Reluctant to ask out one's crush, maybe Crossword Clue
Looking for the answer to “Reluctant to ask out one's crush, maybe” from the New York Times crossword of December 14, 2025? It has 3 letters. Flip the tiles one at a time, try a hint first, or look through the rest of that puzzle.
Crossword answer
NEW YORK TIMES, DECEMBER 14, 2025
Tap a tile to see one letter, or show the whole answer.
SHY is the answer to “Reluctant to ask out one's crush, maybe”. It means lacking courage or self-confidence.
Hints
Three clues to the answer, gentle first. Open one at a time.
Hint 1 Meaning
Lacking courage or self-confidence.
Hint 2 Anagram
Its letters, scrambled: YHS.
Hint 3 Another clue
It has also been clued as “Not likely to make the first move, say”.
More clues from the New York Times (December 14, 2025)
Across
- 1. Marvel superhero who can manipulate weather patterns5 letters, starts with SSTORM
- 6. Something fun to take out for a spin3 letters, starts with TTOP
- 9. Shaquille O'Neal's alma mater, for short3 letters, starts with LLSU
- 12. Parts of a hand5 letters, starts with CCARDS
- 17. Irritate5 letters, starts with CCHAFE
- 18. Recaps7 letters, starts with WWRAPUPS
- 20. Paul whose house is one of the 16 historic sites of Boston's Freedom Trail6 letters, starts with RREVERE
- 21. False alarm announcement?13 letters, starts with OOOHIMSOSCARED
- 23. Jedi-in-training7 letters, starts with PPADAWAN
- 24. Sensible7 letters, starts with PPRUDENT
- 25. TV host Brzezinski4 letters, starts with MMIKA
- 26. #1 choice, in slang4 letters, starts with FFAVE
- 27. "No ___, ands or buts!"3 letters, starts with IIFS
- 28. Pollution-fighting org.3 letters, starts with EEPA
- 29. "Game of Thrones" actor Gillen5 letters, starts with AAIDAN
- 31. River that borders the Black Forest5 letters, starts with RRHINE
- 33. "Render ___ Caesar …"4 letters, starts with UUNTO
- 34. Major coin producer10 letters, starts with DDENVERMINT
- 37. Viking I or II10 letters, starts with MMARSLANDER
- 39. Astronaut Ochoa, the first Hispanic woman in space5 letters, starts with EELLEN
- 40. Nickname for Mark's unsevered best friend in "Severance"5 letters, starts with PPETEY
- 41. They turn red litmus paper blue5 letters, starts with BBASES
- 42. First chimpanzee to orbit Earth4 letters, starts with EENOS
- 43. Football blocker?7 letters, starts with GGOALNET
- 46. Hair-raising stuff3 letters, starts with GGEL
- 47. Remodel and resell some real estate10 letters, starts with FFLIPAHOUSE
- 49. Marching band tempo setters9 letters, starts with DDRUMLINES
- 54. Who said "It's hard to be humble when you're as great as I am"3 letters, starts with AALI
- 55. Season to enjoy une glace3 letters, starts with EETE
- 56. Ruler before 19174 letters, starts with TTSAR
- 58. "Black-ish" airer3 letters, starts with AABC
- 59. It's a numbers game4 letters, starts with KKENO
- 60. Clothing for SWAT teams5 letters, starts with VVESTS
- 62. "The Simpsons" character who becomes obsessed with crossword puzzles4 letters, starts with LLISA
- 64. Puff piece?4 letters, starts with VVAPE
- 66. Like the number of Oscars vis-à-vis the number of Emmys5 letters, starts with FFEWER
- 67. Plant watcher, for short4 letters, starts with OOSHA
- 68. Camera type, in brief3 letters, starts with SSLR
- 69. Site of some Santa sightings4 letters, starts with MMALL
- 71. Longtime record label of Elvis Presley3 letters, starts with RRCA
- 73. 911 responder3 letters, starts with EEMT
- 74. "Hilarious!"9 letters, starts with WWHATAHOOT
- 77. "I mean, kind of ..."10 letters, starts with NNOTEXACTLY
- 80. "Don't give up!"3 letters, starts with TTRY
- 81. ¬ or ~, in logic7 letters, starts with NNEGATOR
- 83. Beat poet ___ Cassady4 letters, starts with NNEAL
- 84. Like some milk, idiomatically5 letters, starts with SSPILT
- 87. ___ on the past5 letters, starts with DDWELL
- 88. Indication of bad service5 letters, starts with NNOTIP
- 90. "Much obliged"10 letters, starts with IIOWEYOUONE
- 92. Crossed the International Date Line from east to west, or west to east (depending on how you look at it)10 letters, starts with GGAINEDADAY
- 97. Bundled up4 letters, starts with CCLAD
- 98. Articles are written in this5 letters, starts with PPROSE
- 99. Brand name for naproxen5 letters, starts with AALEVE
- 100. ___ Miss3 letters, starts with OOLE
- 101. Doll that comes in multiple body types, skin tones, eye colors and hair colors3 letters, starts with KKEN
- 102. Drink known also as "honey wine"4 letters, starts with MMEAD
- 103. Frosty4 letters, starts with CCOLD
- 105. Subject of Newton's first law7 letters, starts with IINERTIA
- 108. Enjoying a soak7 letters, starts with BBATHING
- 110. 1980 horror film starring William Hurt ... or what the shaded squares contain?13 letters, starts with AALTEREDSTATES
- 112. Fundamental rules of math6 letters, starts with AAXIOMS
- 113. Loopy writing7 letters, starts with CCURSIVE
- 114. Star pitcher?5 letters, starts with AAGENT
- 115. "Fiddler on the Roof" matchmaker5 letters, starts with YYENTE
- 116. Letters for an unscheduled event3 letters, starts with TTBA
- 117. Prefix with natal3 letters, starts with NNEO
- 118. Like a bubble bath5 letters, starts with SSUDSY
Down
- 1. Surveyed, with "out"6 letters, starts with SSCOPED
- 2. Early track star Jim6 letters, starts with TTHORPE
- 3. Resident of Honolulu, e.g.6 letters, starts with OOAHUAN
- 4. Touchless payment tech4 letters, starts with RRFID
- 5. Internet ___4 letters, starts with MMEME
- 6. Cheat on, in a way7 letters, starts with TTWOTIME
- 7. Surgery sites, in brief3 letters, starts with OORS
- 8. Video game character with an endless appetite6 letters, starts with PPACMAN
- 9. Be in a chat room but not chat4 letters, starts with LLURK
- 10. Soldiers with long arms8 letters, starts with SSPEARMEN
- 11. Alternative to the euro, in brief3 letters, starts with UUSD
- 12. Relinquish4 letters, starts with CCEDE
- 13. Director DuVernay3 letters, starts with AAVA
- 14. Turns back the clock, maybe?7 letters, starts with RREWINDS
- 15. Opposite of volunteer7 letters, starts with DDRAFTEE
- 16. Parts of many robots in robot-sumo7 letters, starts with SSENSORS
- 19. Area inside the free-throw line, in basketball slang5 letters, starts with PPAINT
- 20. "Gaspard de la Nuit" composer5 letters, starts with RRAVEL
- 22. Addresses angrily8 letters, starts with SSNARLSAT
- 23. Variety of violet5 letters, starts with PPANSY
- 26. Urban safety hazard8 letters, starts with FFIRETRAP
- 30. Australia's largest carnivorous mammal5 letters, starts with DDINGO
- 32. Word used 10 times in Roger Ebert's review of "North" (1994)5 letters, starts with HHATED
- 33. Dissimilar7 letters, starts with UUNALIKE
- 35. Part of a legendary boast4 letters, starts with VVENI
- 36. Skips all the ceremony?6 letters, starts with EELOPES
- 38. The brother in "Am I my brother's keeper?"4 letters, starts with AABEL
- 40. What might be made while clasping one's hands4 letters, starts with PPLEA
- 42. Engineer Gray who, arguably, invented the telephone — and battled Alexander Graham Bell over it in court for years6 letters, starts with EELISHA
- 44. Ballpark figure4 letters, starts with OOUTS
- 45. Kind of tea5 letters, starts with AASSAM
- 46. Sierra automaker3 letters, starts with GGMC
- 47. Shylock's security5 letters, starts with FFLESH
- 48. Adele song with the lyric "I must have called a thousand times"5 letters, starts with HHELLO
- 50. Non-premium option in a rideshare app5 letters, starts with UUBERX
- 51. Gaming mogul Gabe6 letters, starts with NNEWELL
- 52. Ernst Stavro Blofeld, to James Bond5 letters, starts with EENEMY
- 53. Put into piles, perhaps4 letters, starts with SSORT
- 54. Swear4 letters, starts with AAVOW
- 57. Parking space for an Airstream, say, in brief5 letters, starts with RRVLOT
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- 63. Exceptionally hard timber8 letters, starts with IIRONWOOD
- 65. Amy Winehouse, e.g.4 letters, starts with AALTO
- 66. Thumbprint alternative on iPhones6 letters, starts with FFACEID
- 68. Reluctant to ask out one's crush, maybe3 letters, starts with SSHY
- 70. Particularly particular4 letters, starts with AANAL
- 72. Cafeterias8 letters, starts with CCANTEENS
- 75. Like many indie films4 letters, starts with AARTY
- 76. Many characters in the 2007 comedy "Superbad"5 letters, starts with TTEENS
- 78. He had a Billboard Hot 100 hit with "Rubber Duckie"5 letters, starts with EERNIE
- 79. Tortilla de patatas, por ejemplo4 letters, starts with TTAPA
- 82. Where high schoolers work on their numbers?8 letters, starts with GGLEECLUB
- 84. Starship's medical facility7 letters, starts with SSICKBAY
- 85. Ren faire prop akin to a halberd7 letters, starts with PPOLEAXE
- 86. "Sign me up!"7 letters, starts with IIWANTIN
- 87. Hair-care item associated with Black culture5 letters, starts with DDURAG
- 89. Like YouTube offerings7 letters, starts with OONVIDEO
- 91. Commences5 letters, starts with OOPENS
- 92. Rough drafts?5 letters, starts with GGALES
- 93. Interview guest whom Ali G calls "my man Buzz Lightyear here"6 letters, starts with AALDRIN
- 94. Like lowercase i's and j's6 letters, starts with DDOTTED
- 95. Sci-fi sequel of 19866 letters, starts with AALIENS
- 96. Like soft rolls6 letters, starts with YYEASTY
- 102. Wordless entertainment4 letters, starts with MMIME
- 104. Other, to Octavio4 letters, starts with OOTRA
- 106. Brief announcements from a pilot4 letters, starts with EETAS
- 107. ___ alla bolognese (slow-cooked sauce)4 letters, starts with RRAGU
- 109. Like hell!3 letters, starts with HHOT
- 110. Play a part, or part of a play3 letters, starts with AACT
- 111. Part of N.Y.E.3 letters, starts with EEVE
Fresh clues from recent puzzles
Questions
What is the answer to “Reluctant to ask out one's crush, maybe”?
SHY, 3 letters: lacking courage or self-confidence.
When was “Reluctant to ask out one's crush, maybe” last seen in a crossword?
In the New York Times crossword of December 14, 2025.
How many letters does the answer have?
3 letters, starting with S.