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NYT Crossword: answers for Wednesday, December 18

The New York Times has plenty of word games on its roster today — with Wordle, Connections, Strands, and the Mini Crossword, there’s something for everyone — but the newspaper’s standard crossword puzzle still reigns supreme. The daily crossword is full of interesting trivia, helps improve mental flexibility and, of course, gives you some bragging rights if you manage to finish it every day.

While the NYT puzzle might feel like an impossible task some days, solving a crossword is a skill and it takes practice — don’t get discouraged if you can’t get every single word in a puzzle.

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If you’re having trouble completing today’s NYT Crossword, we’re here to help. We’ve got all the answers for today’s clues down below.

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NYT Crossword answers today

New York Times Crossword logo.
New York Times

Across

1 Flower in a children’s rhyme : POSY
5 One of 1,000 for Darryl Strawberry, for short : RBI
8 Computer connector : CABLE
13 Orange-and-white rental : UHAUL
15 Middle-earth foe : ORC
16 Tropical vacation destinations : ISLES
17 Orange soda brand : FANTA
18 *Mendel studied them : GREENPEAS
20 *Disconcert mightily : FRAZZLE
22 Big night : EVE
23 Something studied by the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program, for short : UFO
24 Strong craving : YEN
25 Title for the supposed inventor of the sandwich : EARL
27 Cartesian conclusion : IAM
29 Throw in the trash : TOSS
31 *Tons : ALLSORTS
36 Eros, to Aphrodite : SON
37 Olympian’s weapon : EPEE
39 Characteristic : TRAIT
40 Think before placing a bet … or what solvers must do to fully appreciate each starred clue : CONSIDERTHEODDS
43 “Take me to your leader” speaker : ALIEN
44 Amazon Handmade competitor : ETSY
45 Main ingredient in many veggie hot dogs : SOY
46 *Book designer’s concern : FOOTNOTE
48 Hammer part : PEEN
50 Sad sound : SOB
51 Morel support? : STEM
53 “Check back later,” in brief : TBA
56 Hypotheticals : IFS
59 Pep : VIM
61 *Ones with good aim : ARCHERS
63 *Mess that might be sticky : SITUATION
66 Makes tolerable : EASES
67 Change with the times : ADAPT
68 Deliverer of the speech “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence,” for short : MLK
69 First name in cosmetics : ESTEE
70 Response during an eye exam : WORSE
71 Cards : IDS
72 “Hey, I’ve got a secret …” : PSST

Down

1 Like eyes after a good cry : PUFFY
2 Midwest hub : OHARE
3 Southwest point of the Texas Triangle : SANANTONIO
4 Fool, from the Yiddish : YUTZ
5 “Understood” : ROGER
6 “It’s so c-c-c-old!” : BRR
7 Refreshment served with a spoon straw : ICEE
8 Film buff : CINEASTE
9 Menace hiding in a basket of figs in “Antony and Cleopatra” : ASP
10 “Sacre ___!” : BLEU
11 Table expander : LEAF
12 Sylvan ___ (electropop duo) : ESSO
14 Vegges out : LAZES
19 Satanic : EVIL
21 Zapped with light : LASED
26 Ophelia’s vengeful brother in “Hamlet” : LAERTES
28 Eeyore-like : MOROSE
30 Beginnings : ONSETS
32 Gives permission to : LETS
33 Parts of many home inspections : RADONTESTS
34 In good order : TIDY
35 Pike and Pine, in Seattle: Abbr. : STS
36 Brand of party cups : SOLO
38 Actress Amanda : PEET
40 Lunchroom, casually : CAF
41 Think outside the box : INNOVATE
42 Like many kids post-Halloween : HYPER
47 “In memoriam” piece : OBIT
49 Play the host : EMCEE
52 Sleeveless shirts, informally : TANKS
54 Longtime Saints QB whose name has a windy homophone : BREES
55 Item in the plus column : ASSET
56 “You don’t have to tell me” : ISAW
57 Classic pet name : FIDO
58 Hollywood Boulevard sight : STAR
60 “Rent” character based on a seamstress in “La Bohème” : MIMI
62 Hinged fastener : HASP
64 Sending help? : UPS
65 Not funny anymore : OLD
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