NYT Crossword · The New York Times
The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for December 17, 2017
Sunday, December 17, 2017
By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated How we make hints
This archive page covers the The Crossword from Sunday, December 17, 2017. 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
- 12
- 26
- 28
- 29
- 30
- 52
- 110
- 112
- 114
Down clues & answers
- 32
- 37
- 63
- 64
- 73
- 76
- 88
- 96
- 108
Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.
Previous The Crossword answer
Saturday, December 16, 2017
across
- 1. Extra-special delivery?: OCTUPLET
- 9. Rocker whose best-selling album was the punnily titled "Sheik Yerbouti": ZAPPA
- 14. Hit reality show starting in 2011: THEVOICE
- 15. Formed ranks: FELLIN
- 16. "If I'm being honest," in modern slang: REALTALK
- 17. Position: ORIENT
- 18. Singer/songwriter on Canada's Walk of Fame: ANKA
- 19. Feed for news headquarters: RAWFOOTAGE
- 21. W.W. I horror: MUSTARDGAS
- 23. Bazaar parts: SHOPS
- 26. Least bit, in a phrase: RAP
- 27. "Sounds like a plan!": LETS
- 30. "The ___ and the Fox" (Aesop fable): HEN
- 31. Something a mantis has only one of, surprisingly: EAR
- 34. "Ah, makes sense": NOWISEE
- 36. One of two Harrison compositions on the Beatles' "Let It Be": IMEMINE
- 38. Not natural: CREATED
- 39. Drumming sound: RATATAT
- 40. Goal for aspiring comedians, for short: SNL
- 41. When the P.G.A. Championship is held annually: Abbr.: AUG
- 42. Hard-to-solve problem: KNOT
- 43. "Skedaddle!": GIT
- 45. Uncommon blood classification: BTYPE
- 47. Informal question to someone who's late: WHEREAREYA
- 51. Spanish football powerhouse: REALMADRID
- 53. Magic charm: MOJO
- 57. Group of PC gurus: ITTEAM
- 58. Onetime RCA rival: MAGNAVOX
- 60. "In actuality ...": FACTIS
- 61. Absolutely clobbered: ATEALIVE
- 62. One of the Kennedys: ETHEL
- 63. Redeemed: CASHEDIN
down
- 1. De ___ manera (elsewise: Sp.): OTRA
- 2. TV host Julie: CHEN
- 3. Material for outdoor furniture: TEAK
- 4. Tanning salon fixture: UVLAMP
- 5. Bad thing to go to: POT
- 6. They're beyond belief: LIARS
- 7. Brilliance: ECLAT
- 8. William Shatner sci-fi novel: TEKWAR
- 9. Astronaut's experience: ZEROG
- 10. One way to Rome: ALITALIA
- 11. Courteous host's request: PLEASESTAY
- 12. Notification sound: PING
- 13. Penny, maybe: ANTE
- 15. Enticing pics of things to eat: FOODPORN
- 20. Some West African money: FRANCS
- 22. Start of a fitness motto: USEIT
- 23. Duck: SHIRK
- 24. Rambo, for one: HEMAN
- 25. Up-and-comer: ONETOWATCH
- 28. Do some course prep?: TEEUP
- 29. Papyrus, e.g.: SEDGE
- 32. Goes from Tokyo to Kyoto, say: ANAGRAMS
- 33. Fixed, as a bow: RETIED
- 35. TV M.D.: WELBY
- 37. Certain high school whiz kid: MATHLETE
- 44. Locale for touchdowns: TARMAC
- 46. Taqueria offering: TAMALE
- 48. Modern torrent: EMAIL
- 49. Wild West show prop: RIATA
- 50. Nips: EDGES
- 51. Replete: RIFE
- 52. French government: ETAT
- 54. He wrote "The sharp thorn often produces delicate roses": OVID
- 55. Bon ___: JOVI
- 56. Creatures captured in Hercules' 10th labor: OXEN
- 59. Informal turndown: NAH
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.