This web browser is not supported. Use Chrome, Edge, Safari, or Firefox for best results.

New York Times, Tuesday, December 9, 2025

Author:
Kate Hawkins
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
"These are merely my spur-of-the-moment suggestions ..."
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
188/28/202012/9/20252
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
0225072
CircleScrabDebutFlowFresh
21.578138.546%
Kate Hawkins

This puzzle:

Rows: 15, Columns: 15 Words: 76, Blocks: 32 Missing: {KQVX} Spans: 4 This is puzzle # 18 for Ms. Hawkins. Grid flow: 39.4 Tuesday freshness: 68%
Jim Horne notes:

Clever theme.

1
A
2
D
3
D
4
S
5
P
6
A
7
D
8
R
9
E
10
P
11
E
12
P
13
S
14
D
I
E
T
15
T
U
L
I
P
16
E
M
I
T
17
A
S
F
A
18
R
A
S
I
C
A
19
N
T
E
L
L
20
P
U
R
E
21
S
S
E
22
O
A
R
S
23
J
U
S
T
S
24
P
I
T
B
25
A
L
L
I
N
26
G
27
A
T
E
28
U
A
E
29
E
R
A
30
T
E
A
31
B
E
D
32
A
M
N
33
Z
E
E
34
M
A
R
Y
35
H
E
D
36
G
E
R
O
37
W
S
38
G
39
A
40
G
A
41
O
L
D
42
L
A
N
43
D
44
E
45
D
46
I
S
O
47
T
R
I
48
A
A
H
49
U
N
O
50
F
O
R
51
W
H
A
T
52
I
T
S
W
53
O
R
T
H
54
F
I
R
E
55
C
R
T
56
A
F
A
R
57
O
N
L
Y
A
58
T
H
O
U
59
G
H
T
B
U
60
T
61
P
O
L
L
62
H
E
N
N
A
63
E
L
S
A
64
S
W
A
Y
65
A
S
S
E
S
66
N
E
T
S
© 2025, The New York Times12/9/25 ( No. 27,790 )
Across
1
Goes on to say : ADDS
5
San Diego baseballer : PADRE
10
Livens (up) : PEPS
14
Termites, for an aardwolf : DIET
15
Cup-shaped flower : TULIP
16
Give off : EMIT
17
"Judging from the information available to me ..." : ASFARASICANTELL
20
Unadulterated : PURE
21
San Francisco-to-Santa Cruz dir. : SSE
22
Propellers of a shell : OARS
23
"These are merely my spur-of-the-moment suggestions ..." : JUSTSPITBALLING
27
Gobbled up : ATE
28
Abu Dhabi's country, for short : UAE
29
Notable time period : ERA
30
Gossip, in slang : TEA
31
Accurse : BEDAMN
33
33-Down, across the Atlantic : ZEE
34
"Oh, ___!" (hit Broadway farce about Mrs. Lincoln) : MARY
35
Verdant privacy features ... or a punny description of the four longest answers in this puzzle : HEDGEROWS
38
Singer/actress Lady ___ : GAGA
41
Historical : OLD
42
Got a good reaction, as a joke : LANDED
46
Equal: Prefix : ISO
47
Swim-bike-run race, for short : TRI
48
Sound from someone sitting down at the end of a long day : AAH
49
Game with Skip and Reverse cards : UNO
50
"Here's my two cents, which might not amount to much ..." : FORWHATITSWORTH
54
"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a ___" (old maxim) : FIRE
55
Pre-digital TV screen tech : CRT
56
Not close by : AFAR
57
"Feel free to dismiss this idea — however ..." : ONLYATHOUGHTBUT
61
Survey : POLL
62
Temporary tattoo dye : HENNA
63
"Frozen" character who sings "Let It Go" : ELSA
64
Influence : SWAY
65
Burros : ASSES
66
Pair in a water polo pool : NETS
Down
1
Computing pioneer Lovelace : ADA
2
Argue : DISPUTE
3
Neutralized, as an explosive situation : DEFUSED
4
Launch : START
5
Org. in charge of school fund-raisers : PTA
6
One who might ask "Fair dinkum?" : AUSSIE
7
Like some minor celebrities : DLIST
8
Asahi Super Dry or Kirin Lager : RICEBEER
9
Org. that oversees air quality initiatives : EPA
10
Bit in a round of "He loves me, he loves me not" : PETAL
11
Professor ___ (title for some retirees) : EMERITA
12
Light lager : PILSNER
13
The Cards, on scoreboards : STL
18
Cover letter accompaniment : RESUME
19
Mardi Gras city, informally : NOLA
23
Poke : JAB
24
Music app named for a figure in Greek myth : PANDORA
25
Pigmented rings : AREOLAS
26
Part of L.G.B.T.Q.+ : GAY
32
"By Jove, that's it!" : AHA
33
33-Across, across the Atlantic : ZED
34
Web portal launched with Windows 95 : MSN
36
Malfunctions in the Matrix, in "The Matrix" : GLITCHES
37
Sound of a sad trombone : WAHWAH
38
Many an animated meme loop : GIF
39
To date : ASOFNOW
40
Silverback, for one : GORILLA
43
Built to last : DURABLE
44
Give for safekeeping : ENTRUST
45
"How stupid of me!" : DOH
47
"Edie & ___: A Very Long Engagement" (2009 documentary) : THEA
48
Bring into harmony : ATTUNE
51
With a wink, say : WRYLY
52
Smooths (out) : IRONS
53
On a regular basis : OFTEN
57
Special ___ : OPS
58
"J to ___ L-O! The Remixes" (2002 Jennifer Lopez album) : THA
59
One of the four fundamental states of matter : GAS
60
Some Ph.D. students : TAS

Answer summary:
5 unique to this puzzle.

Found bugs or have suggestions? Please let us know.

Like this puzzle? Please share this page on social media to help spread the word about XWord Info. Thanks!

XWord Info Home
XWord Info © 2007-2025, Jim Horne
132 ms