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Gimme a Break!

New York Times, Sunday, September 21, 2025

Author:
Adrianne Baik
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
Traditional form of Japanese drama
TotalDebutLatest
26/20/20259/21/2025
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
1000010
RebusScrabDebutFresh
11.551466%
Adrianne Baik
Take a break

This puzzle:

Rows: 21, Columns: 21 Words: 140, Blocks: 72 This is puzzle # 2 for Ms. Baik. Sunday freshness: 67%
Will Shortz notes:
Adrianne Baik is student at Harvey Mudd College, in Claremont, Calif., class of 2027, majoring in chemistry and climate. In her spare time, she makes puzzles for the Claremont Colleges ... read more
Jim Horne notes:

Rebus squares are KIT Across and KAT Down.

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© 2025, The New York Times9/21/25 ( No. 27,711 )
Across
1
Vineyard measure : ACRE
5
Does acid : TRIPS
10
Tree with doubly serrated leaves : ELM
13
[Hey!] : PSST
17
Locations in the game Clue : ROOMS
19
Grand duke of Luxembourg beginning in 2000 : HENRI
20
Heart of the matter : MEAT
22
Palindromic Italian number : OTTO
23
Traditional form of Japanese drama : KABUKITHEATER
25
Pro ___ : BONO
26
Key spot? : DOOR
27
Entered on tiptoe : STOLEIN
28
"Love, ___" (2014 rom-com starring Lily Collins) : ROSIE
30
Far from conscious : INACOMA
32
Kicked off, as a business : STARTEDUP
34
2012 Disney film set inside an arcade : WRECKITRALPH
36
Had : TASTED
37
Turns off : DISGUSTS
38
Lace protector : AGLET
41
"You may ___" : BEGIN
43
The "me" of "Despicable Me" : GRU
44
Bonds : TIES
48
"About Us" pieces : BIOS
49
Holds dear : ADORES
51
Small square : ONE
52
Longtime employer of Rachel Maddow : MSNBC
53
Self-love : EGO
54
Phases, to Taylor Swift : ERAS
55
Game with Indigenous origins : LACROSSE
58
___ Fighters ("Everlong" band) : FOO
59
Festive outdoor lighting options : TIKITORCHES
62
Classic drinking "sport" : PONG
63
"Sorry, maybe next time" : WECANT
65
"The Last Supper," e.g. : MURAL
66
Third-largest land animal : HIPPO
68
Pokémon enthusiast's collection : CARDS
69
Puck's king : OBERON
71
Muscle firmness : TONE
72
Place to perfect a recipe : TESTKITCHEN
76
Swanson on "Parks and Recreation" : RON
77
Game typically played in the dark : LASERTAG
80
Muchas horas : DIAS
81
"Was ___ blame?" : ITO
82
Bad spirit : GHOUL
84
D.C. pro : NAT
85
Fight the urge : RESIST
87
It gets bucks from Broncos : FORD
88
Does a farm job : SOWS
89
___ Island (Georgia resort destination) : SEA
90
Reform Party founder : PEROT
91
Feasts : DINES
92
Like emailed files : ATTACHED
95
"The Silence of the Lambs" villain : LECTER
98
Certain rescue pet : FOSTERKITTEN
101
Gleeful feeling : GIDDINESS
104
Miniaturized Amazon smart speaker : ECHODOT
105
Big jerks : ASSES
107
Remove, as a coupon : CLIPOUT
109
Dangerous additive in old paint : LEAD
110
Whopping : VAST
112
Bite-size chocolate-covered wafers ... or a hint to what's found in five squares in this puzzle : KITKATMINIS
114
Croft of video games : LARA
115
___ homo : ECCE
116
Some slushies : ICEES
117
Perform horribly : STINK
118
TV host Cohen : ANDY
119
Joke around : KID
120
"No man is an island" writer : DONNE
121
Slumps : SAGS
Down
1
Holiest locales in synagogues, traditionally : ARKS
2
Applications of polish : COATS
3
Tik-Tok in the Oz books, for one : ROBOT
4
Models after : EMULATES
5
1995 Sandra Bullock cyberthriller : THENET
6
"V for Vendetta" actor Stephen : REA
7
Uninvited guest : INTRUDER
8
Doings before surgery, informally : PREOP
9
Dubbed ones : SIRS
10
They might be glowing : EMBERS
11
Astrological lion : LEO
12
Filing services? : MANICURES
13
Programs hosted by SoundCloud : PODCASTS
14
Happy hour perch : STOOL
15
Make a big step, perhaps : STOMP
16
Rabbi's reading : TORAH
18
Regular at a park with half-pipes, informally : SKATERAT
21
Breaded, fried Japanese pork cutlet : TONKATSU
24
Big successes : HITS
29
Victor's cry : IWIN
31
Creative pursuit : ART
33
Oscar-winning Ariana of "West Side Story" : DEBOSE
35
December drink : EGGNOG
37
Gone missing : DISAPPEARED
38
Assist illegally : ABET
39
1958 romantic comedy that won Best Picture : GIGI
40
"I made it big time!" : LOOKATMENOW
42
Many a skin-care product : GEL
45
Hip : INFASHION
46
Black, in verse : EBON
47
St. Andrews resident : SCOT
49
Esoteric knowledge : ARCANA
50
Roald who wrote "Matilda" : DAHL
51
"… actually, let's go to plan B" : ORNOT
52
Members of the mongoose family : MEERKATS
54
Jazz composer Garner : ERROLL
56
Swipe : COP
57
Go after, as mosquitoes : SWATAT
60
Graham Greene's "___ Man in Havana" : OUR
61
One way to sell stock : SHORT
64
Public health agcy. : CDC
67
Bank acct. entry : INT
68
Several CBS dramas : CSIS
69
United Way and UNICEF, in brief : ORGS
70
___-chic (dressing style) : BOHO
71
It incited a famous 18th-century "party" : TEAACT
73
Cleaned up, in a way : EDITED
74
To be, in Nice : ETRE
75
Dozes (off) : NODS
78
Ambush : SNEAKATTACK
79
Neighbor of Lux. : GER
83
Gannett-owned newspaper : USATODAY
86
"Here's the thing ..." : SOLISTEN
87
Campground gathering spots : FIREPITS
89
Worked hard (for) : STROVE
90
Farm enclosures : PENS
91
Jeans : DENIMS
93
___ Talks : TED
94
Intense, as an argument : HEATED
96
Music protector, of a sort : CDCASE
97
Slope : TILT
98
Guy : FELLA
99
What the "dalai" of "Dalai Lama" translates to : OCEAN
100
Broken piece of pottery : SHARD
101
Insurer with a green mascot : GEICO
102
Justice Sotomayor : SONIA
103
Seeking justice, in a way : SUING
106
Leave tire marks, say : SKID
108
Expressions of disapproval : TSKS
111
B.S. part: Abbr. : SCI
113
Barbie's beau : KEN

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

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