NYT Down Today December 30, 2025: Complete Vertical Clues Walkthrough
Quick Summary: Today's NYT Crossword has 39 Down clues. We have all the vertical answers plus helpful hints to make solving easier!
Related Puzzles: January 08 2021 NYT Clues Solutions | Across Clues NYT October 25 2025 Todays | January 22 2021 NYT Clues Solutions |
About Today's Down Clues
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | December 30, 2025 |
| Day of Week | Tuesday |
| Total Down Clues | 39 clues |
| Direction | Vertical (Top to Bottom) |
| Difficulty | Easy |
All Down Clues - Complete List
Here are all 39 Down clues for today's puzzle. These go vertically from top to bottom.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 1. The eyes of an emoticon, typically |
| 2 Down | 2. Make a case (for) |
| 3 Down | 3. Opposite of credit |
| 4 Down | 4. "And ___ bed" |
| 5 Down | 5. Nothing |
| 6 Down | 6. Dr. Seuss' "And to Think That ___ It on Mulberry Street" |
| 7 Down | 7. 4 on a par 3, e.g. |
| 8 Down | 8. Hard-to-clean-up sparkly stuff |
| 9 Down | 9. Like good omens |
| 10 Down | 10. College instructor, for short |
| 11 Down | 11. "To thine own ___ be true" |
| 12 Down | 13. Sudden, powerful gust of wind |
| 13 Down | 16. Used a stool, say |
| 14 Down | 18. Athleisure brand originally from Italy |
| 15 Down | 22. Homes on branches |
| 16 Down | 25. ___ Day (April observance) |
| 17 Down | 27. Climactic fight in a video game |
| 18 Down | 28. 0% filled |
| 19 Down | 30. Fun word to shout into a canyon |
| 20 Down | 31. Fashion inits. in Manhattan |
| 21 Down | 32. Those, en español |
| 22 Down | 33. Puts on, as a jacket |
| 23 Down | 34. Yokel |
| 24 Down | 35. Apex predator of the ocean |
| 25 Down | 37. Marks, as a ballot square |
| 26 Down | 39. "The Thinker" sculptor |
| 27 Down | 42. Pored over |
| 28 Down | 43. Not act up |
| 29 Down | 46. ___ Sea (arm of the Arctic Ocean) |
| 30 Down | 48. Making a plate appearance |
| 31 Down | 50. Scientist Hubble with a telescope named after him |
| 32 Down | 51. Fuzzy-feeling leather |
| 33 Down | 52. Extremes of the earth |
| 34 Down | 53. Nightwear, informally |
| 35 Down | 54. Oblong tomato type |
| 36 Down | 55. Lose traction |
| 37 Down | 56. "OK, go ahead" |
| 38 Down | 58. Casual collared shirt |
| 39 Down | 61. Desire |
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:
- All NYT Down Clues October 20 2025 40
- September 02 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
- December 24 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
- September 07 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
Complete Down Solutions:
1 Down: "1. The eyes of an emoticon, typically"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 5 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: C___N
- Similar words: Aspinwall
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 1
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
COLON
2 Down: "2. Make a case (for)"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 5 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: A___E
- Similar words: reason, indicate
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: present reasons and arguments
- This is Down clue number 2
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
ARGUE
3 Down: "3. Opposite of credit"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 5 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: D___T
- Similar words: debit entry
- Opposite of: credit
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: an accounting entry acknowledging sums that are owing
- This is Down clue number 3
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
DEBIT
4 Down: "4. "And ___ bed""
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'O'
- Word pattern: S__O
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 4
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
SOTO
5 Down: "5. Nothing"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 3 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'N' and ends with 'L'
- Similar words: zippo, goose egg
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: a quantity of no importance
- This is Down clue number 5
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
NIL
6 Down: "6. Dr. Seuss' "And to Think That ___ It on Mulberry Street""
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'W'
- Word pattern: I__W
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 6
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
ISAW
7 Down: "7. 4 on a par 3, e.g."
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 5 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'B' and ends with 'Y'
- Word pattern: B___Y
- Similar words: bogy, bogie
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: an evil spirit
- This is Down clue number 7
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
BOGEY
8 Down: "8. Hard-to-clean-up sparkly stuff"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 7 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'G' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: G_____R
- Similar words: glisten, coruscation
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: the quality of shining with a bright reflected light
- This is Down clue number 8
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
GLITTER
9 Down: "9. Like good omens"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 10 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: A________S
- Opposite of: inauspicious
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: auguring favorable circumstances and good luck
- This is Down clue number 9
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
AUSPICIOUS
10 Down: "10. College instructor, for short"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'F'
- Word pattern: P__F
- Similar words: professor
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 10
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
PROF
11 Down: "11. "To thine own ___ be true""
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'F'
- Word pattern: S__F
- Similar words: ego
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: your consciousness of your own identity
- This is Down clue number 11
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
SELF
12 Down: "13. Sudden, powerful gust of wind"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 6 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'L'
- Word pattern: S____L
- Similar words: shout, yell
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: sudden violent winds; often accompanied by precipitation
- This is Down clue number 12
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
SQUALL
13 Down: "16. Used a stool, say"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 3 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'T'
- Similar words: pose, Saturday
- Opposite of: stand
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 13
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
SAT
14 Down: "18. Athleisure brand originally from Italy"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'F' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: F__A
- Similar words: filament, filum
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: a threadlike structure (as a chainlike series of cells)
- This is Down clue number 14
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
FILA
15 Down: "22. Homes on branches"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 5 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'N' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: N___S
- Similar words: draw close, nuzzle
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 15
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
NESTS
16 Down: "25. ___ Day (April observance)"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 5 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: A___R
- Similar words: mandrel, mandril
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: tree (as opposed to shrub)
- This is Down clue number 16
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
ARBOR
17 Down: "27. Climactic fight in a video game"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 10 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'B' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: B________E
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 17
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
BOSSBATTLE
18 Down: "28. 0% filled"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 5 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'Y'
- Word pattern: E___Y
- Similar words: void, vacuous
- Opposite of: fill
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: a container that has been emptied
- This is Down clue number 18
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
EMPTY
19 Down: "30. Fun word to shout into a canyon"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'O'
- Word pattern: E__O
- Similar words: recall, repeat
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 19
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
ECHO
20 Down: "31. Fashion inits. in Manhattan"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'Y'
- Word pattern: D__Y
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 20
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
DKNY
21 Down: "32. Those, en español"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: E__S
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 21
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
ESOS
22 Down: "33. Puts on, as a jacket"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: D__S
- Similar words: preceptor, Don River
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: a Spanish gentleman or nobleman
- This is Down clue number 22
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
DONS
23 Down: "34. Yokel"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: R__E
- Similar words: yahoo, hick
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 23
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
RUBE
24 Down: "35. Apex predator of the ocean"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: O__A
- Similar words: killer, Orcinus orca
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 24
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
ORCA
25 Down: "37. Marks, as a ballot square"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 5 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'X' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: X___N
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 25
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
XESIN
26 Down: "39. "The Thinker" sculptor"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 5 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: R___N
- Similar words: Auguste Rodin
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 26
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
RODIN
27 Down: "42. Pored over"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 7 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: P_____D
- Similar words: peruse
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: examine or consider with attention and in detail
- This is Down clue number 27
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
PERUSED
28 Down: "43. Not act up"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 6 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'B' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: B____E
- Similar words: do, bear
- Opposite of: misbehave
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 28
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
BEHAVE
29 Down: "46. ___ Sea (arm of the Arctic Ocean)"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'K' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: K__A
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 29
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
KARA
30 Down: "48. Making a plate appearance"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 5 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: A___T
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 30
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
ATBAT
31 Down: "50. Scientist Hubble with a telescope named after him"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 5 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: E___N
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 31
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
EDWIN
32 Down: "51. Fuzzy-feeling leather"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 5 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: S___E
- Similar words: suede leather, suede cloth
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: leather with a napped surface
- This is Down clue number 32
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
SUEDE
33 Down: "52. Extremes of the earth"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 5 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: P___S
- Similar words: perch, pole
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: a long (usually round) rod of wood or metal or plastic
- This is Down clue number 33
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
POLES
34 Down: "53. Nightwear, informally"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 3 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'S'
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 34
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
PJS
35 Down: "54. Oblong tomato type"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: R__A
- Similar words: Romany, Gypsy
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 35
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
ROMA
36 Down: "55. Lose traction"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'P'
- Word pattern: S__P
- Similar words: slide, berth
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: a socially awkward or tactless act
- This is Down clue number 36
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
SLIP
37 Down: "56. "OK, go ahead""
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: surely, certain
- Opposite of: uncertain
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 37
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
SURE
38 Down: "58. Casual collared shirt"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'O'
- Word pattern: P__O
- Similar words: Marco Polo
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 38
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
POLO
39 Down: "61. Desire"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 3 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'Y' and ends with 'N'
- Similar words: ache, pine
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: a yearning for something or to do something
- This is Down clue number 39
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
YEN
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 39 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.
