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New York Times, Thursday, January 15, 2026

Author:
Wendy L. Brandes and Barbara Lin
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
*Evening spent playing with the kids, say
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
512/25/20201/15/20263
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
0020111
CircleScrabDebutFlowFresh
21.582140.964%
Wendy L. Brandes
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
181/23/20201/15/20263
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
1233513
RebusCircleScrabDebutFlowFresh
121.619237.650%
Barbara Lin

This puzzle:

Rows: 15, Columns: 16 Words: 85, Blocks: 38 Missing: {JQX} Spans: 2 This is puzzle # 5 for Ms. Brandes. This is puzzle # 18 for Ms. Lin. Grid flow: 13.0 Thursday freshness: 2%
Jim Horne notes:

Three "confirmation" words (YES, AYE, AMEN) are on the bias (i.e., diagonal.) Follow them up and down to match the clues.

1
M
2
O
3
O
4
S
5
S
6
W
7
E
8
A
9
T
10
G
11
R
12
E
13
C
14
O
15
A
N
N
A
16
S
E
N
S
E
17
A
I
M
E
D
18
S
E
E
K
19
A
N
D
Y
H
A
20
L
L
F
I
N
D
21
A
N
I
S
E
22
G
A
Y
23
U
L
T
R
A
S
24
L
I
L
25
R
26
B
I
27
I
C
E
S
28
A
L
L
29
D
A
V
E
30
R
31
Y
D
A
Y
32
T
33
S
34
A
35
Y
T
D
36
E
O
N
S
37
S
E
N
D
38
I
39
R
40
E
N
E
41
F
I
D
O
42
K
E
E
L
S
43
N
O
T
E
44
C
A
K
E
45
A
R
M
46
C
D
S
47
F
A
M
I
L
48
Y
G
A
I
49
G
50
H
51
T
52
G
A
P
E
53
A
O
K
54
O
U
I
55
S
56
N
57
O
O
Z
E
58
C
59
E
L
60
E
61
A
T
M
E
62
C
O
N
F
I
R
63
M
A
T
I
64
O
N
B
I
A
S
65
A
N
T
O
N
66
A
F
T
E
R
67
U
M
N
O
68
R
E
O
R
G
69
T
E
A
S
E
70
T
E
E
N
© 2026, The New York Times1/15/26 ( No. 27,827 )
Across
1
Cattle calls : MOOS
5
Visible sign of hard work : SWEAT
10
El ___ (precursor of the Expressionists) : GRECO
15
Novelist Quindlen who wrote "One True Thing" : ANNA
16
One of five ... or maybe six? : SENSE
17
Like darts : AIMED
18
*Oft-quoted advice in Matthew 7:7 : SEEKANDYESHALLFIND
21
Herb related to parsley : ANISE
22
Part of L.G.B.T.Q. : GAY
23
Races longer than marathons, informally : ULTRAS
24
First name in rap? : LIL
25
Stat for Aaron Judge : RBI
27
Puts the finishing touches on, in a way : ICES
28
*24/7/365 : ALLDAYEVERYDAY
32
Some scanners, for short : TSA
35
Jan. 1 through today : YTD
36
Oodles of time : EONS
37
Elate : SEND
38
Nobelist Joliot-Curie who synthesized radioactive isotopes : IRENE
41
Stereotypical dog : FIDO
42
Bases of shipbuilding : KEELS
43
Sol, but not Luna : NOTE
44
Word with sponge or fish : CAKE
45
Quarterback's asset : ARM
46
Shiny little platters : CDS
47
*Evening spent playing with the kids, say : FAMILYGAMENIGHT
52
Stare in astonishment : GAPE
53
Just peachy : AOK
54
Possible response to "Tu veux du chocolat?" : OUI
55
Idiomatic partner of "lose" : SNOOZE
58
Disney still : CEL
60
Directive written in currants in "Alice in Wonderland" : EATME
62
Tendency to reinforce one's established beliefs ... or a hint to answering this puzzle's starred clues : CONFIRMATIONBIAS
65
Playwright Chekhov : ANTON
66
Following : AFTER
67
"Sorry ... hard pass" : UMNO
68
Corporate musical chairs, for short : REORG
69
Rib : TEASE
70
Quinceañera celebrant, e.g. : TEEN
Down
1
Indian spice blend : MASALA
2
Low soccer score : ONENIL
3
Food writer Molly : ONEILL
4
Fifth Avenue store : SAKS
5
W-9 fig. : SSN
6
One method of sibling torture : WEDGIE
7
Oscar-nominated singer/songwriter for "May It Be" (2001) : ENYA
8
Like a used firepit : ASHY
9
What might give you a brewed awakening? : TEA
10
Narrow kitchen : GALLEY
11
Results of feuds : RIFTS
12
Title for any male in the House of Saud : EMIR
13
Actor John who has granted more than 650 wishes for the Make-A-Wish Foundation : CENA
14
Sportsbook calculation : ODDS
19
Make bubbly : AERATE
20
Created Yoda, he did : LUCAS
26
Brief letters? : BVD
27
Fig. on a driver's license : IDNO
29
Unit of force : DYNE
30
Energy-healing practice : REIKI
31
Fluctuate between normal singing and falsetto : YODEL
32
Bit of concert merch : TEE
33
Show that celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2025, in brief : SNL
34
About a third of an N.F.L. broadcast : ADS
37
Highway behemoth : SEMI
38
Fortune competitor : INC
39
5.5 yards : ROD
40
Subject of astrobiology, in brief : ETS
41
Star quality : FAME
42
Seattle N.H.L. team : KRAKEN
44
April fool, e.g. : CAPER
45
Sixth word of the Gettysburg Address : AGO
47
Throwing for a loop : FAZING
48
Bulldog supporters : YALIES
49
The moment of truth : GOTIME
50
"The greatness of humanity is not in being human, but in being ___": Mahatma Gandhi : HUMANE
51
Dons, as an apron : TIESON
52
Really try to get : GOFOR
55
C-section reminder : SCAR
56
Nada : NONE
57
Not fooled by : ONTO
58
Where the coffee and Wi-Fi might both be strong : CAFE
59
"At Last" singer James : ETTA
61
Adjoin : ABUT
63
Place to strike a pose? : MAT
64
Seam contents : ORE

Answer summary:
3 unique to this puzzle.

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