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New York Times, Wednesday, October 29, 2025

Author:
John Donegan
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
3-Down : Jupiter and Mars
TotalDebutLatest
210/26/202310/29/2025
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
0001100
ScrabDebutFlowFresh
1.58722.317%
John Donegan

This puzzle:

Rows: 16, Columns: 14 Words: 76, Blocks: 34 Missing: {JQVXZ} Spans: 4 This is puzzle # 2 for Mr. Donegan. Grid flow: 18.0 Wednesday freshness: 19%
Jim Horne notes:

The four theme answers are all excellent.

1
R
2
A
3
P
4
I
5
D
6
S
7
A
8
Y
9
S
10
I
11
M
12
P
13
A
B
A
S
E
14
O
R
E
O
15
M
E
H
16
R
I
G
H
T
17
O
F
F
T
H
18
E
B
A
T
19
E
T
A
20
E
S
T
21
I
O
D
I
N
E
22
N
23
U
C
L
E
24
I
25
I
B
I
S
26
L
27
I
G
H
T
O
N
H
28
I
29
S
F
E
E
T
30
I
C
O
N
31
S
O
N
N
Y
32
F
E
D
O
33
R
34
A
35
P
E
A
36
S
37
T
38
P
39
E
T
S
40
E
N
41
D
42
S
P
43
H
E
R
E
44
S
A
T
U
45
P
46
I
W
I
N
47
U
48
P
49
O
N
R
E
F
L
50
E
51
C
T
I
O
N
52
N
A
N
O
53
F
A
L
L
E
N
54
T
R
E
B
55
L
56
E
57
C
I
O
58
G
59
R
60
U
61
R
A
I
S
E
T
62
H
E
S
T
63
A
K
E
S
64
O
D
D
65
S
T
U
B
66
H
A
I
L
S
67
D
E
A
68
S
U
M
O
69
S
A
T
Y
R
© 2025, The New York Times10/29/25 ( No. 27,749 )
Across
1
The "R" of REM : RAPID
6
States : SAYS
10
Little devil : IMP
13
Bring down : ABASE
14
Milkshake ingredient that might get stuck in a straw : OREO
15
"Whatever" : MEH
16
Dracula's preferred way to eat wings? : RIGHTOFFTHEBAT
19
"When u coming?" : ETA
20
Jocular suffix for "most" : EST
21
First aid stinger : IODINE
22
Cell centers : NUCLEI
25
Sebastian the ___, mascot of the Miami Hurricanes : IBIS
26
What makes Dracula frantically hop around? : LIGHTONHISFEET
30
Clickable pic : ICON
31
Eldest Corleone brother : SONNY
32
Felt something on your head? : FEDORA
35
Food fight projectile : PEA
36
Speedway sponsor : STP
39
Some unidentified visitors, for short : ETS
40
Wrap up : END
42
Well-rounded figure? : SPHERE
44
Showed sudden interest, in a way : SATUP
46
Cry of victory : IWIN
47
When Dracula doesn't feel seen? : UPONREFLECTION
52
Lead-in to second : NANO
53
Like Satan, in the Bible : FALLEN
54
Knob on an electric guitar : TREBLE
57
A.F.L.-___ : CIO
58
"Despicable Me" antihero : GRU
61
Get ready to attack Dracula and his pals? : RAISETHESTAKES
64
Like some jobs : ODD
65
Well-used pencil, say : STUB
66
Rains hard? : HAILS
67
Anti-traffic org. : DEA
68
Sport whose athletes wear topknots : SUMO
69
Mythical luster? : SATYR
Down
1
Still red, say : RARE
2
Not much : ABIT
3
Jupiter and Mars : PAGANGODS
4
"In a way" : ISH
5
Pick up on : DETECT
6
Loosens up : SOFTENS
7
Response to "Speak!" : ARF
8
Cold-weather cryptid : YETI
9
Neighborhood in Warren Zevon's "Werewolves of London" : SOHO
10
Knock back a few : IMBIBE
11
Big bully : MEANIE
12
Aquarium diagnostic : PHTEST
17
World capital near the 60th parallel : OSLO
18
Enlighten : EDIFY
23
"Sorry, that's incorrect" : UHNO
24
Restaurant chain acronym : IHOP
26
Word with still or shelf : LIFE
27
"New Jack City" co-star, 1991 : ICET
28
Spanish name found in "business" : INES
29
Fastener with an onomatopoeic name : SNAP
33
Bring up : REAR
34
Pot grower? : ANTE
36
What contains a lot of darn stuff? : SEWINGKIT
37
The "Amigos" of film, e.g. : TRIO
38
Big name in magic : PENN
41
Beer brand on "The Simpsons" : DUFF
43
Feminist sex educator Shere ___ : HITE
44
Pompous people : SNOBS
45
Non-pharmacological component of a clinical trial : PLACEBO
47
Pristine, as land : UNTROD
48
Veterans Day event : PARADE
49
Lake that's the "thumb" of New York's Finger Lakes : ONEIDA
50
Certain Ivy Leaguers : ELIS
51
Rags, e.g. : CLOTHS
55
What a bargain hunter hopes to pay : LESS
56
Ides of March rebuke : ETTU
59
Depend (on) : RELY
60
Old map inits. : USSR
62
Sound of a good car engine : HUM
63
Designation for the Toledo Mud Hens : AAA

Answer summary:
3 unique to this puzzle.

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