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Stella Zawistowski
NY Times, Sun Jan 18, 2026 Cryptic Crossword
Author:
Stella Zawistowski
Editor:
Will Shortz
Rows: 15, Columns: 15, Words: 28, Blocks: 81
| 1 B | | 2 B | | 3 D | | | | 4 C | | 5 R | | 6 B | |
7 R | E | D | O | L | E | N | 8 T | | 9 O | M | E | L | E | T |
| H | | A | | C | | H | | N | | D | | T | |
10 B | E | E | T | | 11 A | M | E | N | D | M | E | N | T | S |
| M | | | | N | | N | | E | | M | | E | |
12 F | O | R | 13 M | A | T | | 14 C | O | N | S | P | I | R | E |
| T | | I | | | | E | | S | | T | | | |
| 15 H | O | N | E | 16 S | T | | 17 V | E | N | I | C | 18 E | |
| | | D | | N | | 19 C | | | | O | | S | |
20 A | 21 P | P | R | O | A | C | H | | 22 M | U | N | I | C | H |
| A | | E | | G | | O | | A | | | | A | |
23 E | N | D | A | N | G | E | R | E | D | | 24 B | I | R | D |
| I | | D | | I | | U | | D | | R | | G | |
25 I | N | T | E | R | N | | 26 S | K | E | L | E | T | O | N |
| I | | R | | G | | | | N | | D | | T | |
© 2026, The New York Times
Across
7
Suggestive of a pre-Easter period, after makeover (8) :
REDOLENT9
First off, residence allowed breakfast dish (6) :
OMELET10
Announced batter for borscht ingredient (4) :
BEET11
Madmen sent rewritten changes to the Constitution (10) :
AMENDMENTS12
In favor of yoga accessory layout (6) :
FORMAT14
Argument against church tower plot (8) :
CONSPIRE15
Open, perfect street (6) :
HONEST17
European tourist destination essential to live nicely (6) :
VENICE20
Little program bug in system (8) :
APPROACH22
Chew on, having last part of rösti somewhere in Bavaria (6) :
MUNICH23
24
Offer includes a bit of rice with turkey, say (4) :
BIRD25
Train is part of winter nights (6) :
INTERN26
Framework of keels broken, not coming back (8) :
SKELETON
Down
1
Beast beheld butterfly's relative, spitting out lizard's skin (8) :
BEHEMOTH2
Big tropical snake on front of the ferry (4) :
BOAT3
Do a sommelier's job with worker after December (6) :
DECANT4
Make more compact, unfinished condo seen after remodeling (8) :
CONDENSE5
6
Improve Vegas player (6) :
BETTER8
Some strengthen ceramic from that point (6) :
THENCE13
Worker in the pits, filled with dread, is someone who knows your thoughts (10) :
MINDREADER16
Small and shrewish, getting caught (8) :
SNAGGING18
French delicacy estimate includes freight (8) :
ESCARGOT19
"Cold Egyptian God" - sing it again (6) :
CHORUS21
Sandwich skillet in Italy, initially (6) :
PANINI22
Enrage John of the N.F.L. (6) :
MADDEN24
Raised moolah in speech (4) :
BRED
Answer summary: 0 unique to this puzzle, 1 unique to Modern Era but used previously.
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