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New York Times, Thursday, September 24, 2026

Author:
Jeff Stillman
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
Full of vivid detail, as memory
TotalDebutLatest
111/28/20149/24/2026
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
0144101
RebusCircleScrabFlowFresh
111.5737.036%
Jeff Stillman

This puzzle:

Rows: 15, Columns: 15 Words: 72, Blocks: 44 Spans: 1 Minimum word length: 2 This is puzzle # 11 for Mr. Stillman. Grid flow: 34.0 Thursday freshness: 80%
Jim Horne notes:

A Scrabble theme is a great excuse to break some of the standard "rules."

1
Z
2
A
3
E
4
T
5
C
6
H
7
L
8
E
9
E
10
C
11
H
12
E
R
13
R
14
S
O
L
O
15
S
16
A
S
D
O
I
17
R
O
E
18
C
L
E
A
T
19
M
A
I
L
S
20
O
A
T
21
A
L
F
R
E
22
D
B
U
T
T
S
23
G
R
A
24
S
P
25
T
Y
P
E
D
26
G
A
E
27
L
28
W
T
A
29
T
30
O
31
U
32
R
33
M
E
A
34
T
35
P
I
E
36
W
A
N
E
37
C
38
R
39
I
S
S
C
R
O
S
S
40
W
O
R
D
S
41
A
U
T
O
42
E
I
D
E
T
I
C
43
W
E
T
N
44
O
S
E
45
S
N
A
46
P
47
R
U
S
48
S
49
O
50
G
R
O
51
W
52
L
53
F
54
I
55
F
56
T
Y
P
O
I
N
57
T
S
58
D
E
E
59
L
O
R
A
X
60
U
N
C
A
P
61
I
N
F
62
A
W
A
R
E
63
T
U
L
S
A
64
A
T
T
65
W
A
T
T
S
66
S
E
E
N
67
© 2026, The New York Times9/24/26 ( No. 28,079 )
Across
1
Slang for an Italian dish ... or along with QI, the highest-value two-letter word in Scrabble : ZA
3
Make an impression : ETCH
7
Hanger-on : LEECH
12
Blunder : ERR
14
Recital pieces : SOLOS
16
"Same here," more stiffly : ASDOI
17
Canapé topping : ROE
18
Traction enhancer : CLEAT
19
Ships, say : MAILS
20
Cheerios grain : OAT
21
American architect who invented Scrabble while unemployed during the Great Depression : ALFREDBUTTS
23
Hold tightly : GRASP
25
Like most manuscript submissions : TYPED
26
Many a Scottish native : GAEL
28
Circuit in which Martina Navratilova holds the most singles titles, in brief : WTATOUR
33
Dish featured in Broadway's "Sweeney Todd" : MEATPIE
36
Decline : WANE
37
Scrabble's name prior to its acquisition by James Brunot in 1948 : CRISSCROSSWORDS
41
Ford or Lincoln : AUTO
42
Full of vivid detail, as memory : EIDETIC
43
Supposed sign of a healthy pooch : WETNOSE
45
Onesie fastener : SNAP
47
Actress Rene of "Thor" : RUSSO
50
Watchdog's warning : GROWL
53
Bonus score for a bingo (using all seven of one's tiles) in Scrabble : FIFTYPOINTS
58
Actress Sandra or Ruby : DEE
59
Dr. Seuss' environmentalist : LORAX
60
Open, as a toothpaste tube : UNCAP
61
Like Brahms's Symphony No. 3 : INF
62
Cognizant : AWARE
63
Home to Oral Roberts University : TULSA
64
Verizon competitor, informally : ATT
65
Power measures : WATTS
66
Witnessed : SEEN
67
The two most valuable Scrabble tiles : BLANKBLANK
Down
1
Weightless state, for short : ZEROG
2
Cheering wildly : AROAR
3
Ones who have trouble finishing sentences? : ESCAPEES
4
Ring : TOLL
5
Chin feature : CLEFT
6
Old and trite : HOARY
7
Wavelength symbol : LAMBDA
8
Genesis twin : ESAU
9
Doctor : EDIT
10
Belmont entry : COLT
11
Sound during a cat fight : HISS
13
Put on sale, perhaps : RETAG
15
From one tone to the next adjacent tone, in music : STEPWISE
22
Finds repugnant : DETESTS
24
Biblical figure with a notoriously bad hair day? : SAMSON
27
Gets ready to hit the ice : LACESUP
29
Like some garages : TWOCAR
30
Crew need : OAR
31
Hamburger connection? : UND
32
Some scale members : RES
34
Vies for a roster spot : TRIESOUT
35
Group of seals : POD
37
Crow's cry : CAW
38
Wish undone : RUE
39
Addams Family cousin : ITT
40
Record held by the Spruce Goose for over 70 years, at 320 feet : WINGSPAN
44
Straight-horned antelopes : ORYXES
46
Spots for addresses : PODIA
48
Kind of cavity : SINUS
49
Frère de la mère : ONCLE
51
Forgot what you intended to say : WENTBLANK
52
Didn't fill in, as a field on an application : LEFTBLANK
53
Design problem : FLAW
54
Part of the Corn Belt : IOWA
55
Row house? : FRAT
56
Patisserie pastry : TART
57
Stun, in a way : TASE

Answer summary:
6 unique to this puzzle.

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