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New York Times, Monday, December 15, 2025

Author:
Jeff Jerome and Andrea Carla Michaels
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
One who's rotten from the start
TotalDebutCollabs
112/15/20251
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
0100000
CircleScrabDebutFlowFresh
11.72515.945%
Jeff Jerome
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
926/12/200012/15/202561
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
768122300
RebusCircleScrabDebutFlowFresh
251.6432326.221%
Andrea Carla Michaels

This puzzle:

Rows: 15, Columns: 15 Words: 76, Blocks: 41 Missing: {GQX} This is the debut puzzle for Mr. Jerome. This is puzzle # 92 for Ms. Michaels. Grid flow: 15.9 Monday freshness: 94%
Constructor notes:
Andrea: This is my collaborator, former catsitter and friend Jeff Jerome's NYT debut after a few years of many good ideas that didn't ... read more
1
S
2
A
3
I
4
N
5
T
6
B
7
A
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N
9
C
10
J
11
F
12
K
13
A
R
T
O
O
14
A
R
E
A
15
A
L
I
16
R
E
S
T
U
17
P
18
D
I
S
R
19
O
B
E
D
20
A
S
A
21
L
I
22
E
S
23
S
U
B
B
E
D
24
H
O
B
25
N
O
B
B
E
26
D
27
S
O
A
K
28
S
T
U
B
B
E
D
29
T
O
E
30
T
31
R
U
S
S
32
D
A
S
33
T
34
O
35
P
36
H
E
R
B
E
37
R
38
T
39
Y
E
40
S
41
W
E
D
O
42
O
D
D
43
I
U
44
D
45
E
A
R
E
D
46
D
47
U
B
B
E
48
D
49
F
I
L
M
50
C
51
H
I
N
52
B
E
D
A
Z
Z
L
53
E
54
D
55
T
O
U
C
A
56
N
57
P
E
L
E
58
I
M
O
59
B
U
N
K
B
E
60
D
S
61
A
S
62
I
M
O
V
63
A
P
T
64
L
O
R
E
65
U
N
I
T
E
66
R
E
S
67
E
N
Y
A
68
P
E
T
E
R
© 2025, The New York Times12/15/25 ( No. 27,796 )
Across
1
___ Nicholas : SAINT
6
Judge's seat, from the French : BANC
10
N.Y.C. airport : JFK
13
"Star Wars" droid, familiarly : ARTOO
14
Side's length squared, for a square : AREA
15
Thrilla in Manila boxer : ALI
16
Recharge one's batteries : RESTUP
18
Prepared to bathe : DISROBED
20
Cool ___ cucumber : ASA
21
"Balderdash!" : LIES
23
Filled in (for), for short : SUBBED
24
Schmoozed (with) : HOBNOBBED
27
Good, long bath : SOAK
28
Slight injury from tripping : STUBBEDTOE
30
Bridge support : TRUSS
32
Karl Marx's "___ Kapital" : DAS
33
Do one better than : TOP
36
President Hoover : HERBERT
39
"You take credit cards?" response : YESWEDO
42
Unconventional : ODD
43
Alternative to the pill, in brief : IUD
45
Dog-___ (like the pages in some books) : EARED
46
Foreign-language movie that you don't have to read subtitles for : DUBBEDFILM
50
Location for a goatee or soul patch : CHIN
52
Enchanted : BEDAZZLED
55
Big-beaked tropical bird : TOUCAN
57
One-named Brazilian soccer star : PELE
58
"If you ask me ...," to texters : IMO
59
Camp sleeping spots ... or a hint to this puzzle's circled letters : BUNKBEDS
61
Sci-fi writer Isaac : ASIMOV
63
Suitable, as a unit in a bldg.? : APT
64
Tales of yore : LORE
65
Join in marriage : UNITE
66
Lo-___ graphics : RES
67
One-named Grammy winner from Ireland : ENYA
68
___ Cottontail : PETER
Down
1
Wife of Abraham, in the Bible : SARAH
2
"You ___ right!" : ARESO
3
"Ridiculous!" : ITSABSURD
4
"I'm kidding!!," in "Wayne's World" : NOT
5
Artist Henri de ___-Lautrec : TOULOUSE
6
One who's rotten from the start : BADSEED
7
Singer Grande, to fans : ARI
8
Loch ___ monster : NESS
9
Opera great Enrico : CARUSO
10
Sluglike "Star Wars" crime boss : JABBA
11
On ___ (looking great, in slang) : FLEEK
12
Colonial-era pirate captain : KIDD
17
Mr. ___ (Dr Pepper competitor) : PIBB
19
Orchestral woodwind : OBOE
22
Be on the wane : EBB
25
Crash-investigating org. : NTSB
26
Turning point in W.W. II : DDAY
29
When doubled, an African fly : TSE
30
But, briefly : THO
31
Like a ripe strawberry : RED
33
Re-election restriction : TERMLIMIT
34
Many a Wordsworth poem : ODE
35
Pea holder : POD
37
Part of a barbecue rack : RIB
38
Ernest in the Country Music Hall of Fame : TUBB
40
Suddenly stops working, as an engine : SEIZESUP
41
Gov. Tim ___, 2024 running mate : WALZ
44
Beyond the continental shelf, say : DEEPSEA
46
Comic actor Van Dyke : DICK
47
Lacking the capacity : UNABLE
48
Prez before 10-Across : DDE
49
"Deck the Halls" syllables : FALA
50
Two-door auto : COUPE
51
Outings for foxhounds : HUNTS
53
Show feelings onstage : EMOTE
54
Capital of Delaware : DOVER
55
Lift on the slopes : TBAR
56
Like bright signs on the Las Vegas Strip : NEON
60
Funny in a subtle way : DRY
62
Suffix with Benedict or elephant : INE

Answer summary:
5 unique to this puzzle, 1 unique to Modern Era but used previously.

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