NYT Crossword · The New York Times

The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for January 1, 2025

Q: Can I see past crossword answers?

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

Wednesday, January 1, 2025

By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated Nov 3, 2026 at 12:40 PM ETHow we make hints

This archive page covers the The Crossword from Wednesday, January 1, 2025. 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.

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

Across clues & answers

Down clues & answers

Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.

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Previous The Crossword answer

Tuesday, December 31, 2024

across

1. A little off: ASKEW
6. Drive crazy?: SPEED
11. Loops in on an email, for short: CCS
14. Jewish mourning period: SHIVA
15. ___-turvy: TOPSY
16. Soccer stadium chant: OLE
17. VOLT, AMP: POWERCOUPLE
19. One might get tacked on right before purchase: FEE
20. Go around in circles: SPIN
21. Bands' successes: HITS
22. Disney villain with a pet parrot: JAFAR
24. "Beowulf" and the "Mahabharata," for two: EPICS
26. Apple gadgets: CORERS
27. First, as a voyage: MAIDEN
30. Buffalo N.H.L.ers: SABRES
31. Summer setting in D.C.: EDT
32. PUNCH, WALLOP: PAIROFSOCKS
36. Member of K-pop's Blackpink: LISA
38. Oui's opposite: NON
39. "Hold your horses!": WAIT
40. FINGER, TOE: DOUBLEDIGIT
45. Mauna ___: KEA
46. Adjective in the theme of "The Addams Family": SPOOKY
47. Superlatively impolite: RUDEST
49. Grow up: MATURE
50. Orange box: CRATE
52. Act theatrically: EMOTE
53. Cause of a grimace: PAIN
54. Present day, in brief: XMAS
58. Like some simple home-improvement projects, for short: DIY
59. HINT, TIP: TWOPOINTERS
62. In years past: AGO
63. Core belief: TENET
64. Got going: BEGAN
65. Singer Bega a.k.a. "The King of Mambo": LOU
66. Bottomless pit: ABYSS
67. 10-legged creatures: CRABS

down

1. Nile reptiles: ASPS
2. Word after talk or gift: SHOP
3. Green fruit: KIWI
4. Smoothed out: EVENED
5. Simple two-player card game: WAR
6. Stone-faced: STOIC
7. Sulks: POUTS
8. Actor Mike or Omar: EPPS
9. Subj. for some immigrants: ESL
10. Certain salon offerings: DYEJOBS
11. Sweet treat that often has a crumb topping: COFFEECAKE
12. Sunny forecast: CLEARSKIES
13. Fortunetellers: SEERS
18. "Nixon in ___" (John Adams opera): CHINA
23. The In-N-Out Burger logo has a yellow one: ARROW
25. Verve: PEP
26. Half-___ (latte option): CAF
27. Gin rummy combo: MELD
28. Alternative to "Hasta la vista": ADIOSAMIGO
29. "I can't do anything in this case": ITSUPTOYOU
30. Police work?: SONG
33. ___ 500: INDY
34. French king: ROI
35. Doctor's "Now!": STAT
37. On the topic of: ABOUT
41. Country legend Lynn: LORETTA
42. Scratch (out): EKE
43. Neighbor of an Afghan: IRANI
44. Boy king of Egypt: TUT
48. Showtime drama with a serial-killer protagonist: DEXTER
49. Gold, silver or bronze: MEDAL
50. Certain superhero accessories: CAPES
51. Unruly uprisings: RIOTS
53. Yankee Doodle's method of transport: PONY
55. ___ Millions: MEGA
56. Part of U.A.E.: ARAB
57. Nine-digit government IDs: SSNS
60. Fly catcher: WEB
61. "S.N.L." network: NBC

Hints and full breakdown for Dec 31

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.