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New York Times, Thursday, March 19, 2026

Author:
John Kugelman
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
Certain hockey and soccer infractions ... or a hint to this puzzle's circled and shaded squares
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
177/30/20233/19/20263
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
14100200
CircleScrabDebutFlowFresh
21.5816841.262%
John Kugelman

This puzzle:

Rows: 15, Columns: 15 Words: 74, Blocks: 33 Missing: {JQVZ} This is puzzle # 17 for Mr. Kugelman. Grid flow: 34.8 Thursday freshness: 42%
Jim Horne notes:
Remove the first and last letters (the sides) from the theme answers to match the clues. The first (shaded) letters spell FRIES and ... read more
1
T
2
A
3
X
4
D
5
O
6
D
7
G
8
E
9
D
10
N
11
A
12
L
13
A
14
B
15
A
L
B
A
N
I
A
N
16
E
U
R
O
P
A
17
F
O
O
D
L
E
S
S
18
I
N
S
O
N
G
19
T
E
X
A
S
20
H
U
21
G
S
22
E
K
E
S
23
I
D
24
S
25
R
O
M
26
A
N
I
A
27
R
28
A
29
G
S
30
A
31
P
E
D
32
L
A
G
33
I
F
A
T
34
A
L
L
35
T
36
A
I
L
E
37
N
38
D
39
N
A
Y
40
N
E
E
41
I
R
K
42
T
E
D
43
G
R
A
44
N
D
M
A
45
E
M
E
46
R
I
T
A
47
N
E
O
48
S
49
I
R
I
50
E
T
S
Y
51
S
T
O
R
52
M
E
D
53
E
54
T
A
55
B
A
H
N
56
A
S
I
57
A
58
E
L
59
I
60
T
61
E
62
O
M
E
G
63
A
S
64
O
F
65
F
S
I
D
E
S
66
W
O
M
A
C
K
67
C
R
O
S
S
E
S
T
68
L
A
S
S
E
S
69
Y
O
G
A
M
A
T
S
© 2026, The New York Times3/19/26 ( No. 27,890 )
Across
1
Exploiting an I.R.S. loophole, e.g. : TAXDODGE
9
Forensic analyst's workspace : DNALAB
15
Like the national dish tavë kosi (baked lamb with yogurt sauce) : ALBANIAN
16
Moon that's a neighbor of Ganymede and Io : EUROPA
17
A boatload : OODLES
18
How Jean Valjean repeatedly breaks out in "Les Misérables" : INSONG
19
Where to find the towns Bigfoot and Tarzan : TEXAS
20
The o's in xoxo, symbolically : HUGS
22
Scratches (out) : EKES
23
Cards in a wallet or purse, informally : IDS
25
Resident of Muscat : OMANI
27
Clothes that are ready to be thrown away : RAGS
30
Mimicked : APED
32
Online gamer's bane : LAG
33
Like some flaws : FATAL
35
Rump : TAILEND
39
"Decidedly not" : NAY
40
Homophone of 39-Across : NEE
41
Peeve : IRK
42
___ Lasso, fictional A.F.C. Richmond coach : TED
43
Big Bad Wolf's disguise : GRANDMA
45
___ badge : MERIT
47
Opposite of paleo- : NEO
48
Voice of the modern age : SIRI
50
Site for indie designers : ETSY
51
Crooner Mel : TORME
53
Beginning of the spelling of "Hera" : ETA
55
U-___ (German subway) : BAHN
56
It has Earth's highest and lowest points : ASIA
58
N.C.A.A.'s ___ Eight : ELITE
62
Certain fatty acids, informally : OMEGAS
64
Certain hockey and soccer infractions ... or a hint to this puzzle's circled and shaded squares : OFFSIDES
66
Country singer Lee Ann : WOMACK
67
At peak pique : CROSSEST
68
Gaelic gals : LASSES
69
Locations for some posers : YOGAMATS
Down
1
First president to sit in the Oval Office : TAFT
2
It's vera soothing! : ALOE
3
Halo console : XBOX
4
Jean Arp, e.g. : DADAIST
5
Tripping, in a way : ONLSD
6
German "the" : DIE
7
Deep cut : GASH
8
Lock in, so to speak : ENSURE
9
Thomas Jefferson's belief : DEISM
10
Part of an order : NUN
11
Ordnance depot : ARSENAL
12
"Hey, no argument here" : LOOKIGETIT
13
Nighttime woe : APNEA
14
Luggage : BAGS
21
Master class? : GODTIER
24
Setting for Arthur Miller's "The Crucible" : SALEM
26
Analogous : ALIKE
27
Word with napkin or nose : RING
28
Miles away : AFAR
29
Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" and Diana Ross's "I'm Coming Out," to name two : GAYANTHEMS
31
Tickles : PLEASES
34
Choice words : ANDOR
36
Actor Hammer : ARMIE
37
Lepidopterists' needs : NETS
38
Operation Neptune, familiarly : DDAY
44
Electric sign filler : NEONGAS
46
Showing things as they are : REALISM
49
Utter foolishness : IDIOCY
51
Nation whose name sounds like a plea for seconds : SAMOA
52
Catchers' wear : MASKS
54
___ Virtue, three-time gold medalist ice dancer : TESSA
55
Word after finger or poke : BOWL
57
Do for Jimi Hendrix : AFRO
59
"Here's an ___ ..." : IDEA
60
Final, e.g. : TEST
61
Contractors' figs. : ESTS
63
Of first rank : ACE
65
Noted San Francisco weather phenomenon : FOG

Answer summary:
3 unique to this puzzle.

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