Looking for a fun way to boost your brainpower? The USA TODAY Crossword is your perfect daily fit! This puzzle offers a mix of modern clues and straightforward answers in a compact grid. Whether you’re a pro solver or just starting your crossword journey, we’re here to help you cross the finish line. Below are the clues and solutions for today’s USA TODAY Crossword for December 15, 2025.

“Catch Me If You Can” USA TODAY Crossword Answers Today: January 4, 2026 - 1

Today’s USA TODAY Crossword Answers for December 15, 2025

  • 1A: Challenging H.S. science course – APBIO

  • 6A: “Git!” – SHOO

  • 10A: Twin Cities airport (Abbr.) – MSP

  • 13A: Like a visage in a haunted house, often – GAUNT

  • 14A: Prefix with “educator” or “medic” – PARA

  • 15A: Row, row, row your boat with one – OAR

  • 16A: 1 or 2 on the Kinsey scale, perhaps – HETEROFLEXIBLE

  • 19A: Chappell Roan subgenre – ALTPOP

  • 20A: Frog’s kid-lit friend – TOAD

  • 21A: Baking measurement (Abbr.) – TSP

  • 23A: Opening at a coin-op arcade – SLOT

  • 24A: Podcast units, for short – EPS

  • 26A: Drink that can be made in a siphon brewer – COFFEE

  • 28A: Light brown – TAN

  • 29A: “Castle ___ Cloud” (“Les Miserables” song) – ONA

  • 30A: Valencia school for creatives – CALARTS

  • 31A: “Am not!” reply – ARETOO

  • 33A: For fear that – LEST

  • 34A: Warm-but-breathable synthetic material – MICROFLEECE

  • 37A: Got 100% on – ACED

  • 39A: “Good enough!” – ITLLDO

  • 40A: Crunchy orange snacks – CHEETOS

  • 43A: Appropriate – APT

  • 44A: Student-run org. supporting LGBTQ+ youth – GSA

  • 47A: Vegas NFL player – RAIDER

  • 48A: Wharton degree, for short – MBA

  • 49A: Experts – PROS

  • 50A: Doc who inserts ear tubes – ENT

  • 51A: Teeny arachnid – MITE

  • 53A: Sewing kit items – SPOOLS

  • 55A: No. 1 hit from “Back to the Future” – THEPOWEROFLOVE

  • 58A: “Scary!” – EEK

  • 59A: Lo-cal – LITE

  • 60A: Top picks, for short – FAVES

  • 61A: “Drunk in Love” co-writer Moon – DRE

  • 62A: Online crafts marketplace – ETSY

  • 63A: Long lock – TRESS

  • 1D: Totally horrified – AGHAST

  • 2D: One-pot dish from Valencia – PAELLA

  • 3D: Shirt fastener – BUTTON

  • 4D: Lacking skill – INEPT

  • 5D: Other, in Spanish – OTRO

  • 6D: Letters on Banana Boat products – SPF

  • 7D: Comes to a stop – HALTS

  • 8D: Cookie with an Apple Pie a la Mode flavor – OREO

  • 9D: Mexican state known for mole – OAXACA

  • 10D: Group of emus – MOB

  • 11D: Like bland pretzels – SALTFREE

  • 12D: Car radio features – PRESETS

  • 17D: Prince, for the Rolling Stones in ’81 – OPENER

  • 18D: Revered person – IDOL

  • 22D: Annoyance – PEST

  • 25D: Jamaican ___ (creole language) – PATOIS

  • 27D: “Nurse Jackie” actor Edie – FALCO

  • 29D: “Critical Role” monster – ORC

  • 30D: Team work? – COLLAB

  • 31D: Helped – AIDED

  • 32D: Quaint word meaning “frequently” – OFT

  • 34D: “I also don’t do that” – MEEITHER

  • 35D: Texas city on the Rio Grande – ELPASO

  • 36D: Summer time zone in NYC – EDT

  • 37D: One-hundredth of Pooh’s forest – ACRE

  • 38D: Emulated Gregorian monks – CHANTED

  • 41D: Office sub – TEMP

  • 42D: Maryland state bird – ORIOLE

  • 44D: Flow state – GROOVE

  • 45D: Gets a clue? – SOLVES

  • 46D: Weigh the pros and cons – ASSESS

  • 48D: Gets introduced to – MEETS

  • 49D: ___ vortex (icy phenomenon) – POLAR

  • 52D: Fool – TWIT

  • 54D: Sound of derision – PFFT

  • 56D: ___ out a living – EKE

  • 57D: ___ Mysterio (WWE wrestler) – REY

USA Today Crossword Dec 15 - 2

How did you fare with today’s USA TODAY Crossword? Did you cruise to victory or get briefly stumped?

This grid offered a lively mix of contemporary references and classic crossword phrasing, which kept the solve feeling fresh throughout. A couple of longer entries tied the puzzle together nicely once uncovered, while some short, punchy clues added a bit of snap. There were moments that required a pause and rethink, but crossings always played fair. Overall, it was an engaging and well-paced puzzle, and I’d rate this 4 out of 5 .

You can also check out today’s answers for other Crossword puzzles below:

  • NYT Mini Crossword Hints and Answers
  • Washington Post/LA Times Crossword Hints and Answers
  • LA Times Mini Crossword Hints and Answers
  • Washington Post Mini Meta Crossword
  • Boston Globe Mini Crossword Hints and Answers

How to Play the USA TODAY Crossword

Playing the USA TODAY Crossword is hassle-free and lightning-fast.

  • The Goal: The object is to completely fill the small grid with words that correctly answer the “Across” (horizontal) and “Down” (vertical) clues.
  • The Clues: Use the list of clues provided for each direction.
  • Word Length: The grid itself guides you on the length of the words. A correct letter in one direction will often give you a helpful starting letter for the intersecting word.
  • Intersections: Look for those crossing points! Solving an easy “Across” clue can provide key letters that make a tougher “Down” clue suddenly click.
  • Daily Refresh: A brand new USA TODAY Crossword is released every day, guaranteeing a fresh burst of puzzle fun daily.