Happy December 20, 2025! The USA Today Crossword offers a daily challenge to puzzle fans, testing your vocabulary and general knowledge. Stuck on today’s crossword? You’ll find helpful hints and all the answers below to guide you to completion.

Whether you’re a seasoned solver or just starting out, these clues and solutions can help you master today’s puzzle.

Across

1A Offers that seem too good to be true, probably — SCAMS

6A Small recipe amount (Abbr.) — TSP

9A Choose — OPT

12A Well-mannered — POLITE

14A Embroidery aid — HOOP

16A Irritate — IRE

17A Gotten out of bed — ARISEN

18A Guileless — NAIVE

20A Entrances to some hotels — PORTE COCHERES

22A U-turn from WNW — ESE

23A Captain’s record book — LOG

24A Word after “polka” or “Swiss” — DOT

25A Howled like a coyote — YIPPED

27D Gives permission for — ALLOWS

30A Head of state in Qatar — EMIR

33A Ms. or Mx., e.g. — TITLE

35A Affirmative vote — AYE

36A Leave a lasting legacy — MAKE A DIFFERENCE

40A Poem written “to” or “on” something — ODE

41A Constant critic — NAG

42A Regrets — RUES

43A Coral that sounds like an accessory for a mermaid — FAN

45A Rot — DECAY

48A “Just ___ me know!” — LET

49A Mess up — ERR

50A Fish part — FIN

53A Futile pursuit — WILD GOOSE CHASE

58A Like some durable skillets — CAST IRON

59A Beachcomber’s souvenirs — SHELLS

60A Aardvark’s snack — ANT

61A Snooze — NAP

62A Collection of dishes that might be doll-sized — TEA SET

63A K-pop group that reunited in July 2025 — TWO

64A Needs to pay — OWES

65A Put on clothes — DRESS

Down

1D “In my ___ time, I enjoy . . .” — SPARE

2D Apple centers — CORES

3D “The hills are ___ with the sound of music” — ALIVE

4D Paste often mixed with dashi — MISO

5D Star, in Latin — STELLA

6D Like watery broth — THIN

7D Dance partner? — SONG

8D Heron’s hunting ground — POND

9D “That’s it for my part! Take it away!” — OVER TO YOU

10D Inky writing tools — PENS

11D Simple file extension (Abbr.) — TXT

13D Diplomatic go-between — ENVOY

15D Pups on some 1950s skirts — POODLES

19D Warmer than cold — IDID

21D “No need to explain” — I GET IT

25D Certain sib — SIS

26D Feasted — ATE

27D “Beef” star Wong — ALI

28D “If I ___ you . . .” — WERE

29D Puts into words — SAYS

30D Aspects of some big personalities — EGOS

31D Airplane ___ (phone setting) — MODE

32D Wishful thinkers — IDLERS

34D Smallest odd primes in Sudoku grids — THREE AND FIVE

37D “Can you explain my mistake here?” — HOW

38D Grandmotherly nickname, in the United Kingdom — NAN

39D Make an effort — TRY

44D Fabric in many kids’ craft projects — FELT

46D Rockhopper penguin’s feathery “hairdo” — CREST

47D Like a yoga practitioner’s back during cat pose — ARCHED

50D Utterly untrue — FALSE

51D ___ of Scilly (Cornish archipelago) — ISLES

52D What birds may build in boxes — NESTS

53D Long for — WANT

54D Reach new heights? — SOAR

55D Seep — OOZE

56D Useful bills at garage sales — ONES

57D “Hark ye, ___ ye!” — HARK

58D Hailed vehicle — CAB

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