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New York Times, Monday, July 27, 2026

Author:
Aidan Deshong
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
Country in Oceania named for a biblical king
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
75/31/20247/27/20264
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
0101311
RebusCircleScrabFlowFresh
111.5633.058%
Aidan Deshong

This puzzle:

Rows: 15, Columns: 14 Words: 71, Blocks: 36 Missing: {JQX} Spans: 1 This is puzzle # 7 for Mr. Deshong. Grid flow: 23.7 Monday freshness: 37%
Aidan Deshong notes:
It was fortunate that the Times accepted this puzzle, because not so many places run crosswords with shaded squares. ... read more
Jim Horne notes:

A full solfège scale runs through the gray squares in order.

1
S
2
T
3
A
4
G
5
S
6
U
7
M
8
O
9
S
10
O
11
H
12
O
13
N
O
T
E
14
I
N
O
N
15
E
M
I
R
16
I
D
O
N
17
T
C
A
R
E
18
M
E
G
A
19
P
O
N
Z
U
20
G
A
S
21
L
I
G
H
T
22
S
23
M
I
L
E
Y
F
A
C
E
24
S
25
O
26
O
27
T
H
E
28
C
S
I
29
O
H
I
O
30
M
31
R
32
S
33
O
N
34
C
35
E
36
S
O
L
O
37
M
O
N
I
38
S
L
A
N
D
39
S
40
K
Y
L
O
41
A
S
H
42
L
E
G
O
43
A
T
44
V
45
O
46
U
S
T
E
D
47
S
48
C
49
O
T
T
I
50
E
51
D
O
G
52
T
O
B
E
S
A
F
E
53
G
54
A
55
M
56
E
57
R
58
E
V
E
N
59
G
R
A
60
Y
S
C
A
L
E
61
P
E
S
O
62
R
O
L
E
63
I
D
L
E
64
S
T
E
W
65
A
N
T
S
66
D
E
A
D
© 2026, The New York Times7/27/26 ( No. 28,020 )
Across
1
Male deer : STAG
5
National sport of Japan : SUMO
9
Posh N.Y.C. neighborhood : SOHO
13
Post-it ___ : NOTE
14
Privy to : INON
15
Mideast ruler : EMIR
16
"Either way is fine with me" : IDONTCARE
18
Prefix with hit or bit : MEGA
19
Citrusy Japanese sauce : PONZU
20
Manipulate into doubting one's memory or experience : GASLIGHT
22
Friendly emoticon : SMILEYFACE
24
Relieve, as pain : SOOTHE
28
Long-running forensics series : CSI
29
Only state with a nonrectangular flag : OHIO
30
Title for a married woman : MRS
33
Fairy tale opening word : ONCE
36
Country in Oceania named for a biblical king : SOLOMONISLANDS
40
"Star Wars" character ___ Ren : KYLO
41
___ Wednesday : ASH
42
Interlocking toy brand : LEGO
43
Four-wheeler, for short : ATV
45
Kicked out of office : OUSTED
47
Pet for Franklin Roosevelt or George W. Bush, informally : SCOTTIEDOG
52
As a precaution : TOBESAFE
53
Competitor at an esports tournament : GAMER
58
All tied up : EVEN
59
Smartphone setting that removes all color from the screen ... or a feature of this puzzle? : GRAYSCALE
61
Currency in Chihuahua : PESO
62
Job for an actor : ROLE
63
Run in neutral : IDLE
64
Ruminate (over) : STEW
65
"A Bug's Life" bugs : ANTS
66
Out of battery : DEAD
Down
1
Scissors sound : SNIP
2
Heading on a list of tasks : TODO
3
Lots and lots : ATON
4
Age group that includes 2000s kids : GENZ
5
[Yes, I know that's a typo] : SIC
6
Eel, at a Japanese restaurant : UNAGI
7
Fable's takeaway : MORAL
8
"Just a moment!" : ONESEC
9
Penultimate tournament round : SEMIFINALS
10
Last Greek letter : OMEGA
11
Pitch that's hard to hit? : HIGHC
12
Give a formal speech : ORATE
17
Heinie : TUSH
21
Sprayable disinfectant brand : LYSOL
23
Officewide message : MEMO
24
Signal at sea : SOS
25
"Um, sure" : OHOK
26
Covered in grease : OILY
27
"You missed your chance" : TOOLATENOW
31
Single-stranded molecule : RNA
32
Palindromic sib : SIS
34
Tech review site : CNET
35
Living on the ___ : EDGE
37
Big name in applesauce : MOTTS
38
"Go away, fly!" : SHOO
39
Grass bought in rolls : SOD
44
"The little blue pill" : VIAGRA
46
Branded fluffy slippers : UGGS
47
Things taken on a walk? : STEPS
48
Violate the Tenth Commandment : COVET
49
Like many bodybuilders, according to B.M.I. alone : OBESE
50
Zac of "High School Musical" : EFRON
51
Handed out, as playing cards : DEALT
54
Low scorer on a pH test : ACID
55
Constructed : MADE
56
Name that can be parsed as "the the" in Spanish : ELLA
57
Portland college attended by Steve Jobs : REED
60
"Certainly!" : YES

Answer summary:
2 unique to this puzzle.

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