Home/Archive/Jan 12, 2025

NYT Crossword — January 12, 2025

Sunday’s 21 × 21 puzzle, 138 clues. The full solution is below — answers stay masked until you reveal them, one clue or all at once.

0 of 138 revealed

1M

2E

3H

4C

5A

6M

7A

8N

9G

10S

11T

12A

13D

14S

15C

16P

17A

18A

L

I

19B

A

B

A

20S

O

R

E

R

21P

I

T

22C

R

E

W

23M

O

D

E

L

U

N

24A

S

O

N

E

25E

Y

E

R

O

L

L

26A

N

D

A

L

S

O

27N

E

W

T

S

28D

E

V

I

S

E

S

29E

R

I

E

30C

A

T

T

I

S

31H

32R

I

B

S

33C

34N

N

35T

S

36A

R

37O

H

M

38A

39P

S

E

40S

41T

42U

43V

O

W

44S

45M

U

46S

T

R

E

47A

D

S

48Q

T

I

P

49S

L

I

P

50S

51U

P

52F

A

I

N

T

53I

54N

55R

U

I

N

S

56O

R

A

L

S

57J

O

I

N

T

E

58D

59A

B

E

T

S

60S

E

C

R

E

61T

E

62L

G

S

63D

64E

N

I

E

C

E

65E

S

E

66A

L

67E

68E

A

R

69N

H

L

70T

71A

72T

T

L

E

73D

74S

A

Y

S

75I

76D

O

77S

78T

E

N

O

79O

L

E

80M

I

S

S

81L

O

F

82T

83S

84A

M

U

L

E

T

85S

86S

P

I

N

Y

87A

I

R

C

O

O

88L

89L

O

N

E

W

O

L

90F

91O

M

G

92P

L

A

Y

A

B

L

E

93A

G

E

S

94A

L

95L

T

I

E

96D

U

P

97R

Y

E

S

98C

99O

100O

T

I

E

S

101S

U

R

E

102C

103A

N

104B

105A

106R

O

R

D

E

R

S

107N

I

N

E

L

I

108V

109E

110S

111T

A

I

P

E

I

112T

I

113C

114T

115A

C

S

116L

O

V

E

T

O

117U

R

G

E

O

N

118Y

O

G

A

M

A

T

119T

H

A

N

O

S

120P

A

S

S

121N

I

X

O

N

122A

L

A

N

Across

65 clues

1"It's fine, I guess"

7Source of some insomnia

12Quick reads on the subway, perhaps

18Treasure-seeking woodcutter of folklore

20More in need of a massage

21Group that works only for a few seconds at a time

23H.S. club with student "diplomats"

25[Oh, puh-lease!]

26"To add on …"

27Witches' brew creatures

29Buffalo's county

33"The Situation Room" airer

35Nicholas II was the last one

37Measure of resistance

38Cathedral feature

40Disco fan on "The Simpsons"

43Some professions

45Literary recommendations

48Stick in a bathroom cabinet

52Like the glow of the last embers in a fire

53Completely destroyed

56Doctoral hurdles

57Double-___ (hypermobile, medically)

59Gives an illegal assist

60Produce and discharge

62Some Korean smartphones

63R&B singer Williams

65Suffix with legal and official

66Publican's offering

68It's connected to the eustachian tube

69Org. with four divisions: Atlantic, Central, Pacific and Metropolitan

74Accepts a ring, in a way

79Oxford institution, familiarly

81Many apartments in a warehouse district

86Like a porcupine's back

87Put in front of a fan

89Person who likes to go solo

91[I'm shocked!]

92Like many video game characters

93A long, long time

94Even … or like three pairs of answers in this puzzle

97Some drinks and breads

98Germs, on the playground

101Enthusiastic response

104Shots, for example

107The stuff of Persian myths?

111___ 101, 508-meter skyscraper that was once the world's tallest

112Altoid alternatives

116"Count me in!"

118It might be rolled out in a studio

119Archenemy of the Avengers

121U.S. president during the moon landing

122Walker with the 2015 triple-platinum hit "Faded"

Down

73 clues

1Common first word

2Big first name in American business

3Devices worn by informants … and what can be found inside three pairs of answers in this puzzle

4Coin toss directive

5Exploits, as power

7Sitting meditation pose

8How an animal's length may be measured

9Feature visible on a tree stump

13Ones unlikely to call the handyman, for short

14Many-hit Wonder

15Bit of embroidery … or what's depicted literally three times in this puzzle

16He was named Athlete of the Century by the I.O.C.

17Hole punchers

19Symbol of a downturn in the business world

22House, slangily

30French wine designation

33Big letters in the pharmaceutical industry

34Like a situation that can't end badly

36Electrical unit

39Tire reading, for short

41Shiny festive décor

42Co. that may have a package deal?

44They watch from afar

46West Coast airport code

48Title bestowed annually in New Orleans

50Photography inits.

51"What's the ___?"

54Grandma, endearingly

55Result of a hit single, maybe

57Ingredient in a certain "salad"

58Do-or-die occasions

64Destinations for ambulances, for short

67Slippery sorts

68Equestrian's command

72Dog whose name was Terry before her most famous film role

73Station locations

74Lightly burns

76Blue tang fish of Pixar fame

77Ecological portmanteau since 1905

78Pull some strings, say?

80Opera character whose name might be heard in an opera singer's warm-up

82Country singer Keith

83Heavy part of a platform shoe

85List of candidates

87Muesli brand with mountains on the packaging

88Rock and roll Paul of fame

90Like some playful teasing

92Very precise sort

96Slain king in "Macbeth"

99Frequently deconstructed dessert items

100Mythological owner of an eight-legged horse named Sleipnir

102Foe of a Saxon

103"Hi" or "bye" on Kauai

104Imperial energy meas.

105Grp. making after-work plans?

106Baltic capital city

109English prep school with a shade of blue named after it

110Cry for help

113Tool used in many a sci-fi film

115Part of a Latin trio

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

Stats & info

Sunday, Jan 12, 2025

21×21

Grid size

138

Total entries

84/357

Black / letter cells

5.2

Avg entry length

15 ltrs

Longest entry

Themed

Sunday difficulty

PuzzleThe Crossword

PublishedJan 12, 2025

DaySunday

ThemeI Think Knot

ConstructorJeffrey Martinovic

EditorWill Shortz

Clue split65 across · 73 down

Longest entries

44DThey watch from afar15 ltrs 48DTitle bestowed annually in New Orleans15 ltrs 3DDevices worn by informants … and what can be found inside three pairs of answers in this puzzle11 ltrs 15DBit of embroidery … or what's depicted literally three times in this puzzle11 ltrs 8DHow an animal's length may be measured10 ltrs

Sunday is the big one, a 21 by 21 grid built around a named theme rather than raw difficulty. This grid has 84 black squares and averages 5.2 letters per entry.