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Use Your Words

New York Times, Sunday, January 18, 2026

Author:
Rena Cohen
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
Original people to move into Cancún's peninsula?
TotalDebutLatest
710/3/20241/18/2026
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
1320100
RebusCircleScrabDebutFlowFresh
111.534233.434%
Rena Cohen

This puzzle:

Rows: 21, Columns: 21 Words: 140, Blocks: 74 Missing: {JQXZ} Spans: 1 This is puzzle # 7 for Ms. Cohen. Grid flow: 39.0 Sunday freshness: 22%
Will Shortz notes:
Rena Cohen is a sophomore at Washington University in St. Louis, studying psychology with minors in Spanish and applied linguistics. She grew up in Bloomington, Ind., around Indiana ... read more
Jim Horne notes:

The "you" sound is added to common phrases to match the clues. For example, "rev the engine" becomes "review the engine". REF at 29-Across refers to a basketball referee.

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D
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M
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G
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B
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O
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C
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K
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C
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K
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G
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R
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Y
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P
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R
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M
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M
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V
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N
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I
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R
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M
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D
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Y
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T
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N
G
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A
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P
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T
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© 2026, The New York Times1/18/26 ( No. 27,830 )
Across
1
Bit of regal headwear : DIADEM
7
Singer Horne : LENA
11
Develops alopecia : GOESBALD
19
Total : ENTIRE
20
2022 World Series champ : ASTRO
22
College town nicknamed "A2" : ANNARBOR
23
Like the Gospel of Mark, sequentially? : AFTERMATTHEW
25
Concert lineups : SETLISTS
26
Matriarch of six of the 12 tribes of Israel : LEAH
27
Make a choice : OPT
28
Trouble : WOE
30
1982 film whose name is a security program : TRON
31
Text that says "Congratulations! You've won a MacBook Pro," probably : SCAM
33
Prepare for a mechanic's certification exam? : REVIEWTHEENGINE
40
Pulsates : THROBS
42
Rock's Plastic ___ Band : ONO
43
Central parts of planets : CORES
44
Hairdresser's supply : DYE
45
Molecule that might be modeled with Twizzlers and gummies in biology class : DNA
46
Soft shots, in tennis : DINKS
48
Meditative chants : OMS
49
Plant used in pickling : DILL
50
H.S. exam whose highest score is 36 : ACT
53
Source of income for a website : ADSALE
55
Half of a popular social media app : TIK
57
Discontinued iPods designed to fit into watch pockets : NANOS
58
Original people to move into Cancún's peninsula? : THESETTLERSOFYUCATAN
63
Affectionate term for una madre : MAMI
64
Designation for the Louisville Bats and Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp : AAA
65
Preceder of Peacock and White in the game Clue : MRS
66
"Big" comic protagonist : NATE
67
"Don't look at me for help" ... or a phonetic hint to this puzzle's theme : SOUNDSLIKEAYOUPROBLEM
75
Dove's dwelling : COTE
76
Wii remote batteries : AAS
77
Sloth in 2002's "Ice Age" : SID
78
Sensation before a migraine, medically : AURA
79
Gets married while wearing protective gear? : UNITESINSHININGARMOR
85
Quarrels : SPATS
86
Itty-bitty : WEE
87
Japanese craft that literally translates to "tray planting" : BONSAI
88
"This Is your brain on drugs," e.g., for short : PSA
89
Best-selling romance author Jimenez : ABBY
90
One of 2,214 for Babe Ruth : RBI
92
"Shrek!" author William : STEIG
94
Common item at a checkout line, informally : MAG
96
#1 spot in London? : LOO
97
Honkers without horns : GEESE
99
It might come with a shell : OAR
100
Go over again : REREAD
103
List of restaurant offerings for kids not yet three years old? : TWOANDAHALFMENU
107
Kerfuffle : TODO
108
Oodles : GOBS
109
Someone who might issue a travel warning? : REF
110
"Roger that!" : YEP
112
Name that means "pink" in Spanish : ROSA
114
Relative of a husky : MALAMUTE
118
Wedding planner's aid? : VENUEDIAGRAM
122
"5 stars" : ILOVEDIT
123
It might raise a bunch of dough : YEAST
124
Stab of pain : TWINGE
125
Values : ASSESSES
126
Businesses offering mud masks : SPAS
127
Pulls the chain of, so to speak : TEASES
Down
1
Word on either side of "or no" : DEAL
2
Overrun : INFEST
3
Add electronically, in a way : ATTACH
4
Like a really big fan : DIEHARD
5
Go wrong : ERR
6
Bad thing not to get (especially at the office?) : MEMO
7
The Cinnamon Dolce or the Blonde Vanilla, at Starbucks : LATTE
8
"Silentium ___ aureum" ("Silence is golden") : EST
9
High degree : NTH
10
"Is it time to rethink this relationship?" : AREWEOK
11
Hilarious thing : GAS
12
Like George H.W. Bush, but not George W. Bush : ONETERM
13
Starters' followers : ENTREES
14
Businesses whose employees work standing up : SALONS
15
Carry in : BRING
16
"Chiseled" features : ABS
17
Destiny in life : LOT
18
Hippocratic oath followers, for short : DRS
21
"Stop! That hurts!" : OWOW
24
Car financing figs. : APRS
29
List shortener : ETC
32
"Hidden Figures" co-star Janelle : MONAE
34
Breathable fabric used in mosquito nets : VOILE
35
___ child : INNER
36
What a bad student might play : HOOKY
37
Menzel of Broadway : IDINA
38
Guitar string material : NYLON
39
Fish traditionally in the British dish "pie and mash" : EELS
41
What kitsch exhibits : BADTASTE
46
___ Lama : DALAI
47
Part of a bedtime routine : STORY
49
Healthy, fiber-rich snack : DATEBAR
50
Where some bills originate : ATMS
51
Former transportation secretary Elaine : CHAO
52
Chinese competitor of Amazon : TEMU
54
Loses freshness : STALES
56
"In that case ..." : IFSO
57
Grp. that Sweden joined in 2024 : NATO
59
Vegas : SINCITY
60
Sensation : SMASH
61
Removes from the top of one's profile, as an Instagram post : UNPINS
62
Hearts or spades, but not diamonds : CARDGAME
68
......... : DOTS
69
Classic Orson Welles protagonist : KANE
70
Ameliorates : EASES
71
Via : USING
72
Feature of undermixed batter : LUMP
73
Greek god whose name becomes a flower if you move the first letter to the end : EROS
74
Golden Globe nominee Rooney : MARA
79
"V," to a violinist : UPBOW
80
Padmé Amidala's home planet in "Star Wars" : NABOO
81
"If only!" : IWISH
82
Steel girder : IBEAM
83
Bête ___ : NOIRE
84
Images that can rip off human creators, perhaps : AIART
85
Pretzel topper : SALT
90
Trees with heart-shaped leaves : REDBUDS
91
Creature, cutesily : BEASTIE
93
Candies that crack with a crunch : TOFFEES
95
Last of the 13 original colonies to be founded : GEORGIA
97
Some lawn ornaments : GNOMES
98
Part of E.N.T. : EAR
100
Kicked oneself for : RUED
101
Prettifies : ADORNS
102
500 mg 2x/day, e.g. : DOSAGE
104
Source of a natural sweetener : AGAVE
105
Last name shared by three actors on "Schitt's Creek" : LEVY
106
Russian denials : NYETS
111
The Panthers of the A.C.C. : PITT
113
Midwest city whose name becomes a Southwest city if you move the first letter to the end : AMES
114
Not around, informally : MIA
115
Hirt and Hirschfeld : ALS
116
Día de ___ Reyes Magos : LOS
117
They're often depicted with green skin, for short : ETS
119
Something much needed after an all-nighter : NAP
120
Today preceder : USA
121
Leave speechless : AWE

Answer summary:
11 unique to this puzzle.

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