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It's All Greek

New York Times, Sunday, January 11, 2026

Author:
Dylan Schiff
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
Randall who created the webcomic "xkcd"
TotalDebutLatest
52/25/20211/11/2026
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
3001100
RebusCircleScrabDebutFlowFresh
231.603733.654%
Dylan Schiff

This puzzle:

Rows: 21, Columns: 21 Words: 140, Blocks: 83 This is puzzle # 5 for Mr. Schiff. Grid flow: 13.1 Sunday freshness: 64%
Will Shortz notes:
Dylan Schiff is a middle school science teacher in Millsboro, Del. This is his fifth crossword for The Times and the first to include "grid art": The pattern of black squares in the ... read more
Jim Horne notes:
Phee PHI pho phum... The Greek letter Φ — spelled out as PHI — looks like an I superimposed on an O, often depicted with serifs as represented in the grid. In this puzzle, Φ ... read more
1
R
2
A
3
F
4
A
5
C
6
H
7
U
8
N
9
T
10
H
11
T
12
A
13
M
14
P
15
I
M
I
N
16
P
A
N
17
A
18
M
19
A
20
D
O
R
E
21
O
B
O
E
22
P
Φ
N
G
23
P
A
D
D
L
E
24
F
E
D
E
X
25
P
U
R
R
26
O
B
E
L
I
27
R
O
O
T
28
A
L
I
A
29
M
A
Z
E
S
30
F
I
R
E
C
31
H
I
E
F
32
C
R
Φ
S
S
33
P
U
Z
Z
L
E
34
F
A
Y
35
T
O
A
S
T
36
E
R
37
C
O
I
N
38
D
U
N
N
39
M
O
40
E
41
T
42
N
U
R
43
S
44
E
45
S
46
S
47
A
48
P
Φ
R
E
49
S
50
T
P
51
A
Φ
52
D
53
S
O
Φ
S
T
54
S
55
A
L
O
N
E
56
S
O
Φ
A
57
S
K
I
58
P
59
E
N
T
R
E
60
W
I
I
G
61
T
E
M
P
T
62
I
D
S
A
63
Y
64
G
R
I
P
65
E
N
D
66
A
W
A
S
H
67
N
A
C
R
E
68
V
A
C
69
A
N
T
I
70
D
E
L
H
I
71
G
N
A
T
S
72
O
N
T
73
O
74
P
A
S
T
75
S
76
D
I
A
Z
77
I
C
R
Y
78
L
I
G
E
R
79
S
T
A
C
H
80
E
81
A
P
E
82
N
E
D
83
P
A
C
E
R
S
84
E
T
H
E
N
85
E
86
E
D
87
I
T
88
W
I
S
E
89
E
Y
R
90
E
91
P
O
92
D
93
C
A
S
T
94
A
95
C
96
E
97
F
98
L
99
Φ
100
P
S
A
N
D
101
A
102
L
S
103
O
H
T
H
A
104
T
S
O
K
105
A
L
L
A
H
106
E
D
G
Y
107
P
L
O
T
108
C
R
A
N
E
109
C
A
B
S
110
A
S
I
A
N
111
H
Φ
P
A
112
R
T
I
S
T
S
113
E
M
I
T
114
S
T
E
R
N
115
I
N
I
G
O
116
B
E
E
B
117
S
A
N
E
118
S
O
S
119
N
E
W
120
E
T
S
Y
© 2026, The New York Times1/11/26 ( No. 27,823 )
Across
1
Tennis superstar Nadal, familiarly : RAFA
5
"Wicked" director Jon M. ___ : CHU
8
Unspecified degree : NTH
11
Pack (down) : TAMP
15
"Sign me up!" : IMIN
16
Bygone carrier that had a fleet of "Clippers" : PANAM
19
Really like : ADORE
21
Woodwind related to the cor anglais : OBOE
22
Article of sports equipment that typically has two rubber sheets of different colors : PINGPONGPADDLE
24
Delivery option : FEDEX
25
Sound from a ragdoll : PURR
26
Division signs, more formally : OBELI
27
Word sung three times in a row in "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" : ROOT
28
Et ___ (and others) : ALIA
29
Games on some kids' menus : MAZES
30
Boss at a blaze : FIRECHIEF
32
Game on some kids' menus : CRISSCROSSPUZZLE
34
"King Kong" actress Wray : FAY
35
What might pop up from time to time? : TOASTER
37
Item in a numismatist's collection : COIN
38
"S.N.L." alum Nora : DUNN
39
Champagne giant : MOET
42
Patient watchers : NURSES
46
Birthstone before opal : SAPPHIRE
49
Longtime NASCAR sponsor : STP
51
Ladybug's prey : APHID
53
Debaters who use deceptive arguments : SOPHISTS
55
Stag : ALONE
56
Oscar-winning actress Loren : SOPHIA
57
Lower-right button on YouTube ads : SKIP
59
___ nous (between us) : ENTRE
60
Kristen of "Bridesmaids" : WIIG
61
Seduce : TEMPT
62
"In my estimation ..." : IDSAY
64
Rubber end of a golf club : GRIP
65
Ninth inning, usually : END
66
Flooded : AWASH
67
Iridescent jewelry material : NACRE
68
Rug cleaner, for short : VAC
69
Lead-in to aging or anxiety : ANTI
70
Two-time capital of the Mughal Empire : DELHI
71
Biting pests : GNATS
72
Follower of catch or latch : ONTO
74
Former times : PASTS
76
Cameron who voiced Princess Fiona in the "Shrek" movies : DIAZ
77
Flo Rida title sung before the words "just a little" : ICRY
78
Big cat hybrid : LIGER
79
No Shave November growth, informally : STACHE
81
Mimic : APE
82
Connecticut governor Lamont : NED
83
N.B.A. team that plays at Gainbridge Fieldhouse : PACERS
84
Compound that ripens bananas : ETHENE
86
Computer menu heading : EDIT
88
Owlish, in a way : WISE
89
Brontë heroine : EYRE
91
Bit of entertainment for a morning commute, maybe : PODCAST
94
A-one ... or an "A" worth one : ACE
97
Beachy footwear : FLIPFLOPSANDALS
103
"I'm fine, but thanks anyway!" : OHTHATSOK
105
Literally, "the god" : ALLAH
106
Provocative : EDGY
107
Parcel of land : PLOT
108
Classic origami design : CRANE
109
Medallions might be seen in them : CABS
110
___ Games, event first held in 70-Across : ASIAN
111
Tupac and Eminem, for two : HIPHOPARTISTS
113
Give off : EMIT
114
Like an authoritarian : STERN
115
___ Montoya, "The Princess Bride" swordsman : INIGO
116
Telly channel, with "the" : BEEB
117
Well-grounded : SANE
118
Hit title for Abba or Rihanna : SOS
119
Email category : NEW
120
Website with a "Craft Supplies & Tools" page : ETSY
Down
1
Take to the cleaners : RIPOFF
2
Class with frogs : AMPHIBIA
3
Dressy clothes : FINERY
4
Point of view : ANGLE
5
Filing pro : CPA
6
Roman emperor with a namesake wall : HADRIAN
7
Hits Ctrl+Z to fix : UNDOES
8
Error message on a Blu-Ray display : NODISC
9
Benedict Arnold's offense : TREASON
10
Practice witchcraft on : HEX
11
Birthstone after opal : TOPAZ
12
Filled with activity : ABUZZ
13
Mushroom often added to cream sauces : MOREL
14
Inherently : PERSE
17
In the air : ALOFT
18
___ Gala : MET
19
Way off in the distance : AFAR
20
Classical Greek precinct with a noted oracle : DELPHI
23
Imagine : PICTURE
29
Randall who created the webcomic "xkcd" : MUNROE
31
Sharpen : HONE
32
___-Magnon : CRO
33
Apt name of 12 popes : PIUS
36
Felt someone's pain : EMPATHIZED
38
Prank of doorbell ringing and running : DINGDONGDITCH
40
Gradually entering, as a hot tub : EASINGINTO
41
Modern social media craze : TIKTOKDANCE
43
Melodic way of speaking : SINGSONGVOICE
44
Turn off : ESTRANGE
45
Less laissez-faire : STRICTER
46
Cutter with teeth : SAW
47
Make an enemy of : ALIENATE
48
Identifies digitally? : POINTSAT
49
Part of the Horn of Africa : SOMALIA
50
Perfect condition : TIPTOPSHAPE
52
Throw out : DISCARD
54
Leaf-turning mo. : SEP
56
Put in stitches : SEWED
58
Subject of an R.S.V.P. : PARTY
61
Tiny amount : TAD
63
"Absolutely!" : YES
69
Tough H.S. classes : APS
73
Hosp. surgical sites : ORS
75
"You've gotta be kidding!" : SHEESH
78
Swan song : LASTACT
80
Mononymous singer who popularized "New Celtic" music : ENYA
83
"Baloney!" : PISH
85
Birth name of Che Guevara : ERNESTO
87
Computer addresses, for short : IPS
88
Light bulb measure : WATTAGE
90
Swirling currents : EDDIES
92
Intelligent sea mammal : DOLPHIN
93
Composer of the "Raindrop" prelude : CHOPIN
94
How china is often sold : ASASET
95
Short adventure tales : CONTES
96
Barely manages to get through : EKESBY
97
Goes up against : FACES
98
Beast domesticated by the Incas : LLAMA
99
Longtime TV personality Regis : PHILBIN
100
Tomato product : PASTE
101
Culture medium : AGAR
102
Country singer Loretta : LYNN
104
"Survivor" group : TRIBE
107
Greek letter that resembles an "I" atop an "O," as seen eight times in this puzzle : PHI
110
Jerk : ASS
112
Period in the periodic table : ROW

Answer summary:
7 unique to this puzzle, 2 unique to Modern Era but used previously.

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