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Escape Room

New York Times, Sunday, July 6, 2025

Author:
Zhou Zhang and Kevin Curry
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
39-Down : Final stop ... or a hint to finding the first key letter in this puzzle
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
37/6/202511/24/20251
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
1101000
RebusCircleScrabDebutFlowFresh
111.76927.122%
Zhou Zhang
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
611/7/20238/26/20253
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
1030200
ScrabDebutFlowFresh
1.602322.235%
Kevin Curry

This puzzle:

Rows: 21, Columns: 21 Words: 137, Blocks: 105 Missing: none – this is a pangram. Grid has mirror symmetry. There are unchecked squares This is the debut puzzle for Ms. Zhang. This is puzzle # 5 for Mr. Curry. Grid flow: 0.0 Sunday freshness: 1%
Will Shortz notes:
Zhou Zhang and Kevin Curry are a wife and husband from Seattle. Zhou is an economist who works in tech. Kevin is a stay-at-home dad and part-time consultant on corporate carbon ... read more
Constructor notes:
Zhou: I am so very thrilled to be making my NYT debut (especially because there were many times over the last two years where I was convinced it would never happen), and it is particularly ... read more
Jim Horne notes:
  • E is the End of the Road — the last letter in RODEO DRIVE.
  • X is FOUR SQUARE, the letter in square #4
  • I is the letter Under the (only C in the grid)
  • T has no clue, meaning 76-Across
1
M
2
A
3
R
4
X
5
E
6
R
7
G
8
O
9
S
10
P
11
A
12
M
13
G
14
I
15
Z
16
A
17
V
O
G
U
E
18
L
O
U
D
19
P
E
P
E
20
A
N
I
M
21
E
22
P
R
E
S
S
23
P
S
I
S
24
F
E
N
D
25
G
A
T
O
R
26
S
E
S
H
27
M
A
I
L
28
L
E
I
29
A
30
W
I
R
E
31
D
32
O
E
S
N
T
33
H
34
A
35
V
E
A
C
L
36
U
E
37
A
38
T
39
E
I
N
T
O
40
T
O
T
E
D
41
I
G
N
O
42
B
43
L
44
E
45
D
I
N
E
R
O
46
R
O
M
E
O
47
A
L
F
R
E
D
48
W
M
D
49
Y
O
50
S
51
H
I
52
U
53
N
54
S
E
E
55
E
V
E
56
A
T
O
57
N
E
58
T
A
P
59
T
A
U
60
T
61
R
A
I
N
62
R
A
F
A
63
S
A
N
64
M
B
65
A
66
E
K
E
S
67
M
T
V
68
I
T
D
69
E
70
E
M
U
71
B
O
D
72
H
E
73
R
M
E
S
X
74
N
A
S
75
S
A
U
76
T
77
E
E
78
O
U
S
T
I
79
A
R
T
E
80
T
81
A
82
J
83
O
R
R
84
A
L
M
A
T
85
M
I
R
E
86
S
P
A
87
T
A
O
88
M
I
E
N
89
E
N
I
D
90
T
A
N
91
A
S
A
92
P
93
U
N
D
94
E
95
R
96
T
97
H
98
E
S
E
A
99
B
A
R
K
100
L
E
D
U
101
P
102
X
E
N
O
N
103
W
A
R
T
Y
104
R
O
105
D
106
D
E
N
T
U
R
107
E
108
H
I
D
109
F
110
O
111
U
R
S
Q
112
U
A
R
E
113
R
O
D
114
E
O
D
R
115
I
116
V
117
E
118
L
O
S
E
H
E
A
R
T
119
L
I
P
R
E
A
D
E
R
120
A
P
E
D
121
D
E
E
S
122
L
E
A
N
123
P
O
T
S
overlay
© 2025, The New York Times7/6/25 ( No. 27,634 )
Across
1
Philosopher who wrote "The bureaucracy is a circle from which no one can escape" : MARX
5
So : ERGO
9
___ folder : SPAM
13
Sphinx site : GIZA
17
Prevailing fashion : VOGUE
18
Cranked up to 11, say : LOUD
19
Italian seasoning : PEPE
20
Manga's film counterpart : ANIME
22
Its freedom is granted in the First Amendment : PRESS
23
Pitchfork-shaped letters : PSIS
24
Ward (off) : FEND
25
Predator with a big mouth, informally : GATOR
26
Meeting, for short : SESH
27
Post : MAIL
28
Princess portrayed by Carrie Fisher : LEIA
30
Send from bank to bank : WIRE
31
Is completely oblivious ... or a hint to finding the fourth key letter in this puzzle : DOESNTHAVEACLUE
37
Depleted, as savings : ATEINTO
40
Hauled : TOTED
41
Dishonorable : IGNOBLE
45
Moolah : DINERO
46
Lover of Shakespeare : ROMEO
47
Bruce Wayne's butler : ALFRED
48
Subj. of arms talks : WMD
49
Mario's dinosaur sidekick : YOSHI
52
"I wish I could ___ that!" : UNSEE
55
Fruit picker of old : EVE
56
Make amends (for) : ATONE
58
Credit card checkout option : TAP
59
___ particle : TAU
60
Word with bullet or toilet : TRAIN
62
Tennis's Nadal, to fans : RAFA
63
Japanese honorific : SAN
64
Deg. with courses on accounting and management : MBA
66
Squeaks (by) : EKES
67
Channel with the onetime motto "On Cable. In Stereo" : MTV
68
"___ be a shame ..." : ITD
70
Liberty Mutual's bird mascot : EMU
71
Physique, informally : BOD
72
Trickster of Greek myth : HERMES
74
Closest world capital to Miami : NASSAU
76
– : TEE
78
Remove from power : OUST
79
Museo display : ARTE
80
___ Mahal : TAJ
83
Bobby of the Boston Bruins : ORR
84
___ mater : ALMA
85
Muck : MIRE
86
Place appropriately found in "gets pampered" : SPA
87
Philosopher's "way" : TAO
88
Personal appearance : MIEN
89
Children's author Blyton : ENID
90
M&M color replaced by blue in 1995 : TAN
91
"Stat!" : ASAP
93
"The Little Mermaid" hit ... or a phonetic hint to finding the third key letter in this puzzle : UNDERTHESEA
99
Fir coat? : BARK
100
Preceded, with "to" : LEDUP
102
Element in strobe lights : XENON
103
Like witches and gourds : WARTY
104
Cone's partner : ROD
106
It often comes out at night : DENTURE
108
Was out of sight : HID
109
Kids' ball game played on a court... or a hint to finding the second key letter in this puzzle : FOURSQUARE
113
Famed street in Beverly Hills : RODEODRIVE
118
Become discouraged : LOSEHEART
119
One taking the words right out of your mouth? : LIPREADER
120
Mimicked : APED
121
Odd pair? : DEES
122
Low-fat : LEAN
123
Purchases from florists : POTS
Down
1
Toddler's demand : MORE
2
Board game recommendation : AGES
3
"Midnight's Children" author, 1981 : RUSHDIE
4
Spot markers : XES
5
Only major Texas city not in the Central time zone : ELPASO
6
Substance that's used by cellists and gymnasts : ROSIN
7
Journey in which you might carry quite a load? : GUILTTRIP
8
Has too much, for short : ODS
9
Beach bottle inits. : SPF
10
Burned rubber : PEELEDOUT
11
Breathing problem at night : APNEA
12
Onetime wealthiest family in Europe : MEDICI
13
Kind of joke ... or a response to a really bad one : GAG
14
Revering : INAWEOF
15
Rigatoni relative : ZITI
16
Cupid's domain : AMOR
17
Number twos, in brief : VPS
21
Before, poetically : ERE
27
Famous movement (and hashtag) of the late 2010s : METOO
29
Unwanted growth in fish tanks : ALGAE
32
Typical patty melt specification : ONRYE
33
With "boo," it evokes sadness – with "woo," it evokes happiness : HOO
34
Put a PIN in it : ATM
35
Flock formation : VEE
36
Awaiting renters : UNLET
37
Battle between Verizon and AT&T, e.g. : ADWAR
38
Popular chocolate biscuit from Down Under : TIMTAM
39
Final stop ... or a hint to finding the first key letter in this puzzle : ENDOFTHEROAD
42
Person everyone's talking about ... or what you'll be after unlocking the lock and completing this puzzle? : BREAKOUTSTAR
43
Imposed, as a fine : LEVIED
44
Wonderlands : EDENS
50
Washington and Franklin, e.g. : STATESMEN
51
Breaking maneuver : HANDSTAND
53
Tattle : NAMENAMES
54
Hero ... or where to find many naval heroes : SUBMARINE
57
Place for a pew : NAVE
61
Country music star with 24 #1 singles and an eponymous sitcom : REBA
63
Star of Marvel's first film with an Asian-led cast : SIMULIU
65
Where "the hills are alive" in song : AUSTRIA
69
[Insert key here] : EXIT
73
Make calls on one's cellphone abroad : ROAM
75
Bit of chia or hemp : SEED
76
Add up to : TOTAL
77
Wipe, as from memory : ERASE
81
Split up : APART
82
Of extremely unreliable quality, in slang : JANKY
92
Ran smoothly, as an engine : PURRED
94
Applies, as influence : EXERTS
95
Painter Magritte : RENE
96
Big boomer, for short : TNT
97
Word after "man of the" or "top of the" : HOUR
98
Sign up : ENROLL
99
Negative reputation, informally : BADRAP
101
Ritzy : POSH
103
___-eyed : WIDE
105
Gave a red card, informally : DQED
106
Alternative to truth : DARE
107
Actress Falco of "The Sopranos" : EDIE
108
Sousaphone, e.g. : HORN
109
State for snowbirds: Abbr. : FLA
110
Alley ___ : OOP
111
Function : USE
112
Home of the world's tallest bldg. : UAE
114
Org. concerned with ozone depletion : EPA
115
Words in front of a minister or a judge : IDO
116
Cat scanner? : VET
117
CPR sites : ERS

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

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