The common crossword answer for the clue “hearty kisses” is SMACKS (6 letters).

Main answer

  • In many recent crossword puzzles, including The Sun 2-Speed crossword from December 17, 2025, “hearty kisses” is clued with the 6-letter answer SMACKS.
  • Older or alternative grids sometimes use BUSSES as the answer for “hearty kisses,” so if your puzzle letters do not fit SMACKS, try BUSSES.

Quick solving tips

  • If your pattern looks like S _ A C K S, the intended answer is almost certainly SMACKS.
  • For a plural 6-letter answer ending in -S E S (e.g., B U S S E S), your puzzle may be going with the more old-fashioned term BUSSES.

TL;DR:
Most up-to-date crosswords use SMACKS for “hearty kisses”; older or variant clues may use BUSSES instead.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.