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Meeting Their Match

New York Times, Sunday, June 8, 2025

Author:
John Kugelman
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
59-Down : Like some patches
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
157/30/202312/14/20252
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
13100100
CircleScrabDebutFlowFresh
11.6015441.863%
John Kugelman

This puzzle:

Rows: 21, Columns: 21 Words: 132, Blocks: 82 Missing: none – this is a pangram. Grid has mirror symmetry. This is puzzle # 12 for Mr. Kugelman. Grid flow: 38.2 Sunday freshness: 82%
Will Shortz notes:
John Kugelman, of Gainesville, Va., is a software engineer specializing in cybersecurity. This is his 10th Sunday crossword for The Times in the past two years. "When I was young, I ... read more
John Kugelman notes:
Some puzzles are a dream. Others fight tooth and nail not to exist. Concept: It took upwards of a year off-and-on to work out what to do with the animals, where to place the magnets, ... read more
Jim Horne notes:
You want a good justification for answers that turn corners, and these powerful magnets do the trick. At 1-Down, Jason Momoa has ABSOFST but a magnet then pulls in the next three letters ... read more
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A
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S
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T
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O
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A
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T
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R
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I
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C
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E
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L
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M
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H
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B
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K
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F
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H
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A
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S
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F
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X
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B
E
A
U
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O
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S
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X
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T
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G
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H
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O
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C
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F
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N
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F
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M
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L
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O
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A
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L
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S
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A
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G
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N
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D
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C
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D
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G
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P
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N
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G
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E
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E
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R
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W
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B
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T
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Y
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L
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O
M
G
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E
T
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S
H
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R
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L
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M
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B
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A
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I
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D
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A
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N
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A
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G
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E
L
K
N
B
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L
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U
Y
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L
E
A
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F
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L
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M
A
A
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M
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N
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M
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A
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N
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A
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P
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S
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A
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M
A
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L
M
A
G
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N
E
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M
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D
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O
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A
J
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G
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Z
I
P
T
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E
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H
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U
P
V
O
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O
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R
A
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Q
U
A
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A
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D
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R
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N
O
D
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A
F
T
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O
P
T
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overlay
© 2025, The New York Times6/8/25 ( No. 27,606 )
Across
1
Regarding : ASTO
5
Some hotel check-in areas : ATRIA
10
Singer Cruz known as the "Queen of Salsa" : CELIA
15
Jibe : MESH
19
Break, slangily : BORK
20
Rafael Nadal has won a record 14 of these : FRENCHOPENS
22
Boxer's diet, maybe : ALPO
23
Mmes. : France :: ___ : Spain : SRAS
24
Deal with a problem later, as a filmmaker : FIXITINPOST
25
Belle boy? : BEAU
26
It's a cinch! : OBI
27
"Everything in the world is about ___ except ___" (quote often attributed to Oscar Wilde) : SEX
28
Wedding toast signals : TINGS
29
Howe'er : THO
31
Adds to an email : CCS
32
Some narrative homages, informally : FANFIC
34
National anthem contraction : OER
35
Uncle ___ (nickname for comedian Berle) : MILTIE
37
Point in the direction of : STEERTO
39
Yosemite's ___ Adams Gallery : ANSEL
41
Gateway to the Amalfi Coast : SALERNO
48
Brand used for Taco Tuesday : ORTEGA
51
Share cleanup duty, in a way : COEDIT
54
Brittney of the W.N.B.A. : GRINER
57
Hardy mountain plants : ALPINES
61
Highest point : APOGEE
65
Cold and wet, as weather : RAW
66
Last-one-standing fights : BATTLEROYALES
69
"!!!" : OMG
70
Seventh of 24 : ETA
71
"Ain't ___ Sweet" : SHE
72
Hopper in the Hundred Acre Wood : ROO
73
Hightail it : LAM
74
Plead : BEG
75
A, in German class : EIN
76
Forehead-slapping moments : AHAS
77
Mich. neighbor : IND
78
"Star Trek: T.N.G." empath : TROI
80
Greeting from a man's best friend : ARF
81
Abstainer : NONUSER
83
Beefy, as gym bros : SWOLE
85
Composer Vivaldi : ANTONIO
87
Bumps on a log : GNARLS
88
Fancy diving flips : GAINERS
90
Prefix with -caster : STRATO
96
Something that often changes color before it falls : LEAF
98
Vegas opener? : LAS
99
One-named pop star with releases on the Monkey Puzzle record label : SIA
100
Kids' cries : MAAS
101
Guinness record holder for most words in a hit single (1,560 in six minutes) : EMINEM
103
De Armas of "Blade Runner 2049" : ANA
106
Fibonacci and Galileo, for two : PISANS
108
Powerful force of attraction on display in this puzzle? : ANIMALMAGNETISM
111
Dance in celebration : DOAJIG
114
Single-use binders : ZIPTIES
115
"You gotta be kidding me!" : SHEESH
119
Reddit endorsement : UPVOTE
120
Fat substitute : OLESTRA
121
Smallest discrete units of energy : QUANTA
122
More expensive : DEARER
123
Drift (off) : NOD
124
Captain's rear : AFT
125
Not go along, say : OPTOUT
Down
1
What Jason Momoa has, notably : ABSOFSTEEL
2
Potassium ___ (preservative) : SORBATE
3
Orientation participant : TRAINEE
4
Go-aheads : OKS
5
Manner : AFFECT
6
It's for kids, not silly rabbits : TRIX
7
"Toy Story" dino : REX
8
Still alive, so to speak : INIT
9
Jason Statham or Sylvester Stallone : ACTIONSTAR
10
Churchgoer : CONGREGANT
11
Actor Omar : EPPS
12
Fifth of 12 : LEO
13
Part of M.I.T.: Abbr. : INST
14
Literally, "panting," in Greek : ASTHMA
15
Literary fairy queen : MAB
16
Spider-Man's lightning-wielding foe : ELECTRO
17
In la-la land, with "out" : SPACING
18
Church : HOUSEOFGOD
21
Gregory of Hollywood : HINES
27
"My man" : SIR
30
Vegetable ___ : OIL
33
Convicted criminal : FELON
36
Yielded : LEDTO
38
Piece of one's mine : ORE
39
Even a little : ATALL
40
Cagney's partner on classic TV : LACEY
41
La petite Thérèse, e.g.: Abbr. : STE
44
Striped stones : AGATES
46
Meal modifier : NOSALT
49
Hebrew honorific : REB
50
Makes a mess of : TRASHES
52
Lesser deities in Greek mythology : DAEMONS
53
Computer addresses, for short : IPS
54
Colorful feature of a lawn : GREENGRASS
55
Based on reason : RATIONAL
56
"Show me! Show me!" : IWANNASEE
58
Ground cover plant with trailing vines and five-petaled flowers : PERIWINKLE
59
Like some patches : IRONON
60
Japanese restaurant order : NOODLEBOWL
62
Lose it : GOBANANAS
63
Part of a retirement title : EMERITUS
64
Chinese restaurant order : EGGFOOYUNG
67
Yonder, to a pirate : THAR
68
Dr. Zhivago's beloved : LARA
76
Syst. of unspoken words : ASL
79
Addams Family cousin : ITT
82
Constellation on Alaska's flag : URSAMAJOR
83
Big Fifth Avenue retailer : SAKS
84
Subject of the Liberi painting "The Birth of Love" : EROS
86
Offal : ORGANMEAT
88
Tall, chic woman : GLAMAZON
89
Attacks like a kitten : SWIPESAT
92
Kind of sch. : ELEM
94
Bottleful for un bébé : LAIT
97
Like a mom or dad's patience : FINITE
100
Amalgamation : MASHUP
102
African country whose name is found in another country's name : NIGER
103
Totally stoked : AMPED
104
Washington team, to fans : NATS
105
State of unease : AGITA
107
"Thong Song" singer, 2000 : SISQO
109
Stitch's film friend : LILO
110
Soft ball brand : NERF
111
Flop : DUD
112
Expose, poetically : OPE
113
Director DuVernay : AVA
116
Pioneer in electronica music : ENO
117
Soccer analyst Holden : STU
118
Bowler or boater : HAT

Answer summary:
12 unique to this puzzle, 1 unique to Modern Era but used previously.

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