NYT Crossword · The New York Times
The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for December 25, 2015
Friday, December 25, 2015
By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated How we make hints
This archive page covers the The Crossword from Friday, December 25, 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
- 24
- 40
- 44
- 60
- 61
Down clues & answers
- 24
- 46
Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.
Previous The Crossword answer
Thursday, December 24, 2015
across
- 1. Early 1990s CBS series about the exploits of real-life police officers: TOPCOPS
- 8. With 58-Across, "Antigone" and others ... or, when reinterpreted, a hint to 17-, 31- and 50-Across: GREEK
- 13. Sizable plot: ONEACRE
- 14. Dumas's "The Count of Monte ___": CRISTO
- 15. Nickname for a little person: SHORTIE
- 16. Whom Plato called "the tenth Muse": SAPPHO
- 17. Packing boxes for heavyweights?: HIPPOCRATES
- 19. First name in mystery: ERLE
- 20. Faith for 21-Across: ISLAM
- 21. Noted American follower of 20-Across: ALI
- 24. Be furious: SEETHE
- 26. Buzz: CREWCUT
- 28. "La ___ Bonita" (Madonna hit): ISLA
- 30. Home of the first full-time automobile service station: OHIO
- 31. Order to Onassis to block a brand of underwear?: ARISTOPHANES
- 36. Flush: EVEN
- 37. Sail support: SPAR
- 38. Come up with: CONCOCT
- 41. 1997 #1 hit with a nonsense title: MMMBOP
- 46. "I ___ you": OWE
- 47. "Gremlins" co-star Phoebe: CATES
- 49. Empty container's weight: TARE
- 50. Shows a Sega Genesis rival at an expo?: DEMOSTHENES
- 52. Noted writer of victory odes: PINDAR
- 55. Where Nordstrom is headquartered: SEATTLE
- 56. Duke of ___ ("King Lear" character): ALBANY
- 57. Serious: EARNEST
- 58. See 8-Across: PLAYS
- 59. Place where you might be asked "Need a lift?": SKIAREA
down
- 1. Comedy's Daniel and reggae's Peter: TOSHES
- 2. Available to work, in Britain: ONHIRE
- 3. Time Inc. publication: PEOPLE
- 4. Nap site: CARPET
- 5. Numerical prefix: OCTO
- 6. Least affordable: PRICIEST
- 7. Good investor types, you'd think: SEERS
- 8. Golfer McDowell, 2010 U.S. Open champion: GRAEME
- 9. Castigates: RIPS
- 10. Clairvoyant's letters: ESP
- 11. Landlocked African country: Abbr.: ETH
- 12. "Rock and Roll, Hoochie ___" (1974 Rick Derringer hit): KOO
- 14. Red giant type: CSTAR
- 18. Cartoonist whom John Steinbeck said "may very possibly be the best writer in the world today": ALCAPP
- 21. Not just smart: ACHE
- 22. San ___ (Argentine province or its capital): LUIS
- 23. "What was ___ do?": ITO
- 25. Half of a matching set: HIS
- 27. Came out on top: WON
- 29. Was bested by: LOSTTO
- 31. Pledge: AVOW
- 32. Russo of "Thor: The Dark World": RENE
- 33. Company closing?: INC
- 34. Slab from the meat counter: HAMSTEAK
- 35. Weaponize: ARM
- 36. Prefix with system: ECO
- 39. Loads and loads: OCEANS
- 40. Apt anagram of MY CAR: CAMRY
- 42. One blowing off steam in Italy?: MTETNA
- 43. Some back-and-forth: BANTER
- 44. "Otherwise ... !!!": ORELSE
- 45. Coin minted until 2001: PESETA
- 48. Slalom paths: ESSES
- 50. Decisive time: DDAY
- 51. Mata ___: HARI
- 52. Drivel: PAP
- 53. "___ Be Home for Christmas": ILL
- 54. Org. in which big Bucks earn big bucks: NBA
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.