Home/Archive/Dec 18, 2025

NYT Crossword — December 18, 2025

Thursday’s 15 × 15 puzzle, 78 clues. The full solution is below — answers stay masked until you reveal them, one clue or all at once.

0 of 78 revealed

1B

2O

3A

4S

5T

6S

7P

8I

9E

10L

11I

12S

13P

14E

N

O

K

I

15T

O

R

S

I

16N

C

O

17D

A

R

I

N

18G

R

E

S

Q

Q

19N

A

M

20S

I

T

21E

A

T

22U

23S

U

R

P

24R

A

25I

26L

A

T

27S

28M

O

K

E

Y

29S

Y

R

A

30Q

Q

O

R

A

N

G

31E

32O

33F

34U

S

E

35U

F

O

S

36D

O

X

37N

A

N

A

38B

39R

E

T

T

40H

O

O

P

41C

U

E

42E

R

I

E

43M

I

S

D

O

44E

X

Q

45Q

M

Y

F

R

46E

47N

C

H

48B

U

T

A

N

E

49X

E

S

O

50U

51T

52L

E

A

R

N

53S

I

X

54N

O

55D

56I

R

L

57U

58N

59J

U

S

T

60L

61Y

A

Q

Q

62A

G

E

63E

B

E

R

T

64S

E

G

U

E

65R

E

D

66L

A

N

E

S

67D

R

I

E

D

Across

37 clues

1"We're the best!," e.g.

11Web access co.

14Mushroom in ramen

16Platoon sgt., e.g.

17Feats performed on knights' quests

19"Platoon" setting, for short

22Appropriate inappropriately

27Bear with a message

29"Colorful" Atlantic Coast Conference team

35Some radar blips

36Reveal private data of, in modern lingo

38Jake's love in "The Sun Also Rises"

40Bit of aerial arts equipment

41Word with ball or card

42Lake ___, body formerly known as Lac du Chat

44Follow-up to an oath

48Fluid for a lighter

53Volleyball team count

56Off-line, online

57Point at the wrong person

62The time of one's life?

63He said "Every great film should seem new every time you see it"

64Smooth transition

65Visibly embarrassed

66Alley components

67Preserved, in a way

Down

41 clues

3It comes from the heart

4Glide down a piste

7One versed in verse

8Agcy. that takes many forms

9Title for a J.D.

11"That's what she said" and others

12Beyond impressive, informally

18One of several in a watch

23Caribbean music genre

25Rae of "Insecure"

27About 35,000 for the Taj Mahal: Abbr.

28No longer relevant

30___ Nation (activist organization since 1990)

32T.H. White's "The ___ and Future King"

33Knockoff version of a bejeweled Imperial egg, e.g.

34In a class by oneself

39Teeming (with)

40Greeting from Kermit

42Name that sounds like a computer guidebook

43Hosts, for short

47Coming right up

50Eel, at a sushi bar

51"Ratatouille" topper

52Fabrication expert

55Barred from competing, for short

58Trail Blazers' grp.

59"Severance" actress Tullock

60Microdosing drug

61"Quit ___ yappin'!"

Click a clue for its own page with the answer and a short explanation.

Stats & info

Thursday, Dec 18, 2025

15×15

Grid size

78

Total entries

38/187

Black / letter cells

4.8

Avg entry length

12 ltrs

Longest entry

Tricky

Thursday difficulty

PuzzleThe Crossword

PublishedDec 18, 2025

DayThursday

ThemeUntitled

ConstructorJoseph Gangi

EditorWill Shortz

Clue split37 across · 41 down

Longest entries

29A"Colorful" Atlantic Coast Conference team12 ltrs 44AFollow-up to an oath12 ltrs 17AFeats performed on knights' quests11 ltrs 57APoint at the wrong person11 ltrs 11D"That's what she said" and others9 ltrs

Thursday is the gimmick day: rebus squares, reversed entries and other tricks are fair game. This grid has 38 black squares and averages 4.8 letters per entry.