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New York Times, Friday, December 5, 2025

Author:
James McCarron
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
Image that's just over a foot, informally
TotalDebutLatest
27/11/202512/5/2025
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
0000020
ScrabDebutFlowFresh
1.541041.860%
James McCarron

This puzzle:

Rows: 15, Columns: 15 Words: 68, Blocks: 35 Missing: {FJQWXZ} Spans: 2 This is puzzle # 2 for Mr. McCarron. Grid flow: 43.8 Friday freshness: 25%
1
G
2
H
3
A
4
N
5
A
6
S
7
A
8
U
9
D
10
I
11
S
E
A
S
O
N
12
T
I
C
K
E
T
13
S
14
D
O
N
T
P
O
K
E
T
H
E
B
E
A
15
R
16
E
V
E
17
E
N
L
A
C
E
S
18
R
I
A
19
R
I
S
20
E
N
21
E
R
O
S
22
C
A
L
I
23
M
E
E
R
24
S
T
E
M
25
B
A
T
O
N
26
A
T
T
A
27
C
K
A
D
28
L
O
N
E
R
S
29
S
L
I
T
30
M
I
N
I
31
S
32
C
33
R
E
A
M
34
T
A
K
E
T
35
H
36
A
37
T
38
A
L
A
R
M
39
R
A
T
E
40
B
O
T
H
41
L
A
Y
S
42
P
I
L
E
43
P
E
S
T
O
44
A
R
K
45
A
L
B
E
R
46
T
A
47
T
E
N
48
H
E
R
49
E
G
O
E
S
N
O
T
50
H
I
N
G
51
T
O
D
A
Y
Y
E
A
R
S
O
L
D
52
C
U
R
S
E
53
L
E
Y
T
E
© 2025, The New York Times12/5/25 ( No. 27,786 )
Across
1
Home to Kotoka International Airport : GHANA
6
Many a wearer of a long robe called a thawb : SAUDI
11
Can't-miss purchases? : SEASONTICKETS
14
Words of caution : DONTPOKETHEBEAR
16
Threshold : EVE
17
Ties up : ENLACES
18
Coastal waterway : RIA
19
Up : RISEN
21
Subject of the Bouguereau painting "The Abduction of Psyche" : EROS
22
Colombian city of 2+ million : CALI
23
Dutch artist Jan van der ___ : MEER
24
Curtail : STEM
25
Stick in an orchestra : BATON
26
Spot likely to smear : ATTACKAD
28
They aren't party people : LONERS
29
Cut, as with a box cutter : SLIT
30
"Fun-size" : MINI
31
Film with the tagline "Someone has taken their love for scary movies one step too far" : SCREAM
34
Words of retaliation : TAKETHAT
38
Word with fire or false : ALARM
39
Hotel listing : RATE
40
One and the other : BOTH
41
Big name in chip production : LAYS
42
Bundle : PILE
43
Sauce whose name derives from the Italian word for "crush" : PESTO
44
Refuge : ARK
45
Where much of "Brokeback Mountain" was filmed : ALBERTA
47
It's perfect : TEN
48
"Might as well give it a shot ..." : HEREGOESNOTHING
51
Age at which you just learned something you should have realized before, facetiously : TODAYYEARSOLD
52
Something blocked by censors : CURSE
53
1944 Pacific battle site : LEYTE
Down
1
What clones share : GENESET
2
It might be on a rack : HAT
3
Ski town that shares its name with a tree : ASPEN
4
"High" time : NOON
5
Image that's just over a foot, informally : ANKLETAT
6
"Arrested Development," e.g. : SITCOM
7
Pines : ACHES
8
Relatives of banjoleles : UKES
9
Nebraska senator Fischer : DEB
10
Repeat : ITERATE
11
Council, in Russian : SOVIET
12
Got misty : TEARED
13
Sea shanty singer : SAILOR
14
Skin layer with hair follicles : DERMA
15
Show stoppers, sometimes : RAINS
20
Items on many a back-to-school supply list : ERASERS
22
"Is this possible?!?" : CANITBE
24
Take a little off the top : SKIM
25
Dog treat : BONE
27
Silent sort : CLAM
28
Fancy : LIKE
30
Kind of instinct : MATERNAL
31
Mohamed ___, Egyptian soccer star : SALAH
32
Shade of red : CLARET
33
Big name in fast food : RAYKROC
34
"Honor Thy Father" writer, 1971 : TALESE
35
Argumentative : HOSTILE
36
Get to : ATTEND
37
Minimal coverage provider? : THONG
39
Hearty steakhouse serving : RIBEYE
42
Tricks : PLOYS
43
Unwitting mark : PATSY
45
Thickening agent found in many vegan recipes : AGAR
46
Raced : TORE
49
Dot follower in academia : EDU
50
Spicy : HOT

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

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