Compound that adds bitterness to a merlot Crossword Clue
Looking for the answer to “Compound that adds bitterness to a merlot” from the Washington Post Sunday crossword of December 14, 2025? It has 6 letters. Flip the tiles one at a time, try a hint first, or look through the rest of that puzzle.
Crossword answer
WASHINGTON POST SUNDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2025
Tap a tile to see one letter, or show the whole answer.
TANNIN is the answer to “Compound that adds bitterness to a merlot”. It means a chemical compound used in tanning.
Hints
Three clues to the answer, gentle first. Open one at a time.
Hint 1 Meaning
A chemical compound used in tanning.
Hint 2 Anagram
Its letters, scrambled: NATNIN.
Hint 3 Another clue
It has also been clued as “Compound in wine or tea”.
More clues from the Washington Post Sunday (December 14, 2025)
Across
- 1. Quaker Chewy snacks11 letters, starts with GGRANOLABARS
- 12. Center's miscue that may result in a turnover7 letters, starts with BBADSNAP
- 19. Postoperative care site12 letters, starts with RRECOVERYROOM
- 21. Arctic exploration area7 letters, starts with IICECAVE
- 22. Fight song?13 letters, starts with EENTRANCEMUSIC
- 24. Sweetened alternative to milk in one's coffee7 letters, starts with CCREAMER
- 25. From Hell, Michigan, to Paradise, Utah, say4 letters, starts with WWEST
- 26. Journalist assigned to cover a sports team, say12 letters, starts with BBEATREPORTER
- 28. Opportunity to be a hero8 letters, starts with CCOMICCON
- 33. Collection of Scrabble squares7 letters, starts with TTILESET
- 34. Rose's aroma, e.g.9 letters, starts with EEMANATION
- 36. Substances harvested from plants6 letters, starts with RRESINS
- 37. Take acid and create art, say4 letters, starts with EETCH
- 41. Clinton's defense secretary Aspin3 letters, starts with LLES
- 42. Emulate Ernie when he sings "Rubber Duckie"5 letters, starts with BBATHE
- 43. Rebecca's best friend in "Ghost World"4 letters, starts with EENID
- 44. Impressive display5 letters, starts with AARRAY
- 45. Practitioner of the one-inch punch at the inaugural Long Beach International Karate Championships in 19648 letters, starts with BBRUCELEE
- 47. Refused, as an opportunity8 letters, starts with PPASSEDON
- 50. Subject of a late 1950s FBI inquiry when a railway worker (William Foos) claimed he could read through walls3 letters, starts with EESP
- 51. By mouth6 letters, starts with OORALLY
- 52. Territory next to India and China, in Risk4 letters, starts with SSIAM
- 54. ID, e.g.7 letters, starts with UUSSTATE
- 56. "The Pitt" star Noah4 letters, starts with WWYLE
- 57. One tending to Daisies15 letters, starts with GGIRLSCOUTLEADER
- 61. 2016 Oscar-nominated film featuring aliens nicknamed Abbott and Costello7 letters, starts with AARRIVAL
- 64. 2012 Oscar-nominated film set during the Civil War7 letters, starts with LLINCOLN
- 65. Symphony heard in "Immortal Beloved"15 letters, starts with BBEETHOVENSNINTH
- 69. "On a lighter ___ ..."4 letters, starts with NNOTE
- 73. "That's so cool!"7 letters, starts with AAWESOME
- 74. "Put Your Head on My Shoulder" singer Paul4 letters, starts with AANKA
- 75. Takes potshots6 letters, starts with SSNIPES
- 77. All founders of Queen and Queens of the Stone Age, ironically3 letters, starts with MMEN
- 78. Coveting8 letters, starts with DDESIRING
- 82. Superlatively ordinary8 letters, starts with PPLAINEST
- 84. Fanny ___, 1968 role for Barbra Streisand5 letters, starts with BBRICE
- 86. Org. that runs the National Flood Insurance Program4 letters, starts with FFEMA
- 87. Imitating5 letters, starts with AAPING
- 88. GPS suggestion: Abbr.3 letters, starts with RRTE
- 89. On the open ocean4 letters, starts with AASEA
- 90. Soaks in hot water6 letters, starts with SSTEEPS
- 92. Sci-fi villain's beams9 letters, starts with DDEATHRAYS
- 94. Drop, as an album7 letters, starts with RRELEASE
- 96. Partners who go undercover?8 letters, starts with BBEDMATES
- 97. Team whose mascot is Wally the Green Monster12 letters, starts with BBOSTONREDSOX
- 100. NBA pro based in the same city as the 97 Across, for short4 letters, starts with CCELT
- 103. Some Japanese pianos and synthesizers7 letters, starts with YYAMAHAS
- 104. One who prefers their comments and likes to be anonymous?13 letters, starts with SSECRETADMIRER
- 109. Texas's "Storybook Capital of America"7 letters, starts with AABILENE
- 110. Series of steps12 letters, starts with DDANCEROUTINE
- 111. Like spaces that can be paid for with an app such as ParkMobile7 letters, starts with MMETERED
- 112. Having nothing to worry about11 letters, starts with RRESTINGEASY
Down
- 1. Gained an inch or two4 letters, starts with GGREW
- 2. Redzepi who co-owns the three-Michelin-star restaurant Noma4 letters, starts with RRENE
- 3. Pretends that nothing is wrong10 letters, starts with AACTSCASUAL
- 4. "Fight Club" co-star Edward6 letters, starts with NNORTON
- 5. Fertility lab cells3 letters, starts with OOVA
- 6. "Faith," "Hope" and "Charity" author Deighton3 letters, starts with LLEN
- 7. Path of a discus3 letters, starts with AARC
- 8. "See you later!"3 letters, starts with BBYE
- 9. Anatomical radius, e.g.7 letters, starts with AARMBONE
- 10. Seine-Maritime capital5 letters, starts with RROUEN
- 11. Sammy who hit 66 home runs in 19984 letters, starts with SSOSA
- 12. Writing implement such as a Clic Stic6 letters, starts with BBICPEN
- 13. Unlike this answer6 letters, starts with AACROSS
- 14. Brand with an antlered animal in its logo5 letters, starts with DDEERE
- 15. Strew about, as seeds7 letters, starts with SSCATTER
- 16. "And you are ...?"4 letters, starts with NNAME
- 17. Declare with confidence4 letters, starts with AAVER
- 18. Miles ___ gallon3 letters, starts with PPER
- 20. Cold comforts during childhood?7 letters, starts with MMITTENS
- 23. Troubling situation6 letters, starts with CCRISIS
- 27. Skip, as a syllable5 letters, starts with EELIDE
- 29. "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" actress Cadena5 letters, starts with MMABEL
- 30. 63 Down's country5 letters, starts with IITALY
- 31. Île de la ___ (Notre-Dame de Paris locale)4 letters, starts with CCITE
- 32. Working well together8 letters, starts with CCOHESIVE
- 34. Brace place, at times5 letters, starts with EELBOW
- 35. "We Wish You a ___ Christmas"5 letters, starts with MMERRY
- 36. Stacks in printers5 letters, starts with RREAMS
- 38. Tire pattern5 letters, starts with TTREAD
- 39. System critiqued in Mulk Raj Anand's 1935 novel "Untouchable"5 letters, starts with CCASTE
- 40. Extremely energetic5 letters, starts with HHYPER
- 44. ___ Adams Wilderness (Sierra Nevada area)5 letters, starts with AANSEL
- 46. Eagles' or Falcons' grippers6 letters, starts with CCLEATS
- 47. Shrouds of darkness5 letters, starts with PPALLS
- 48. Language in which "dank je wel" means "thank you"5 letters, starts with DDUTCH
- 49. Capital that hosted the 1952 Winter Olympics4 letters, starts with OOSLO
- 53. Home of the ziggurat Chogha Zanbil4 letters, starts with IIRAN
- 55. Compound that adds bitterness to a merlot6 letters, starts with TTANNIN
- 57. Makes a donation5 letters, starts with GGIVES
- 58. Hold tightly (to)5 letters, starts with CCLING
- 59. [I'm rooting for myself!]4 letters, starts with OOINK
- 60. Not yet realized, as potential8 letters, starts with UUNTAPPED
- 62. ___ Island School of Design5 letters, starts with RRHODE
- 63. Setting of Marguerite Yourcenar's novel "Memoirs of Hadrian"4 letters, starts with RROME
- 65. "La ___" (song parodied by Weird Al as "Lasagna")5 letters, starts with BBAMBA
- 66. Water carriers that become wastewater carriers when adding S to the beginning5 letters, starts with EEWERS
- 67. Start of a child's counting rhyme5 letters, starts with EEENIE
- 68. Mamas' mamas5 letters, starts with NNANAS
- 70. Style of the Scarlatti work "Griselda"10 letters, starts with OOPERASERIA
- 71. Like a grouch5 letters, starts with TTESTY
- 72. Bass-baritone Simon5 letters, starts with EESTES
- 75. (Ho)liday works(ho)p aut(ho)rity5 letters, starts with SSANTA
- 76. Time to see a meteor shower5 letters, starts with NNIGHT
- 79. "My concern is ..."5 letters, starts with IIFEAR
- 80. Big Cup candy brand6 letters, starts with RREESES
- 81. Obstructed7 letters, starts with IIMPEDED
- 83. "Game of Thrones" actor Cunningham4 letters, starts with LLIAM
- 85. Deal in a lot7 letters, starts with CCARSALE
- 87. Promo producers7 letters, starts with AADEXECS
- 90. "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" actress Lindsay6 letters, starts with SSLOANE
- 91. Got taut6 letters, starts with TTENSED
- 93. Speak from memory6 letters, starts with RRECITE
- 95. Upper regions of space5 letters, starts with EETHER
- 96. Carried, as by wind5 letters, starts with BBORNE
- 97. Innocent one "in the woods"4 letters, starts with BBABE
- 98. Leave out, as a detail4 letters, starts with OOMIT
- 99. Mark left after surgery4 letters, starts with SSCAR
- 101. Optician's glass4 letters, starts with LLENS
- 102. Unlikely war winner4 letters, starts with TTREY
- 103. Orange tuber3 letters, starts with YYAM
- 105. Traditional time to eat banh chung3 letters, starts with TTET
- 106. "Eddington" director Aster3 letters, starts with AARI
- 107. Mafia film figure3 letters, starts with DDON
- 108. Prize for a random winner of the Wall Street Journal's crossword contest3 letters, starts with MMUG
Fresh clues from recent puzzles
Questions
What is the answer to “Compound that adds bitterness to a merlot”?
TANNIN, 6 letters: a chemical compound used in tanning.
When was “Compound that adds bitterness to a merlot” last seen in a crossword?
In the Washington Post Sunday crossword of December 14, 2025.
How many letters does the answer have?
6 letters, starting with T.