NYT Crossword · The New York Times
The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for December 3, 2015
Thursday, December 3, 2015
By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated How we make hints
This archive page covers the The Crossword from Thursday, December 3, 2015. The daily crossword is the classic: a 15×15 grid on weekdays and a larger Sunday puzzle, with difficulty rising from a gentle Monday to a fiendish Saturday. Hints come first and the solution stays hidden until you ask for it.
Across clues & answers
- 19
- 23
- 34
- 59
- 67
Down clues & answers
- 21
- 25
- 26
- 31
- 32
- 33
- 46
- 53
- 58
Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.
Previous The Crossword answer
Wednesday, December 2, 2015
across
- 1. Stuck, after "in": AJAM
- 5. See 14-Across: MOTH
- 9. Bulgaria's capital: SOFIA
- 14. With 5-Across, lime-green nocturnal insect: LUNA
- 15. Reebok competitor: AVIA
- 16. Feats of Keats: POEMS
- 17. Easy two semesters at school?: LIGHTYEAR
- 19. Euphoric, after "on": AHIGH
- 20. Sleetlike precipitation: ICERAIN
- 21. Score to shoot for: PAR
- 23. Highway caution: SLO
- 24. Monica who won nine tennis majors: SELES
- 25. Lech Walesa, for one?: POLESTAR
- 27. Kimono accessory: OBI
- 28. Caffeine nut: KOLA
- 31. Literary alter ego: MRHYDE
- 32. iPod model: NANO
- 34. Bring home: NET
- 35. Broadcast: AIR
- 36. Attire during an X-ray exam?: RADIATIONBELT
- 41. Bank acct. entry: INT
- 42. "Little" name in 1960s pop: EVA
- 43. Word after direct or drunk: DIAL
- 45. Starbucks selection: GRANDE
- 48. Table salt, to a chemist: NACL
- 50. Computer file extension: EXE
- 51. Lenin, say?: REDGIANT
- 53. Area explored by Lewis and Clark: IDAHO
- 55. Animal in Darwin's "The Descent of Man": APE
- 56. Live and breathe: ARE
- 57. One going head over heels?: ACROBAT
- 59. "GoodFellas" Oscar winner: PESCI
- 61. Fabulous deli delicacy?: SUPERNOVA
- 63. Kind of kitchen: EATIN
- 64. Shadow: TAIL
- 65. Another time: OVER
- 66. Fajita filler: STEAK
- 67. Whack with a newspaper, perhaps: SWAT
- 68. Tear apart: REND
down
- 1. Janney who plays one of the moms on TV's "Mom": ALLISON
- 2. Place to get a smoothie: JUICEBAR
- 3. Ballerina of children's lit: ANGELINA
- 4. Phil ___, 1984 Olympic skiing gold medalist: MAHRE
- 5. "Would you mind?": MAYI
- 6. Place for a roast: OVEN
- 7. Actress/model Carrere: TIA
- 8. Horn-honking brother of old comedy: HARPO
- 9. Part of a restaurant rack: SPARERIB
- 10. "Very impressive!": OOH
- 11. Spirited: FEISTY
- 12. "That's good to hear": IMGLAD
- 13. Where sailors go on leave: ASHORE
- 18. Job: TASK
- 22. It's full of tables for reading: ALMANAC
- 25. Like Job: PATIENT
- 26. Tiny amount: SHRED
- 29. Bingeing: ONATEAR
- 30. Word before fly or rip: LET
- 33. Going too far, in a way: ODING
- 37. Calligrapher's purchase: INDIAINK
- 38. Fallopian tube travelers: OVA
- 39. Rest on: LIEABOVE
- 40. Cayman Islands, e.g.: TAXHAVEN
- 44. Exercise piece?: LEOTARD
- 45. Napa Valley sight: GRAPES
- 46. Previously shown episode: REPEAT
- 47. Carol opening: ADESTE
- 49. Train to N.Y.C.: LIRR
- 52. Flight destinations?: NESTS
- 54. Benefactor: DONOR
- 57. Capital of Samoa: APIA
- 58. Knick rival: CELT
- 60. "Homeland" org.: CIA
- 62. Detroit-based labor grp.: UAW
More daily puzzle hints
- WordleGuess the five-letter word in six triesGuide & tips
- ConnectionsSort 16 words into four hidden groupsGuide & tips
- StrandsFind the themed words hidden in a letter gridGuide & tips
- Spelling BeeMake words from seven letters around a center letterGuide & tips
- Mini CrosswordA bite-size crossword you can finish over coffeeGuide & tips
- Connections: Sports EditionConnections with a sports-only word poolGuide & tips
- Letter BoxedChain words around a square using all 12 lettersGuide & tips
- Midi CrosswordThe mid-size crossword between the Mini and the dailyGuide & tips
How the week is built
- Monday and Tuesday: straightforward definitions and familiar answers. These are the best days to learn.
- Wednesday: a step up, often with a playful theme.
- Thursday: the trick day, with rebus squares (several letters in one square) and answers that turn corners or skip squares.
- Friday and Saturday: themeless and tough, with sly clues and long open sections.
- Sunday: a bigger 21×21 grid with a theme, about as hard as a Wednesday or Thursday.
Crossword-solving habits worth building
- Learn the common fill. Short vowel-heavy words such as ERA, OREO, ALOE and ETNA appear constantly because they help constructors connect sections.
- Read clue signals. "?" means wordplay, "Abbr." means an abbreviation, "e.g." means an example of a category, and a foreign word in the clue hints at a foreign answer.
- Find the theme. The longest answers usually share a gimmick; the title (on Sundays) or a "revealer" clue explains it.
- Erase without fear. When crossings don't work, the wrong letter is usually in the answer you were most confident about.
- Use targeted help. Reveal one letter here, or try our crossword solver with a pattern like ?R?S?.
The Crossword FAQ
When is the next crossword released?
Weekday puzzles go live at 10 p.m. Eastern Time the night before; weekend puzzles are released earlier in the evening.
What is a rebus square?
A square that holds more than one letter. Sometimes it holds a whole word or a symbol. They are most common on Thursdays.
Which day is the hardest?
Saturday is generally the hardest, followed by Friday. Sunday is larger but closer to midweek difficulty.
Can I see past crossword answers?
Yes. Each date we have covered is in the crossword archive.