What is the answer to the NYT Crossword clue "Fire in one's belly" from December 19, 2025?

Crossword clue

“Fire in one's belly”

This clue appeared as 17-Across in the NYT Crossword on Friday, December 19, 2025. The answer has 8 letters.

Answer · 8 lettersFirst appearance

AMBITION

Letters8

Starts withA

Ends withN

Vowels4

Where this clue has appeared

NYT Crossword
Dec 19, 20258 letters→

About this clue

The clue “Fire in one's belly” ran in the NYT Crossword on December 19, 2025 as 17-Across. Its answer is a 8-letter word that starts with A and ends with N, with 4 vowels, which often points to a phrase, a name or a borrowed word.

See every answer from the puzzle on the NYT Crossword page for December 19, 2025, or learn how clues like this work in our guide to crossword clue types.

More clues from this puzzle

1AFashion designer Schiaparelli4 letters 5ABoomer playing in a band8 letters 13AThings that may be connected4 letters 14A2023 musical with a Tony for Best Choreography9 letters 15ASome arthritis4 letters 16AClimbed without ropes10 letters 19AOld money, for short?3 letters 20AJewish honorific3 letters

FAQ

What is the answer to the “Fire in one's belly” clue?+

The answer is AMBITION (8 letters), from the NYT Crossword of December 19, 2025.

Where has this clue appeared?+

We have seen it 1 time in the NYT Crossword.

How do I find other NYT Crossword answers?+

Open the full list of answers for December 19, 2025, or browse every date on the NYT Crossword hub.