NYT Crossword · The New York Times

The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for December 10, 2015

Q: Can I see past crossword answers?

Yes. Each date we have covered is in the crossword archive .

Thursday, December 10, 2015

By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated Nov 3, 2026 at 2:32 PM ETHow we make hints

This archive page covers the The Crossword from Thursday, December 10, 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.

76 clues · jump to Across or Down. Tap a tile for one letter, or Answer for the whole word.

Across clues & answers

Down clues & answers

1
Spots for computer users
2
Hooks up
3
Turkish pooh-bah
4
Worker at a stable
5
Series of races
6
Singer befriended by a young Forrest Gump
7
Was an errant driver?
8
Sub choice
9
Go on and on and on
10
Salubrious
11
Pithecological study
12
Trying type
13
Terpsichore's domain
17
Bone to pick?
21
Head of a conspiracy
23
Chicago Cubs Hall-of-Famer
27
"Surely not ME!?"
30
Northern game
31
Classic Mercedes roadsters
32
Honey-colored
33
Early afternoon ora
35
Flynn of film
36
Dallas institution, for short
37
Lunar celebration
38
Like the core of the sun
39
Chow line?
40
"Guns"
45
Opening word
46
Thus far, informally
48
Several works of Michelangelo
49
Order out?
50
Lotus position in yoga, e.g.
52
Removal
53
Storied assassin
55
Song of the South
56
Typo, e.g.
57
Bring aboard
58
Low hand?
62
Build

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Wednesday, December 9, 2015

across

1. Brainiac: WHIZ
5. Make a mouse hole, say: GNAW
9. One of the Baldwins: ALEC
13. With 40-Down, enter gradually: EASE
14. Give a face-lift: REDO
15. Taper off: ABATE
16. Israeli P.M. before Ariel Sharon: EHUDBARAK
18. Honda Accord, e.g.: SEDAN
19. Mushy fare: PAP
20. Fertility clinic cell: OVUM
21. Slant skyward: UPTILT
22. In a heap: PILED
24. See 17-Down: TIE
25. Randomizing cube: DIE
26. Custard-filled treat: CHOCOLATEECLAIR
30. Sometimes-pierced body part: NOSE
31. Worshiper of Jah, for short: RASTA
32. Can't do without: NEEDS
34. Play like Phish, say: JAM
35. Gladiator's weapon: SPEAR
39. Word on "Wanted" posters: ALIAS
41. World's fair, e.g.: EXPO
42. Luftwaffe attack on the British Midlands, 1940-43: BIRMINGHAMBLITZ
48. Record producer Brian: ENO
49. Wino's affliction, for short: DTS
50. Awaken: ROUST
51. Grp. formed in a 1955 merger: AFLCIO
53. Seemingly endless: VAST
54. Neckline shape: VEE
57. Female warrior in a Disney movie: MULAN
58. What the ends of 16-, 26- and 42-Across mean in Hebrew, French and German, respectively: LIGHTNING
60. Taking habitually: USING
61. Woodwind descended from the shawm: OBOE
62. Locale of many emerging markets: ASIA
63. Staples of bank counters: PENS
64. Fudge, as a rule: BEND
65. Org. advocating breath-testing ignition locks: MADD

down

1. Cry: WEEP
2. Laugh: HAHA
3. "It's possible": ISUPPOSE
4. End of the Oxford English Dictionary: ZED
5. Driveway material: GRAVEL
6. Poet Pablo who won the 1971 Nobel Prize in Literature: NERUDA
7. Old Testament patriarch: ADAM
8. Lo mein vessel: WOK
9. Partner of aid: ABET
10. Artsy-fartsy, say: LADIDA
11. And others, in footnotes: ETALII
12. Tallest player on the court, usually: CENTER
15. Things to consider: ASPECTS
17. With 24-Across, item of western haberdashery: BOLO
21. 180s: UIES
23. Gutter blockage in winter: ICEDAM
24. Diamond nine: TEAM
26. Anderson Cooper's channel: CNN
27. Do a preplanting chore: HOE
28. Totally destroy: TRASH
29. Places to pin squirting flowers: LAPELS
33. Like some doors or scales: SLIDING
34. Pricey British cars, for short: JAGS
36. Permit to leave a country: EXITVISA
37. Well put: APT
38. The New Yorker cartoonist Chast: ROZ
40. See 13-Across: INTO
42. Bring back to the Enterprise, say: BEAMUP
43. Introduce, as flavoring: INFUSE
44. Arrive like fog: ROLLIN
45. Home to Henry VIII's Catherine: ARAGON
46. Danced in a "pit": MOSHED
47. Joke's target: BUTT
52. Sends packing: CANS
53. Intuitive feeling, informally: VIBE
55. Home of the Railroad Museum of Oklahoma: ENID
56. "Great Scott!": EGAD
58. Arcing shot: LOB
59. Where Forrest Gump fought, for short: NAM

Hints and full breakdown for Dec 9

More daily puzzle hints

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.