Daily Themed Crossword December 16, 2023 Answers
Every clue and answer from the December 16, 2023 grid, in puzzle order.
December 16, 2023 — All 59 Clues
Listed in the order they appear in the grid. Tap COPY to take an answer with you.
| # | Clue | Answer | Letters | Copy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | (1/10) We'll decorate for Christmas over the next few days in DTC! Start by placing a ___ on the door! (Yule garland) | Show answer | 6 | |
| #2 | Scary old woman in fairytales say | Show answer | 3 | |
| #3 | Permanent body art | Show answer | 6 | |
| #4 | He did it ___ only his hands! (employing only) | Show answer | 5 | |
| #5 | Christmas postage ___ issued in many countries for mailing cards and presents and a tradition that originated in the 1900s | Show answer | 6 | |
| #6 | Underworld crime group with rackets say | Show answer | 5 | |
| #7 | Ancient Roman attire for Julius Caesar | Show answer | 4 | |
| #8 | Network for Conan: Abbr. | Show answer | 3 | |
| #9 | On the ___ (running away) | Show answer | 3 | |
| #10 | Chris ___ who starred in Captain America: The First Avenger | Show answer | 5 | |
| #11 | Tablet for an Apple Pencil | Show answer | 4 | |
| #12 | Researcher's workplace for short | Show answer | 3 | |
| #13 | Christmas ___ object under which one hides presents and a tradition that originated in the Renaissance era | Show answer | 4 | |
| #14 | ___ Grey (tea variety) | Show answer | 4 | |
| #15 | Ever and ___ (occasionally in archaic English) | Show answer | 4 | |
| #16 | Candle fragrance say | Show answer | 5 | |
| #17 | Called up say | Show answer | 4 | |
| #18 | ___ common denominator (marketing term) | Show answer | 6 | |
| #19 | Yule ___ traditional Christmas dessert that originated in the 19th century | Show answer | 3 | |
| #20 | Bazaar booth | Show answer | 5 | |
| #21 | Largest city in Nebraska | Show answer | 5 | |
| #22 | Kind of dream where one is aware they're dreaming | Show answer | 5 | |
| #23 | Sign in a shop window perhaps | Show answer | 4 | |
| #24 | Facebook's parent company | Show answer | 4 | |
| #25 | Cafeteria carry-all | Show answer | 4 | |
| #26 | Nosegay | Show answer | 4 | |
| #27 | Pounds ounces or kilograms for short | Show answer | 3 | |
| #28 | Long-tailed rodent | Show answer | 3 | |
| #29 | Flight's expected landing hour say: Abbr. | Show answer | 3 | |
| #30 | Cash dispenser that needs a PIN: Abbr. | Show answer | 3 | |
| #31 | ___ o' the mornin' to you! | Show answer | 3 | |
| #32 | Budget-friendly lodging for young travelers | Show answer | 6 | |
| #33 | ___ being (you for one) | Show answer | 5 | |
| #34 | Hard ___ rock: 2 wds. | Show answer | 3 | |
| #35 | Christmas ___ tradition that originated in Ancient Rome who gave presents while celebrating Saturnalia | Show answer | 4 | |
| #36 | Pointed part of a pen | Show answer | 3 | |
| #37 | Helium or oxygen for one | Show answer | 3 | |
| #38 | Eggs for fertilization | Show answer | 3 | |
| #39 | Talk incessantly | Show answer | 3 | |
| #40 | Make up an excuse say | Show answer | 3 | |
| #41 | KJ ___ actor who plays Archie Andrews in Riverdale | Show answer | 3 | |
| #42 | The Red Planet | Show answer | 4 | |
| #43 | Begin as a new project | Show answer | 5 | |
| #44 | Additional content purchased in games say: Abbr. | Show answer | 3 | |
| #45 | Genetic messenger molecule: Abbr. | Show answer | 3 | |
| #46 | Billion year span | Show answer | 3 | |
| #47 | London's country for short | Show answer | 3 | |
| #48 | Spanish model ___ Pataky | Show answer | 4 | |
| #49 | Ripley's Believe It or ___ | Show answer | 3 | |
| #50 | JFK's ___ Flight Center: Abbr. | Show answer | 3 | |
| #51 | Right-angled tetris shape | Show answer | 3 | |
| #52 | Baseball batter's dry spell say | Show answer | 5 | |
| #53 | ___ and found (mall counter) | Show answer | 4 | |
| #54 | ___ Little from The Wire | Show answer | 4 | |
| #55 | Met ___ (annual fashion event) | Show answer | 4 | |
| #56 | ___ Soul Sister song by Train | Show answer | 3 | |
| #57 | Boardroom VIP: Abbr. | Show answer | 3 | |
| #58 | ___ show time! | Show answer | 3 | |
| #59 | Boxing ___ public holiday celebrated after Christmas that originated in Great Britain | Show answer | 3 |
How the December 16, 2023 Grid Breaks Down
This is the Daily Themed Crossword main puzzle for December 16, 2023, a Saturday. It contains 59 clues, which is a little below the usual size for a daily grid. The longest answer is WREATH at 6 letters; the shortest is 3.
Watch the clue wording on this one: 7 clues are flagged "Abbr.", meaning the answer is shortened rather than spelled out, and 1 clue carries a "wds." flag, so the answer runs several words together with no spaces. Those markers are reliable in this game and are the quickest way to fix a letter count before you commit to an entry.
Neighbouring dates are linked above, and the 2023 archive holds every daily puzzle from that year. There is also a mini crossword for December 16, 2023 with 10 clues. Away from the calendar, the game's 202 themed packs hold another 58,679 clues.
December 16, 2023 — Questions
What are the Daily Themed Crossword answers for December 16, 2023?
How many clues are in this puzzle?
Is there a mini puzzle for this date?
Where can I find other dates?
Other Crossword Boards
3 Tips for the December 16, 2023 Crossword
The theme is a clue in itself
Daily Themed Crossword builds each board around one idea, and the themed entries are usually the longest answers on the grid. This board carries 59 clues with answers from 3 to 6 letters — work out what the long ones have in common and the rest of the grid opens up around them.
Short fills are where the crossings come from
Three- and four-letter answers are the cheapest squares on the board and they feed letters into every long entry they touch. When a themed answer will not come, fill the short ones around it first rather than staring at the clue.
There is a mini board for this date too
Daily Themed Crossword runs two boards a day. The mini crossword for December 16, 2023 is on its own page, and the two share a theme more often than not — solving one gives you a head start on the other.
Verified Answers, Not Guesses
How we verify this board
The 59 clue-and-answer pairs here were captured from the December 16, 2023 crossword on the day it ran, with the clue wording stored exactly as the game showed it and every answer length-checked against its slot. Dated boards are never rewritten after publication.
Reviewed by Nadia Okonkwo, Crossword and Clue Editor at Puzzle Solved. The full checking routine is in the methodology, and the standards every page is held to are in the editorial policy.
Last checked — Sep 9, 2026Daily Themed Crossword by the numbers
How to Solve a Daily Themed Crossword
How the daily and mini grids are built, and the order that solves them.
Read the theme before the clues
Daily Themed Crossword builds every puzzle around one idea, and the long entries almost always belong to it. Knowing the theme turns those from cold clues into a guessing game with a very short list.
Fill the short crossings first
Three and four letter answers use the most predictable vocabulary in the whole grid. Each one you place hands letters to the long clues for free, which is a better use of the first minute than staring at the hardest entry.
Abbreviations are signposted
A clue ending in "Abbr." or containing its own abbreviation is telling you the answer is short and clipped. The same goes for "Hyph." and "2 wds." — the clue format is half the answer.