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New York Times, Monday, March 23, 2026

Author:
Matthew Luter
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
TotalDebut
13/23/2026
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
0100000
CircleScrabDebutFlowFresh
11.60130.54%
Matthew Luter

This puzzle:

Rows: 15, Columns: 15 Words: 78, Blocks: 38 Missing: {JQZ} Spans: 1 Puzzle has duplicate clues. This is the debut puzzle for Mr. Luter. Grid flow: 30.5 Monday freshness: 16%
Jim Horne notes:

The letters of VIBE are WEIRD (shuffled) in the four sets of circles.

1
S
2
C
3
A
4
R
5
A
6
S
7
P
8
S
9
C
10
A
11
M
12
P
13
N
A
M
E
14
R
E
E
K
15
A
T
O
L
16
L
17
A
B
E
V
18
I
G
O
D
A
19
R
A
T
I
O
20
P
A
N
21
T
O
U
R
22
H
E
R
O
E
S
23
S
L
I
24
M
E
25
L
O
26
V
E
B
I
R
D
S
27
T
E
M
28
P
29
I
R
E
30
P
31
A
I
R
32
I
33
H
34
O
P
35
A
36
R
37
I
38
A
39
S
40
E
X
E
C
41
U
T
I
V
E
42
B
R
A
N
C
H
43
R
E
S
I
N
44
N
A
R
Y
45
I
C
E
E
46
S
47
A
D
48
E
49
A
S
E
50
M
51
O
52
V
53
I
E
B
U
54
F
55
F
56
G
E
N
57
T
58
S
59
O
P
E
R
A
S
60
L
A
61
T
E
62
T
I
P
63
S
T
R
U
T
64
W
E
I
R
D
65
V
I
B
E
66
S
I
D
L
E
67
A
C
R
E
68
E
V
I
L
69
N
E
E
D
70
S
K
Y
E
71
T
E
A
L
© 2026, The New York Times3/23/26 ( No. 27,894 )
Across
1
Mark of an old injury : SCAR
5
Some Egyptian reptiles : ASPS
9
Sleep in the great outdoors, say : CAMP
13
"The ___ Game" (song that begins "Shirley Shirley bo-berley, bonana fanna fo-ferley" : NAME
14
Smell really bad : REEK
15
Reef around a lagoon : ATOLL
17
Popular character actor in both "The Godfather" and "Barney Miller" : ABEVIGODA
19
Expression of proportion : RATIO
20
Gold seeker's tool : PAN
21
Guided visit : TOUR
22
They save the day : HEROES
23
Viscous goo : SLIME
25
Avian metaphor for a romantic couple : LOVEBIRDS
27
Short-term employee, informally : TEMP
29
Anger : IRE
30
Two of a kind : PAIR
32
Waffle House alternative : IHOP
35
Divas' big moments : ARIAS
40
Part of the federal government that includes the presidency : EXECUTIVEBRANCH
43
Amber or myrrh : RESIN
44
___ a soul (nobody at all) : NARY
45
Slushy frozen treat brand : ICEE
46
Bummed out : SAD
48
Comfort : EASE
50
Cinema lover : MOVIEBUFF
56
Partners for ladies, informally : GENTS
59
Works of Rossini and Bellini : OPERAS
60
Running behind schedule : LATE
62
Helpful hint : TIP
63
Move with swagger : STRUT
64
Off-putting aura ... or what 17-, 25-, 40- and 50-Across each have? : WEIRDVIBE
66
Move with stealth : SIDLE
67
Farmland area unit : ACRE
68
Satanic : EVIL
69
Must-have : NEED
70
Kind of terrier named after a Scottish island : SKYE
71
Shade of green named after a duck : TEAL
Down
1
Sounds made with the fingers (quick!) : SNAPS
2
Shadowy plotting group : CABAL
3
Offerings on a hotel list : AMENITIES
4
Race, as an engine : REV
5
Best Picture Oscar winner set partially in Iran : ARGO
6
Korean city that hosted the 1988 Summer Olympics : SEOUL
7
Pascal of "The Mandalorian" : PEDRO
8
Reggae-adjacent genre : SKA
9
Faddish 1980s plush toy : CAREBEAR
10
Company behind the game Centipede : ATARI
11
___ Trend (magazine that chooses a Car of the Year annually) : MOTOR
12
Worked at, as a trade : PLIED
16
Profit's counterpart : LOSS
18
Tabloid twosome : ITEM
22
That lady : HER
24
Thanks, en français : MERCI
26
Onetime Dodge sports car ... or a creature to be dodged : VIPER
28
Poe's "The ___ and the Pendulum" : PIT
30
The "p" of r.p.m. : PER
31
Lumberjack's tool : AXE
33
Like about 80% of Indians, religiously : HINDU
34
Some reproductive cells : OVA
36
Poker player's option : RAISE
37
Carrot on a stick, metaphorically : INCENTIVE
38
Expert pilot : ACE
39
That lady : SHE
41
Voted out of office : UNSEATED
42
Pass on a tournament schedule : BYE
47
Muscles in a six-pack : ABS
49
Got older : AGED
50
"Carpet" on a forest floor : MOSS
51
Agree to accept marketing emails, say : OPTIN
52
Salsa ___ (condiment that might include tomatillos and cilantro) : VERDE
53
Gloating winner's proclamation : IRULE
54
Tiny particle : FLECK
55
Tinker Bell, for one : FAIRY
57
Lower leg bone : TIBIA
58
Compete in a bee : SPELL
61
Home for a nest : TREE
64
Used to be : WAS
65
Animal doc : VET

Answer summary:
1 unique to this puzzle, 1 unique to Modern Era but used previously.

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