for December 24, 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 Wednesday 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 “Patterns”?
The answer is DESIGNS, a 7-letter word. It appeared in the New York Times crossword on December 24, 2025.
How many letters is the answer to “Patterns”?
7 letters: DESIGNS.
Where did this clue appear?
In the New York Times crossword on December 24, 2025 (a Wednesday puzzle), at 26-Down.
Can “Patterns” 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 24, 2025 is on the NYT Crossword answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.