Home/Archive/Dec 26, 2025

NYT Crossword — December 26, 2025

Friday’s 15 × 15 puzzle, 70 clues. The full solution is below — answers stay masked until you reveal them, one clue or all at once.

0 of 70 revealed

1S

2L

3O

4W

5P

6O

7K

8E

9A

10B

11O

12R

13T

14S

15M

O

N

E

Y

B

A

G

16L

O

W

A

R

T

17U

S

H

E

R

I

N

G

18B

U

L

G

U

R

19G

E

O

D

E

20G

A

21M

U

T

22N

E

O

23L

I

L

Y

24N

A

N

A

S

25C

A

L

L

26Y

T

D

27M

A

R

D

I

28C

A

R

O

L

29T

A

C

O

S

30S

H

R

O

V

E

31T

32I

33G

H

T

R

O

P

34E

W

A

L

K

E

R

35A

P

I

E

C

E

36O

P

I

N

E

37B

R

A

S

H

38M

O

I

S

T

39M

40O

41A

42L

O

N

E

43K

E

N

T

S

44G

I

F

T

45E

M

T

46R

E

T

R

O

47P

O

R

N

O

48T

I

E

49D

I

N

50A

M

51B

I

T

I

O

N

52O

S

S

I

F

Y

53C

E

L

L

M

A

T

E

54P

E

S

E

T

A

55E

S

T

E

E

M

E

D

Across

35 clues

15Typical sight in a bank robbery cartoon

17Doing some theater work

18Cracked wheat used in tabbouleh

19One whose beauty is on the inside

20Whole kit and caboodle

22___-Latin (like some modern coinages)

23Plant that's toxic to cats

24Some babysitters

25A cold one is unexpected (and usually unappreciated)

26Since Jan. 1, on a pay stub

27Tuesday, in French

28Song commonly performed outdoors

29Food that can be prepared de canasta

30___ Tuesday (end of the pre-Lenten season)

31One toeing the line?

37Overly self-assertive

38Like a good sponge cake

39Down Under bird that scientists are working to "de-extinct"

42Singular, with or without its first letter

43Origin story family in DC Comics

45Certain care provider, for short

47It might be marked with an X

48Linked (with)

52Harden and become resistant to change

53Life partner, perhaps?

54Old coin with a picture of Generalissimo Franco

55Treated with respect

Down

35 clues

1How a supervillain might brag

3Waiting for support, maybe

4Like untended plots

7Royal Australian Air Force insignia

8Competition that combines speed with balance

9Professor Dumbledore

11Bevy : quail :: parliament : ___

12The world's end, in Norse mythology

13Mr. or Ms. Right

21Half of a classic rum cocktail's name

24Component of a nautilus shell

25Eric who wrote and illustrated "Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me"

27Stick by a fireplace

29Nearby things

30Like the pope's guards

31Area on which to eat or play cards

32"You can absolutely count on me"

33Figure in sci-fi's "Attack of the 50 Foot Woman," e.g.

34Great illustrations

39Sister of Moses

40Worth considering

43Nation dubbed the "cradle of mankind"

44"Understood?"

51Short diner order

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

Stats & info

Friday, Dec 26, 2025

15×15

Grid size

70

Total entries

26/199

Black / letter cells

5.7

Avg entry length

15 ltrs

Longest entry

Hard

Friday difficulty

PuzzleThe Crossword

PublishedDec 26, 2025

DayFriday

ThemeThemeless

ConstructorAndrew Spooner

EditorWill Shortz

Clue split35 across · 35 down

Longest entries

31AOne toeing the line?15 ltrs 8DCompetition that combines speed with balance15 ltrs 1ADawdler8 ltrs 15ATypical sight in a bank robbery cartoon8 ltrs 17ADoing some theater work8 ltrs

Friday puzzles run themeless, so the fill leans on long open entries and wordplay clues rather than a central gimmick. This grid has 26 black squares and averages 5.7 letters per entry.