Happy December 25, 2025! The USA Today Crossword challenges players daily, testing vocabulary, general knowledge, and critical thinking. If you’re stuck on today’s crossword, you’ll find helpful hints and all the answers below. Whether the clues are easy or tricky, this guide will help you finish the puzzle and learn new words along the way.

Across

1A Big bodies of saltwater — SEAS

5A Let in — ADMIT

10A Part of a Super Grover costume — CAPE

14A Mineral no longer used in baby powder — TALC

15A Dirty gunk — GRIME

16A App developer’s customer — USER

17A “At Last” singer James — ETTA

18A Person who’s rapidly gaining popularity — RISING STAR

20A Product manager’s plan — ROADMAP

22A Curt — TERSE

23A Dana Evans on “The Pitt,” e.g. — ROLE

24A Part of a place setting — SPOON

26A Spice mix — RUB

29A Extra periods, for short — OTS

30A “Give this a taste!” — TRY IT

32A “___ Line Is It Anyway?” — WHOSE

34A Black, green or white beverage — TEA

35A Bout endings, for short — TKOS

37A Professional in a classroom — TEACHER

38A “Meet Me in St. Louis” actor — JUDY GARLAND

41A Stretch across — SPAN

43A Cry hard — SOB

44A Trailers before a movie, essentially — ADS

45A “Piece of My Heart” singer Franklin — ERMA

46A Wooly pack animal — LLAMA

48A Halloween costume for a black cat, maybe — BAT

51A Corn core — COB

52A More skillful — ABLER

54A Make thirsty — PARCH

56A “We are ___ / I’ve got all my sisters with me” — FAMILY

58A Entryway that might have a microchip sensor — PET DOOR

60A Beauty vloggers’ shadow-reducing gear — RING LIGHTS

62A Really serious — DIRE

63A The ___ (parents, to a ’00s teen) — RENTS

64A This! Is! Jeopardy! — ALEX

65A Forearm bone — ULNA

66A ___ Plaines, Illinois — DES

67A “And so on . . .” — ETC

68A “Hey, you!” — PSST

Down

1D Caterer’s fuel — STERNO

2D Go to a restaurant — EAT OUT

3D Ofrendas, e.g. — ALTARS

4D Lots and lots — SCADS

5D Taj Mahal city — AGRA

6D Like a runny candle or nose — DRIPPY

7D Prefix for “fit” or “fortune” — MIS

8D Copycat — IMITATOR

9D Basic belief — TENET

10D Swear — CUSS

11D Thing destroyed in a 1979 Atari arcade classic — ASTEROID

12D Carbonara veggie — PEA

13D Screw up — ERR

19D Got bigger — GREW

21D ___ out (allocated) — METED

25D Pleasant and amiable — NICE

27D Currency in CA — USD

28D Spelling contest — BEE

31D Fish with flattened bodies — RAYS

33D ___ Gruber (“Die Hard” antagonist) — HANS

34D Poke bowl protein — TOFU

36D Shut with a bang — SLAM

38D Phish and Goose, e.g. — JAM BANDS

39D “Well, color me surprised!” — OH MY

40D Change with the times — ADAPT

41D “Be there in a ___!” — SEC

42D Side view of a face — PROFILE

47D Region around the North Pole — ARCTIC

48D Cooks under direct heat — BROILS

49D Nuts from oaks — ACORNS

50D Triple ___ (multitalented person) — THREAT

52D Be pained — ACHE

53D Radar dot — BLIP

55D Make sense — ADD UP

57D Dosing amts. — ML

59D Language common in the U.S. Deaf community — ASL

60D Bar in a closet — ROD

61D Possible treatment for symptoms of menopause, for short — HRT

Remember, crosswords are a great way to keep your mind sharp and have fun. Be sure to check back every day for the latest hints and solutions to keep your winning streak going!