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In Play

New York Times, Sunday, January 1, 2023

Author:
Adam Wagner, Michael Lieberman and Rafael Musa
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
52-Down : Cuddle amorously, in a way
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
204/20/20215/23/20244
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
6151700
RebusCircleScrabDebutFresh
281.6313360%
Adam Wagner
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
243/1/202110/28/20244
SunMonTueWedThuFriSatVariety
45313107
CircleScrabDebutFresh
21.6310836%
Michael Lieberman
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
1410/21/202211/22/202410
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
4000082
CircleScrabDebutFresh
11.549872%
Rafael Musa

This puzzle:

Rows: 21, Columns: 21 Words: 140, Blocks: 71 Missing: {Q} This is puzzle # 12 for Mr. Wagner. This is puzzle # 15 for Mr. Lieberman. This is puzzle # 2 for Mr. Musa. Sunday freshness: 4%
Will Shortz notes:
Adam Wagner, of Oakland, Calif., is a creative lead at Patreon, the crowdfunding site for content creators. Michael Lieberman is an attorney in Washington, D.C. Rafael Musa, of San ... read more
Constructor notes:
RAFA: It's a huge honor to share a byline with two besties and crossword idols for what is undoubtedly the best NYT puzzle of 2023 so far! Three things: 16D is very apt Pour one ... read more
Jeff Chen notes:
Paired literalisms, a solid phrase describing a word spread out within another solid phrase. Some neat finds, especially FRIENDS IN HIGH PLACES cluing MATES, which is contained within ... read more
Jim Horne notes:
We haven't done this in a while, and I know many find these notes annoying, but for the few who like to learn this stuff, It's time once again to play Fun with the Finder™. Jeff ... read more
1
T
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P
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A
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N
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S
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M
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A
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D
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N
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B
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D
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A
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B
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E
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M
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T
© 2023, The New York Times1/1/23 ( No. 26,717 )
Across
1
Image on the flag of Oakland, Calif., appropriately : TREE
5
Country whose capital is an anagram of its former capital : JAPAN
10
Sends 10 texts in a row to, say : SPAMS
15
Stage partitions? : ACTS
19
Achings : YENS
20
Basic Mediterranean sauce : AIOLI
21
Eagles' home : AERIE
22
Pork cut : LOIN
23
Stick of butter, geometrically : RECTANGULARPRISM
26
Sesame Street resident who refers to himself in the third person : ELMO
27
Attentive : ALERT
28
Change of scenery, in real estate lingo : RELO
29
Less involved : SIMPLER
31
Seminal 1980 hit by Joy Division : LOVEWILLTEARUSAPART
37
Attire for some queens : DRAG
39
Subtle flavor, to a wine taster : NOTE
40
Accomplishes : DOES
41
Barbecue discard : COB
42
White House staffer : AIDE
43
What a V-sign might indicate : TWO
44
Try to hit, as a piñata : SWINGAT
47
___-Locka, Fla. : OPA
50
Colorado, Idaho and Wyoming, among others : MOUNTAINSTATES
53
Lap, maybe : OUTRUN
56
Visitors from afar, in brief : ETS
57
Hurry, quaintly : HIE
58
A matter of course? : PAR
59
Works in a gallery : FINEART
60
___ Aviv : TEL
61
Hit 1998 Eddie Murphy comedy based on books by Hugh Lofting : DOCTORDOLITTLE
65
"An empty set exists," e.g. : AXIOM
68
Stole : TOOK
69
It lacks value : ZERO
70
Leafy salad green : CRESS
71
Recommit to one's fitness … or what 23-Across depicts literally : GETBACKINSHAPE
74
State south of Mumbai : GOA
75
Perception : INSIGHT
76
Goof : ERR
77
South, in much of South America : SUR
78
Light touch : PAT
81
Nickname that's an anagram of ONLINE : LONNIE
82
What characters in musicals often do … or what 31-Across depicts literally : BREAKOUTINSONG
87
"Discreet Music" musician Brian : ENO
88
Cars with clutches : MANUALS
90
Photographer Goldin : NAN
91
Prosecco cousin : ASTI
92
Big shots they are not : BBS
95
Secular : LAIC
96
It's just under a foot : SOLE
97
Explorer Ericson : LEIF
98
Useful people to know … or what 50-Across depicts literally : FRIENDSINHIGHPLACES
104
What an economy seat is usually short on : LEGROOM
105
"Oh, why not?!" : SURE
106
Kuwaiti currency : DINAR
109
Beseech : URGE
110
Screen feature that facilitates multitasking … or what 61-Across depicts literally : PICTUREINPICTURE
116
Food that's easy to get hooked on? : BAIT
117
Group character : ETHOS
118
Mocking smile : SNEER
119
The "garden" in Bosch's "The Garden of Earthly Delights" : EDEN
120
Old video game console inits. : SNES
121
Excel : SHINE
122
Swamp plant : SEDGE
123
Lamb, for one : MEAT
Down
1
Banks on TV : TYRA
2
Lively dance : REEL
3
Moon of Saturn found to have a potentially habitable ocean : ENCELADUS
4
Component of some hormone therapy : ESTROGEN
5
National Blood Donor Mo. : JAN
6
Big inits. in insurance : AIG
7
Work enthusiastically and energetically : POURITON
8
Genetic variant : ALLELE
9
Singer Horan of the boy band One Direction : NIALL
10
Part of a woodpecker's diet : SAP
11
/ : PER
12
Perfume line by pop star Grande : ARI
13
Beauty pageant since 1952 : MISSUSA
14
Precursors to finals : SEMIS
15
Mideast city with an eponymous pepper : ALEPPO
16
Share a byline, maybe : COLLABORATE
17
Part of a stove : TIMER
18
[That is SO funny!] : SNORT
24
Off-road option, for short : ATV
25
Spoil : ROT
30
___ Pro (tech product) : MAC
32
Require : ENTAIL
33
"Holy moly!" : WOWIE
34
Button added to Twitter in 2022 : EDIT
35
Primo : AONE
36
Govt. agency rules : REGS
37
Title for food writer Mary Berry : DAME
38
Hilarious sort : RIOT
44
Library section : STACKS
45
Imperfection, metaphorically : WART
46
Labor : TOIL
48
Makes certain knitting stitches : PURLS
49
Before: Sp. : ANTES
51
Group of gift-givers : THEMAGI
52
Cuddle amorously, in a way : SPOON
54
Magical creature associated with rainbows : UNICORN
55
Tri- one more time? : TETRA
59
Rock's ___ Fighters : FOO
60
Soccer star ___ Heath : TOBIN
61
Enthusiastic affirmative : DOI
62
Region encompassing most of the Arkansas/Missouri border : OZARKS
63
Copy, in brief : REPRO
64
Rap mogul, familiarly : DRE
65
Quick and nimble : AGILE
66
Noble gas used in some lasers : XENON
67
"All good" : ITSNOBIGGIE
68
B'way purchase : TKT
72
STEM subject that rhymes with "stem" : CHEM
73
Recover : HEAL
74
___ pig : GUINEA
77
Buy time : STALL
78
Barely sits still? : POSESNUDE
79
No pro : ANTI
80
"Weekend, here I come!" : TGIF
82
___ mitzvah (Jewish ceremony for multiple people) : BNAI
83
Flatten, say : RUIN
84
A pop : EACH
85
Having an intact tamper seal, say : UNOPENED
86
One might move fast in stores : SALEITEM
89
Loser to Herbert Hoover in 1928 : ALSMITH
93
Parts of some military uniforms : BERETS
94
___-Caps (candy) : SNO
96
Holy place : SHRINE
98
Goofs : FLUBS
99
Aired anew : RERAN
100
Uses performance-enhancing drugs : DOPES
101
Egypt neighbor: Abbr. : ISR
102
Say "…, say," say : GUESS
103
Agcy. that advises against eating raw cookie dough : CDC
107
___ man (frequent subject in The Onion) : AREA
108
Monopoly payment : RENT
111
Home of more than one M.L.B. team : CHI
112
Whole lot : TON
113
Bring into play : USE
114
Cribbage marker : PEG
115
Anger : IRE

Answer summary:
8 unique to this puzzle.

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