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Puzzles for November, 2025
with Jim Horne comments

View these same grids with comments from:
Constructor (6)Editor (3)Jim Horne (13)Hide comments
Sat 11/1/2025
GEARTEETHINAPP
OLIVETREEMOLAR
TILTEDARCHIPPO
USERSCAPOHEX
PEDIPIETAMARY
PEOPLESELBOW
MICANOSSALIVA
AGOUTISRIVETER
YUPPIELATESRS
BEYONDPARODY
ESPNURBANESTD
PSAEPICFLIER
INSTAMOMFRIEND
LOTUSPAIDACTOR
ETEXTSTARTHERE
Sun 11/2/2025 Open-Faced
SPLATTERSPINAWEB
TESTRIDESEPICDRAMA
ATAMINIMUMSTATEAIDED
GETSSCARETACTICDEED
ERSPOTTERYWHEELSSTY
FALSEIMPRESSION
CURDSAEEDMIFF
MOSAICSNODBOBSLED
ARMSDEALSMOVIEREEL
PRAYERMATSPINENEEDLE
HONESUNRIPENINGFLAP
IBEAMSTONEAXESBEONE
DOCTORSKEETERLARTER
TIEREDESPYSCUTESY
REFERBUTTE
PSASILICONVALLEYLOL
RUSTTECHNOCRATSNANA
ENTERTHATSRICHHOOEY
FORTEPIANOSAKEBOTTLE
ECORESORTSORELOSER
ROSAMUNDPONYKEGS
Mon 11/3/2025
SODAADAMJAWS
TREXBOREDIRAQ
ACCESSCODEMENU
NAOMISMALLADA
ARTALLEYCAT
CRANIUMSAUL
LOLBAILSMORE
AMBULANCECHASER
MAUVEYEAHELI
MEALHAIRDYE
ALCAPONEIMO
LEOSCOLDALLOT
LAVAALARMCLOCK
AVECLATERECHO
HERSNEWSROOS
Tue 11/4/2025
AIMARABICAEMO
SNONONREALMOP
INDIGOGIRLSONE
DEETMETDJED
ERRSBLACKSUITS
NOTAHIHO
HAIKUABOLISHED
ADZCOLORTVALE
DEEPSTATEERNIE
ROOMFROG
GREENHOUSEASKS
RUMPNINDIET
ABCWHITECASTLE
PIERELIVEDUSA
EKEYELLERSPOM

Girls, Suits, House, and Castle are all TV shows. No, I didn't know them all either.

Wed 11/5/2025
BAJAMBASIQUIT
ALOTAUNTGUMMO
ROBOINNUNIPPY
DOPPELGANGERS
SFOTEETOOK
SECRETCRUSHES
HATCHHAGSAXE
TRIOSNARERIPE
TENATONAFROS
PAGEBOOKMARKS
TRONESLTCM
THELIKESOFYOU
MARIAONMEALPS
ASICSNEATVEST
PABSTSEWSASEA
Thu 11/6/2025
FARCEADSBRASH
ALARMWEEMATTE
LOGOSRAMWISER
SHEACYNICNEED
EASTLAOSCARS
IOUSYOLO
RANCHOKRAS
TONGUETWISTER
BAGSEIZEREP
FLUBSSPASAVED
FLEMISHHIMSELF
OTCVIP
LATVIANVALIANT
ANOINTSINERTIA
VANESSAMADEMAN

Three languages (tongues) are twisted up:

  • CROATIAN -> RAINCOAT
  • FLEMISH -> HIMSELF
  • LATVIAN -> VALIANT
Fri 11/7/2025
HEATINGPADFLOG
ULTRASUEDELEVY
ROSEGARDENITEM
STENONASTPINS
TEATGELSPOT
SAYTOYURTS
MAILEROVALTINE
OLDIEBUTAGOODIE
SILKMOTHENNEAD
STEELAEONS
RAYSMRTPLEA
GRUBONESHOURS
LIMORETINASCAN
EGOSTRANSVERSE
EARSSOLOCAREER
Sat 11/8/2025
IOWASTUPOSTS
SHORTSTOPALPHA
BINGOCARDISAID
NOTOKAYIDLERS
NETUKENEIL
GIANTSTEPSTSO
OAHUERETHRIFT
FRATBROIHEARIT
ADDSUPDOCRENO
GENBLUECHEESE
ENOSOSSARS
PINATABRITONS
LADENROOTCANAL
STEAKMANSAMUSA
DHAKAYTDPSAT
Sun 11/9/2025 Swing States
SIFTSMARTYRISLEBID
ASAHIINAWAYMCATEDU
YONALKINTOMENOSHEID
IGOTTAAIMCONTESTS
DOTMENTALNOTEROJAS
ONESTARENOUGASENOUGH
PILAFOMNIRETIRE
BATONTECHBADFITCEL
CLOTMOWOBECALCFEEL
COULDANOCALNEILL
STREAKEDUSOYADAYADA
SHELFSERUMLOLCAT
APBSASAPSIMONEUHNO
SOONBAREFSARITRYON
ITSOOEBYESEMCEE
CASSETTETAPESBOXSETS
STILTSTORAGEBINQVC
ONOUROWNGALASSURE
ABEROTEWESTERNUNION
BUSNOSEAROACEPINOT
ADSSKINRANCHOSTEMS

If you're solving online, the bi-directional rebus squares accept a variety of different formats as correct. "UT/NV", "NV/UT", "UTNV", "NVUT", "UT", and "NV" all work for the first one.

Mon 11/10/2025
DAWNSRASAVAST
ETHERSODAZIPPO
STATSHAILCAESAR
KITTAEROSOLONT
SCALPMASSAGES
TEENSAUTE
PARSOLACEPOPE
IVEGOTYOUCOVERED
CIAOELTORONET
STOLICLOT
FIREBREATHERS
TIPPISTOLSSNOW
SHORTSPELLAUDIO
POLIOYALETROLL
SPOONSMSSENSE

An extra column provides space for the central revealer.

Tue 11/11/2025
BOTSSCABBARN
ACRETUTUAHOY
WHOREALLYKNOWS
LONGESTSETTEE
ELECTGEM
LUCASLEWRITE
ASONEAAHSNON
THATWASMYFAULT
TETWASPOTTER
EROSAILSTETE
FIRCATCH
STATUEYODELER
WORCESTERSHIRE
AMMOPARMOVAL
YESMNOSYPESO

A narrower grid today makes up for yesterday's wider one. Plus, it allows for three 14-letter spanners and this delightful theme.

Wed 11/12/2025
SCABTUBCOBAIN
CASEERREVENSO
OPTICALILLUSION
FROGSSTELMO
FIREUPIIIJVS
AASMEDIA
SRIRACHAEMASK
DOIDAREDORITOS
URGESROADSTER
CRISPBYE
KYDABSSAMPLE
BUDICEHERON
AMBIGUOUSFIGURE
CARELLRADANEW
RABBITEURNESS

A Gorski-style connect-the-dots grid that does a decent job rendering this famous illusion.

Thu 11/13/2025
ASHMARSMUESLI
PEAIHOPOHCMON
PAZSHOOTSSOOPS
LEGSKNEENOPE
SILOEDGASHVET
RONESEYESOPEDS
ONUSNESLOU
STAMENJETLAG
PUBTAGLDRS
BESETTHROWFOOP
ANTTHAISHORTY
DCUPOINKERAT
ROFAPPLAUSEBOT
ADFREEIDOLLEI
PESTERROBSESP

Four Across entries loop around the gray squares. Answers below the grid have been untangled.

Fri 11/14/2025
PALEODIETCHAOS
OPENCASESPENNE
GINGERALERATES
STALKSTSPITA
GOATSIDRIM
GOFETCHENDGAME
ORESAAGGRACES
SEEPDWELLLIFE
SODONETIERSEE
ICEDAMSSLEETED
PORPICTALL
GOTHAREDAVID
IKEASADDITIVES
RIALSMINECRAFT
LEMONSEASHANTY

According to Wikipedia, Dark academia is "a literary, internet aesthetic and subculture concerned with higher education, the arts, and literature, or an idealised version thereof." The phrase "idealised version thereof" sounds like a self-referential example.

Sat 11/15/2025
NAPTRAPPEDSWAG
ACTIONHERONONO
SHONDALANDONTO
TOWSHOTOILDIN
YONSEXREPENT
AHIINTERROR
PRIZEMONEYOBVI
RENALTETCOREA
OPALFIRSTOFALL
PANELISTABS
RIYALSJIBCUP
ORCCHAPELPUPU
OKAYFLATFOOTED
MISOROLLICKING
STEWYESINDEEDY

PROP ROOMS are places to keep things for (theatrical) plays. That one fooled me for too long.

Sun 11/16/2025 Misquoting Shakespeare
TESLASAWLWORSEOFF
ONEARTHTREOOPIUMWAR
GOODKNIGHTSWEETPRINCE
ALUIDEATEXEELIER
SALEODETTECELBETTE
STRESSOREXUDE
TOTHINEOWNELFBETRUE
OHGEEESCBENORCA
FAREISFOULOPIGADOT
TIEPIPSANEASARULE
TWOBSORNOTTWOBS
OXCARTSFEDROOFBAG
MEANYMARFOWLISFAIR
SNAGHOEATLELUDE
ANOSEBYANYOTHERNAME
CRIEDPARAPETS
ABASHSROITALICHERA
MUSLIMREFCALCUES
BEWARETHETIDESOFMARCH
INATRICENEARGARROTE
TONEARMSADDBIDSON
Mon 11/17/2025
STRIPACRIDBAR
AROMARHINOUSE
FIGUREEIGHTMID
EKESLAPSEMBAS
RENTALRAIL
SWEETSIXTEEN
ALGAEIRATEBAE
GORYSEARSPEST
EGOOKINGDIETS
DOUBLEOSEVEN
NUDEIFEVER
INDYBASINSOLE
DOHJACKSONFIVE
ONOALLINSOLID
LEGBLUNTCRASS
Tue 11/18/2025
JLOBANKREALID
EARISEEEMPIRE
TONEDOWNSIEVES
STAYFADEINELI
AZTECTOPDOLLAR
MUESLIHEROINE
INTERNBED
TOOTHDOCTOR
NIAREUNES
SENTCODSAHARA
TOKYODOMEROVER
ONESUTUREWOVE
KARMICTODOLIST
ETERNEEDDYDUH
SERIESSEALSPA

A LIST of four two-word entries starting TO___ and DO___.

If you know a little about music, you probably guessed G-MAJOR for "Key with one sharp" at 9-Down. Its relative minor is E-MINOR which also has that same F# in its key signature. Sometimes when you're absolutely sure about an answer, you have to remember that crosswords love to misdirect you.

Wed 11/19/2025
AMAZENODWADE
SALONUZINOTUS
STARDATESOMENS
EZRAGEMSIBIZA
TOMYELPERSTOY
CURLICUES
ALTARACTSACHE
NOSPINTURNON
YOKEABCSBINGE
RATEHIKES
BOYGOSOLARCOD
OZAWATREYORZO
SODOIMINORTEAM
ONIONAZTNOTRE
MEGSNOWSEEKS

Traversing the symmetrically and evenly spaced NOs around the circle, each rotates 90 degrees in the same direction. That's a significant constraint on this grid.

Thu 11/20/2025
PJSBEACHSAKS
SOPULTRAANAL
SKINDIVESELITE
TECHSSITUATED
SELBETTERDAYS
PORAVENEB
SNUBRIDEKAUAI
AMBIENTSTARMAP
TESTSASTOSARA
ITOHEYMOD
DAMNEDLIESFIN
EVAGREENJABBA
BROWSODDMANOUT
RIRININERMRT
ALITEGADSBRA

"He" refers to the names spelled in the odd circled letters. They "don't belong," so remove them to match the clue.

At 16-Across, remove SID from SKINDIVES to get KNIVES, etc.

Fri 11/21/2025
ADMITCROCMACS
LEAMICHELEEYRE
MANSPREADSTOOT
SLYTOADATREST
SOFTFRAIDSO
ROCKETSCIENCE
AVOIDHORASBID
GEMSHELENRIRI
ARESEEDSSARAN
HEARTSTOPPING
EDIBLESABUT
TITLESGRITRIB
HAHAWHITENOISE
INESHOLESINONE
CARTYEARKITTS

This is already the third appearance for AYO EDEBIRI. Get used to seeing her — that combination of letters is just too useful.

LEA MICHELE is your standard triple-threat incredible talent. Oh, wait — actress/singer/songwriter/author — that's four!

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