NYT CROSSWORD • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2025

NYT Crossword Answers Dec 16, 2025

Complete answer list for the December 16, 2025 New York Times Crossword. Across and Down, every clue, every answer — plus the full grid below.

By Jason ReichEdited by Will ShortzGrid 15×1578 clues

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SUNDEC
14
2025
By Zachary Edward-Brown and J…
MONDEC
15
2025
By Jeff Jerome and Andrea Car…
TUEDEC
16
2025
By Jason Reich
WEDDEC
17
2025
By Gary Larson and Doug Peter…
THUDEC
18
2025
By Joseph Gangi

The Grid

1B
2O
3O
4K
5A
6P
7P
8S
9B
10E
11G
12I
13N
14A
K
I
N
15B
R
A
H
16U
S
O
N
E
17N
I
N
E
18C
O
V
E
19R
S
T
O
R
Y
20D
E
K
E
21S
22G
E
E
K
Y
23G
E
O
24L
I
25A
R
26N
O
B
27E
L
28A
29L
30E
31G
R
O
32S
S
33E
X
E
34C
35S
36B
A
G
37C
H
E
C
K
38W
E
C
A
R
E
39O
T
O
H
40A
K
I
41R
A
42O
B
O
E
43R
E
M
I
44S
S
45F
A
I
46R
P
L
A
Y
47T
R
A
C
E
48E
F
I
L
E
49E
T
A
50S
O
D
51A
S
52S
S
N
53S
54A
55U
S
56A
S
C
57I
I
58T
E
59S
60L
61A
62S
M
A
63R
T
P
H
O
N
64E
65I
T
E
M
66O
H
G
E
E
67E
W
E
R
68Z
A
N
Y
69F
I
E
F
S
70R
A
T
S
71E
N
D
S

Click a clue to reveal it in the grid.

Across 39

  1. 1Library acquisition ↗BOOK
  2. 5Insta and Snap ↗APPS
  3. 9Start ↗BEGIN
  4. 14Roughly equivalent (to) ↗AKIN
  5. 15Homie ↗BRAH
  6. 16Maine-to-Florida hwy. ↗USONE
  7. 17What shares a key with "(" on a keyboard ↗NINE
  8. 18Reason to buy a magazine, perhaps ↗COVERSTORY
  9. 20Hockey feints ↗DEKES
  10. 22Like someone who knows everything about a niche subject, maybe ↗GEEKY
  11. 23Prefix with cache or tag ↗GEO
  12. 24Person in hot pants? ↗LIAR
  13. 26Name on a prestigious award ↗NOBEL
  14. 28It may be blond or pale ↗ALE
  15. 31Disgusting ↗GROSS
  16. 33C-suite types ↗EXECS
  17. 36Last stop before security, often ↗BAGCHECK
  18. 38Words of communal support ↗WECARE
  19. 39Texter's "Then again …" ↗OTOH
  20. 40Groundbreaking 1988 Japanese animated action film ↗AKIRA
  21. 42Orchestra-tuning instrument ↗OBOE
  22. 43Negligent ↗REMISS
  23. 45Turnabout, they say ↗FAIRPLAY
  24. 47Tiny amount ↗TRACE
  25. 48Pay taxes via the internet ↗EFILE
  26. 49Air traveler's info ↗ETA
  27. 50Drinks served at fountains ↗SODAS
  28. 52Govt. IDs ↗SSNS
  29. 54Down Under land: Abbr. ↗AUS
  30. 56Computer acronym since the 1960s ↗ASCII
  31. 58Inventor Nikola ↗TESLA
  32. 62The IBM Simon Personal Communicator is considered the world's first one ↗SMARTPHONE
  33. 65Couple, in gossip ↗ITEM
  34. 66"Aw, shucks!" ↗OHGEE
  35. 67Decorative pitcher ↗EWER
  36. 68Wacky ↗ZANY
  37. 69Lords' lands ↗FIEFS
  38. 70Tells (on) ↗RATS
  39. 71After 1-Across, shelf accessories … or what can be placed "around" the halves of 18-, 36-, 45- and 62-Across to make new phrases? ↗ENDS

Down 39

  1. 1Genesis or Yes ↗BAND
  2. 2Many a character in "The Grapes of Wrath" ↗OKIE
  3. 3Barnyard sound ↗OINK
  4. 4Prepare to be knighted ↗KNEEL
  5. 5Epitome of simplicity ↗ABC
  6. 6Genre for Genesis or Yes, informally ↗PROGROCK
  7. 7Lead (the way) ↗PAVE
  8. 8Glossy finishes ↗SHEENS
  9. 9Active and enthusiastic sort ↗BUSYBEE
  10. 10Approx. ↗EST
  11. 11Easily found on the internet, say ↗GOOGLEABLE
  12. 12Memo heading ↗INRE
  13. 13Grammy-winning R&B artist whose stage name is said to have been inspired by "The Matrix" ↗NEYO
  14. 19Golden Age studio known for many Astaire/Rogers films ↗RKO
  15. 21You might heave a big one ↗SIGH
  16. 25Places ↗AREAS
  17. 27Mike in "Breaking Bad," for example ↗EXCOP
  18. 28Cancel, as a space launch ↗ABORT
  19. 29Procrastinator's mantra ↗LATER
  20. 30What someone seeking validation might need ↗EGOMASSAGE
  21. 32Shallow boat with a square stern ↗SKIFF
  22. 34Neighbor of a Slovene ↗CROAT
  23. 35"Take it easy!" ↗SEEYA
  24. 37Brother to Groucho ↗CHICO
  25. 38Mournful cries ↗WAILS
  26. 41One in a box at the theater? ↗RAISINET
  27. 44Tranquilizes ↗SEDATES
  28. 46Penalty in Monopoly ↗RENT
  29. 48Artist known for his "impossible staircases" ↗ESCHER
  30. 51Symbol of divine authority in hieroglyphics ↗ASP
  31. 53Grab control of ↗SEIZE
  32. 54Words before a date ↗ASOF
  33. 55Tentative greeting ↗UMHI
  34. 57The Hawkeye State ↗IOWA
  35. 59Show extreme fandom for, in slang ↗STAN
  36. 60Give temporarily ↗LEND
  37. 61Ryan and Adams of Hollywood ↗AMYS
  38. 63Whistle blower or flag thrower ↗REF
  39. 64Hosp. hot spots ↗ERS