NYT Crossword Down December 03, 2025: All 41 Vertical Answers & Strategic Tips
Quick Summary: Today's NYT Crossword has 41 Down clues. We have all the vertical answers plus helpful hints to make solving easier!
Related Puzzles: February 18 2020 NYT Clues Solutions | Xwordhint Crossword Answers September_7 | June 13 2022 NYT Clues Solutions |
About Today's Down Clues
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | December 03, 2025 |
| Day of Week | Wednesday |
| Total Down Clues | 41 clues |
| Direction | Vertical (Top to Bottom) |
| Difficulty | Medium |
All Down Clues - Complete List
Here are all 41 Down clues for today's puzzle. These go vertically from top to bottom.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 1. Elevated |
| 2 Down | 2. Greeting among the lei community? |
| 3 Down | 3. Jeter in Cooperstown |
| 4 Down | 4. Not too many |
| 5 Down | 5. Like Picard vis-à-vis Kirk |
| 6 Down | 6. Drink that may come in a yard |
| 7 Down | 7. Jean-Paul Sartre's "___ Chemins de la Liberté" |
| 8 Down | 8. Kind of strategy |
| 9 Down | 9. Obama-era immigration program, informally |
| 10 Down | 10. Novelist Patchett |
| 11 Down | 11. Following bad advice |
| 12 Down | 12. Store with iconic blue totes |
| 13 Down | 13. Like certain thoughts and pockets |
| 14 Down | 18. Advice |
| 15 Down | 19. Yours, in French |
| 16 Down | 25. "Slavonic Dances" composer |
| 17 Down | 26. Omsk's region |
| 18 Down | 28. Stole |
| 19 Down | 29. Philly b-ball squad |
| 20 Down | 30. Superlatively contemptible |
| 21 Down | 31. Slithering swimmer |
| 22 Down | 32. Google app with the slogan "Search what you see" |
| 23 Down | 33. Drug featured in "How to Change Your Mind" |
| 24 Down | 34. Online commentary site |
| 25 Down | 35. Band that helped popularize "pay-what-you-want" pricing with their album "In Rainbows" |
| 26 Down | 38. Home to the Tamiami Trail: Abbr. |
| 27 Down | 39. Aphrodite's second letter |
| 28 Down | 43. Golden-tan dog of multiple films |
| 29 Down | 45. Blue area on a Scottish map |
| 30 Down | 46. Think that it's appropriate |
| 31 Down | 49. Cold call? |
| 32 Down | 50. Got out of a chair |
| 33 Down | 51. "Ad ___ per aspera" (motto of Kansas) |
| 34 Down | 52. Razor brand |
| 35 Down | 53. Guarded area for many athletes |
| 36 Down | 55. 18-wheeler |
| 37 Down | 56. Modern country that includes most of ancient Mesopotamia |
| 38 Down | 58. Award with a "Best Record-Breaking Performance" category |
| 39 Down | 60. Sneakily clever |
| 40 Down | 61. Letters of indebtedness |
| 41 Down | 62. Day before taking the SAT: Abbr. |
Detailed Hints and Answers for All Down Clues
Need help? Here are comprehensive hints and answers for each Down clue. Also check these helpful guides:
- October 28 2019 NYT Clues Solutions
- NYT Across Crossword November 18 2025
- November 30 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- August 11 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
Complete Down Solutions:
1 Down: "1. Elevated"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 5 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'Y'
- Word pattern: L___Y
- Similar words: soaring, rarified
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 1
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
LOFTY
2 Down: "2. Greeting among the lei community?"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 5 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: A___A
- Similar words: ciao
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 2
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
ALOHA
3 Down: "3. Jeter in Cooperstown"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 5 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'K'
- Word pattern: D___K
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 3
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
DEREK
4 Down: "4. Not too many"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: S__E
- Similar words: about, roughly
- Opposite of: no
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 4
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
SOME
5 Down: "5. Like Picard vis-à-vis Kirk"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 6 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'B' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: B____R
- Similar words: barefaced, bald-pated
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 5
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
BALDER
6 Down: "6. Drink that may come in a yard"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 3 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'E'
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 6
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
ALE
7 Down: "7. Jean-Paul Sartre's "___ Chemins de la Liberté""
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 3 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'S'
- Similar words: LE
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 7
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
LES
8 Down: "8. Kind of strategy"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: E__T
- Similar words: passing, snuff it
- Opposite of: enter
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: an opening that permits escape or release
- This is Down clue number 8
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
EXIT
9 Down: "9. Obama-era immigration program, informally"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: D__A
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 9
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
DACA
10 Down: "10. Novelist Patchett"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 3 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'N'
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 10
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
ANN
11 Down: "11. Following bad advice"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 9 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'M' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: M_______D
- Similar words: mistaken, mislead
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 11
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
MISGUIDED
12 Down: "12. Store with iconic blue totes"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: I__A
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 12
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
IKEA
13 Down: "13. Like certain thoughts and pockets"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'P'
- Word pattern: D__P
- Similar words: cryptical, inscrutable
- Opposite of: shallow
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: the central and most intense or profound part
- This is Down clue number 13
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
DEEP
14 Down: "18. Advice"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 5 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: I___T
- Similar words: stimulus, stimulation
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: signal going into an electronic system
- This is Down clue number 14
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
INPUT
15 Down: "19. Yours, in French"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'I'
- Word pattern: A__I
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 15
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
ATOI
16 Down: "25. "Slavonic Dances" composer"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 6 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'K'
- Word pattern: D____K
- Similar words: Antonin Dvorak
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 16
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
DVORAK
17 Down: "26. Omsk's region"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 7 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: S_____A
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: a vast Asian region of Russia; famous for long cold winters
- This is Down clue number 17
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
SIBERIA
18 Down: "28. Stole"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 6 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: S____D
- Similar words: pilfer, filch
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: strike with a swiping motion
- This is Down clue number 18
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
SWIPED
19 Down: "29. Philly b-ball squad"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 6 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: S____S
- Similar words: Captain Hicks, sextet
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one
- This is Down clue number 19
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
SIXERS
20 Down: "30. Superlatively contemptible"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 6 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'V' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: V____T
- Similar words: nauseous, ugly
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: morally reprehensible
- This is Down clue number 20
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
VILEST
21 Down: "31. Slithering swimmer"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 3 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'L'
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 21
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
EEL
22 Down: "32. Google app with the slogan "Search what you see""
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: L__S
- Similar words: lens of the eye, lense
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 22
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
LENS
23 Down: "33. Drug featured in "How to Change Your Mind""
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 3 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'D'
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 23
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
LSD
24 Down: "34. Online commentary site"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'B' and ends with 'G'
- Word pattern: B__G
- Similar words: web log
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 24
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
BLOG
25 Down: "35. Band that helped popularize "pay-what-you-want" pricing with their album "In Rainbows""
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 9 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: R_______D
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 25
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
RADIOHEAD
26 Down: "38. Home to the Tamiami Trail: Abbr."
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 3 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'F' and ends with 'A'
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 26
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
FLA
27 Down: "39. Aphrodite's second letter"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 3 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'I'
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: the 21st letter of the Greek alphabet
- This is Down clue number 27
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
PHI
28 Down: "43. Golden-tan dog of multiple films"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 5 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'B' and ends with 'I'
- Word pattern: B___I
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 28
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
BENJI
29 Down: "45. Blue area on a Scottish map"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'H'
- Word pattern: L__H
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 29
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
LOCH
30 Down: "46. Think that it's appropriate"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 6 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: S____T
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 30
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
SEEFIT
31 Down: "49. Cold call?"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 5 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'O'
- Word pattern: A___O
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 31
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
ACHOO
32 Down: "50. Got out of a chair"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 5 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: S___D
- Similar words: suffer, stand
- Opposite of: sit
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: be standing; be upright
- This is Down clue number 32
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
STOOD
33 Down: "51. "Ad ___ per aspera" (motto of Kansas)"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 5 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: A___A
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 33
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
ASTRA
34 Down: "52. Razor brand"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: A__A
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 34
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
ATRA
35 Down: "53. Guarded area for many athletes"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: S__N
- Similar words: scramble, sputter
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 35
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
SHIN
36 Down: "55. 18-wheeler"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'I'
- Word pattern: S__I
- Similar words: tractor trailer, trucking rig
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 36
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
SEMI
37 Down: "56. Modern country that includes most of ancient Mesopotamia"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'Q'
- Word pattern: I__Q
- Similar words: Irak, Al-Iraq
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 37
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
IRAQ
38 Down: "58. Award with a "Best Record-Breaking Performance" category"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'Y'
- Word pattern: E__Y
- Similar words: spot, spy
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: catch sight of
- This is Down clue number 38
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
ESPY
39 Down: "60. Sneakily clever"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 3 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'Y'
- Similar words: cunning, foxy
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: marked by skill in deception
- This is Down clue number 39
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
SLY
40 Down: "61. Letters of indebtedness"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 3 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'U'
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: an informal debt instrument; representing `I owe you'
- This is Down clue number 40
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
IOU
41 Down: "62. Day before taking the SAT: Abbr."
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 3 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'F' and ends with 'I'
- Similar words: Friday
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: the sixth day of the week; the fifth working day
- This is Down clue number 41
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
FRI
Expert Strategies for Solving Down Clues
Master the vertical clues with these professional tips:
Why Start with Down Clues?
- Down clues often reveal key letters for intersecting words
- Vertical patterns can unlock difficult sections
- Many prefixes and suffixes run vertically
- Down answers often help solve Across clues
Down Clue Patterns to Recognize
- Fill-in-the-blank clues: These are usually the easiest Down entries
- Prefixes and suffixes: Common word parts often run vertically
- Abbreviations: Look for clues with "Abbr." or shortened forms
- Plural indicators: Words ending in 'S' are common in Down
- Pop culture references: Names and titles often appear vertically
Time-Saving Down Techniques
| Technique | How It Helps |
|---|---|
| Scan all Down first | Get a mental map of the vertical flow |
| Fill short Down words | 3-4 letter words are often prefixes or connectors |
| Use crossing letters | Across letters help confirm Down answers |
| Look for themes | Related Down answers often share a theme |
Frequently Asked Questions About Down Clues
What are Down clues in crossword puzzles?
Down clues are the vertical entries in a crossword puzzle that read from top to bottom. They're numbered and correspond to specific columns in the grid.
Should I solve Down or Across clues first?
Many solvers alternate between Down and Across clues to build momentum. Down clues can help unlock difficult sections by providing key intersecting letters. The best approach is to solve the clues you find easiest first, regardless of direction.
How many Down clues are in today's puzzle?
Today's NYT crossword has 41 Down clues.
Are Down clues easier than Across clues?
Neither direction is inherently easier. The difficulty depends on the specific clues and your knowledge. However, Down clues often contain helpful prefixes, suffixes, and word parts that can be easier to guess.
How do Down clues interact with Across clues?
Down and Across clues intersect at various points in the grid. Solving one can provide letters that help solve the other, making the puzzle easier as you progress.
