Home/Archive/Dec 22, 2025

NYT Crossword — December 22, 2025

Monday’s 15 × 15 puzzle, 76 clues. The full solution is below — answers stay masked until you reveal them, one clue or all at once.

0 of 76 revealed
1C
2O
3M
4A
5S
6A
7C
8E
9L
10A
11B
12A
13G
14A
N
O
D
E
15W
I
S
E
R
16I
L
L
17J
A
Z
Z
Q
18U
A
R
T
E
T
19G
L
O
20O
D
I
E
21B
R
R
22I
23S
L
E
S
24L
I
L
25J
E
D
I
26M
27A
S
T
E
R
S
28E
E
L
29E
R
S
30O
U
T
R
A
G
E
31S
T
A
32T
E
33A
N
N
34E
D
Y
S
35O
P
36E
37N
N
O
T
38E
S
39P
40O
41P
O
42S
A
T
43A
S
44A
45N
46A
47O
N
A
T
48E
A
R
49G
50A
S
51L
O
W
52P
E
R
S
N
I
C
53K
E
T
Y
54D
N
A
55F
L
O
Y
D
56A
N
I
57B
E
A
K
58O
I
L
59S
60H
61O
R
T
C
62H
A
N
G
E
63U
N
E
64A
U
R
A
L
65A
N
T
O
N
66L
E
D
67T
E
S
T
Y
68T
E
E
N
S

Across

39 clues
1Deep sleeps
6High-speed Amtrak train
11Word with punching or sleeping
14One of a battery's poles
15Older but ___
16Under the weather
17Saxophone, trumpet, piano and bass, perhaps
19Day-___ paint
20"Garfield" dog
21"It's freezing!"
22Typical "Survivor" locales
24Rapper ___ Uzi Vert
25Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi, for two
28Fish that may have an electric charge
29Stammering sounds
30Indignation
31What each U.S. senator represents
33Raggedy ___
34Breyers competitor
35Some exams allow them
39Cops, slangily
42Rode the bench
43Yoga pose
47Enjoying great success
49What electric cars don't use
51Like a 49-Across gauge that's near "Empty"
52Overly fussy
54Bit of forensic evidence
55Pink ___ (rock band)
56Singer DiFranco
57Bill
58Mideast export
59Cheat … or a punny hint to the four sets of circled letters
63French "a"
64Hearing-related
65Playwright Chekhov
66Kind of lamp that's energy-efficient
67Easily irritated
68Romeo and Juliet, agewise

Down

37 clues
1Persuades with flattery
2Doing keto, perhaps
3Creator of Firefox and Thunderbird
4Woodworking tool
5Orderly arrangement: Abbr.
6Oscars and Grammys, e.g.
7Wispy clouds
8Approx.
9Harper ___, author of "To Kill a Mockingbird"
10Monet or Manet
11Don't blow it!
12Reaction to pollen, e.g.
13Shiny coatings
18Lyft competitor
23Heart attack risk factor
25Cherokee maker
26"The kissing disease"
27Em, to Dorothy
32Foot, in baby talk
33Word after fire or carpenter
36Actor Morales
37Drug agent, informally
38"No sweat!"
39Ball batted up and behind the catcher, say
40Length of a pithy joke
41Released from jail early
44Pasta preference
45Nine-sided figure
46Stirs from sleep
48Is over by
49With a light touch
50Suffix with problem
53Gold standard
57Scourge
60Shade of color
61Surgery sites, in brief
62Beanie or bowler

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

Stats & info

Monday, Dec 22, 2025
15×15
Grid size
76
Total entries
34/191
Black / letter cells
5.0
Avg entry length
11 ltrs
Longest entry
Easiest
Monday difficulty
PuzzleThe Crossword
PublishedDec 22, 2025
DayMonday
ThemeUntitled
ConstructorSuzanne Oliver
EditorWill Shortz
Clue split39 across · 37 down
Longest entries
17ASaxophone, trumpet, piano and bass, perhaps11 ltrs25AYoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi, for two11 ltrs52AOverly fussy11 ltrs59ACheat … or a punny hint to the four sets of circled letters11 ltrs35ASome exams allow them9 ltrs

Monday grids are the gentlest of the week: straightforward definitions, familiar fill and almost no wordplay. This grid has 34 black squares and averages 5.0 letters per entry.