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Base Pairs

New York Times, Sunday, January 4, 2026

Author:
Gene Louise De Vera
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
He scattered his brother's remains across the land and usurped his throne
TotalDebutLatest
54/29/20251/4/2026
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
1010102
ScrabDebutFlowFresh
1.653156.979%
Gene Louise De Vera

This puzzle:

Rows: 21, Columns: 21 Words: 136, Blocks: 78 Missing: {QXZ} Grid has repeated answers. This is puzzle # 5 for Mr. De Vera. Grid flow: 42.4 Sunday freshness: 95%
Will Shortz notes:
Gene Louise De Vera is a data scientist in Quezon City, Philippines. One night when he couldn't sleep he was browsing the internet and stumbled on a crossword — which he liked. Soon, he ... read more
Jim Horne notes:
At 13-Down, Set (also spelled Seth, Sutekh, Setekh) is an ancient Egyptian god, most famous for murdering his brother Osiris. Role in myth: Set is Osiris's brother and ... read more
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© 2026, The New York Times1/4/26 ( No. 27,816 )
Across
1
It protects the heart : RIBCAGE
8
Egyptian god of the underworld : OSIRIS
14
Dr.'s order? : AMA
17
Substances found in cured meats and explosives : NITRATES
18
Theme park with attractions like The Count's Splash Castle and Oscar's Rusty Rotten Rockets : SESAMEPLACE
21
High marks : APLUSSES
22
"That's enough bickering!" : STOPITYOUTWO
24
Valletta's land : MALTA
25
Sci-fi protagonist who says "I don't like the idea that I'm not in control of my life" : NEO
27
Max's opposite : MIN
28
Morpheus, to 25-Across : MENTOR
29
Good ol' boy : BUBBA
31
Actor Thomas ___ Church : HADEN
34
Stares stupidly : GAWKS
35
General who crossed the Rubicon : CAESAR
37
Snubs : IGNORES
39
Ultimate end, to Aristotle : TELOS
40
TV E.T. : ALF
41
Secondary list of options : SUBMENU
43
___ Veronese, "The Wedding at Cana" painter : PAOLO
45
Queen ___ Land (region of Antarctica claimed by Norway) : MAUD
47
Classification that anyone can donate to : TYPEAB
48
Got off : ALIT
49
With warts and all : ASIS
53
Pesto ingredients : PINENUTS
55
Made less angry now : PLACATED
58
Ozone no-no, for short : CFC
59
The dash in many an emoticon : NOSE
60
It's a "tyrannical discipline," said Sylvia Plath : POETRY
61
Titular role in a 2024 Disney prequel : MUFASA
63
Derived from gold : AURIC
66
Steals, informally : FILCHES
67
Something a bug produces : ERROR
68
Certain Army noncom : SGTMAJ
70
Points to a church? : SPIRES
71
What the 7 may mean in 7/11 : JULY
73
Brewed beverage : ALE
74
Perseveres : PUSHESON
76
Certain drink + what that drink has a lot of = women's lifestyle website : POPSUGAR
80
"Horsefeathers!" : PISH
82
"Fiddlesticks!" : DRAT
83
Combine using heat without melting, as particles : SINTER
85
Make a lot, say? : PAVE
86
Famed firefighter Red : ADAIR
88
"All right, but that's not my opinion" : SAYSYOU
90
L.A.P.D. unit? : LOS
91
The Lamb : JESUS
93
Devoted effort to looking attractive : PREENED
96
Leaning : ASLANT
98
Bandage brand : CURAD
99
Possessed, biblically : HADST
100
Word before winner or after Wonder : BREAD
101
Brick homes : ADOBES
103
Buffalo's home: Abbr. : NYS
104
"Sprechen ___ Deutsch?" : SIE
106
Eponym of element 96 : CURIE
109
They'll get there eventually : LATEBLOOMERS
113
Like the cultivation of land : AGRARIAN
115
Country whose border shape is the world's roundest : SIERRALEONE
116
Zero : GOOSEEGG
117
Co.'s $$$ head : CFO
118
Steal for ransom : KIDNAP
119
Whence the phrase "wear one's heart on one's sleeve" : OTHELLO
Down
1
Kelly of morning TV : RIPA
2
"Come on and let loose for a while!" : ITLLBEFUN
3
Name of Ohio State's buckeye mascot : BRUTUS
4
Wrinkly fruits : CASABAS
5
Parts of many online handles : ATS
6
Davis of "Thelma & Louise" : GEENA
7
"___ quam videri" (North Carolina's motto) : ESSE
8
1940s spy grp. : OSS
9
Ready ... or a word after ready : SET
10
Chemist's variant : ISOMER
11
Violent seizure, as of property : RAPINE
12
"Sign me up" : IMIN
13
He scattered his brother's remains across the land and usurped his throne : SET
14
Soothing goo : ALOEGEL
15
Hawaiian for "long mountain" : MAUNALOA
16
Intermission follower on Broadway : ACTTWO
17
War zone for Rambo, informally : NAM
19
Poe's "The Narrative of Arthur Gordon ___" : PYM
20
Wicket and Teebo of Endor, e.g. : EWOKS
23
Hosp. areas : ORS
26
"I'm flattered!" : OHGEE
30
Believing his friend and ally had too much power, he led a party of conspirators to put an end to him : BRUTUS
32
State capital that's closest to the U.S. Capitol : ANNAPOLIS
33
Like five Across answers by five Down answers in this puzzle, literally and figuratively : DOUBLECROSSED
35
Kids' summer getaway : CAMP
36
Kyrgyzstani mountain range : ALAI
37
Urchins : IMPS
38
Fans out : SPLAYS
39
Where idols go head-to-head? : TOTEM
42
Small part in a gig : BYTE
44
British isle : AIT
46
It's in your jeans : DENIM
48
Plot divisions : ACRES
50
Traumatize : SCAR
51
"Assuming that's true ..." : IFSO
52
He led his brother to his demise by endangering his nephew : SCAR
54
"Not gonna lie ..." : NOCAP
56
First enactors of democracy : ATHENIANS
57
Fencing contests : DUELS
60
Chemistry lab dropper : PIPET
62
Prepare quickly, as eggs for breakfast : FRYUP
63
Chop-chop : ASAP
64
Wrinkly fruit : UGLI
65
GPS lines: Abbr. : RTES
66
Programming language that's also a musical key : FSHARP
69
He sold out his master in exchange for silver : JUDAS
71
Baby in a pouch : JOEY
72
Pandemonium : UPROAR
75
Title for a guru : SRI
76
Survivor's affliction, for short : PTSD
77
Elf portrayed by Cate Blanchett in "The Fellowship of the Ring" : GALADRIEL
78
Big name in makeup : AVON
79
Music score squiggle : REST
81
Disagrees (with) : HASABEEF
84
Ixnays from Irkutsk : NYETS
87
Obnoxious fratty sort, colloquially : DUDEBRO
89
Possible scenario, to a coder : USECASE
91
2011 Lady Gaga hit : JUDAS
92
Steamy : EROTIC
94
Paired chips with dips? : RHYMED
95
Touch lightly, as a gas pedal : EASEON
97
Floral victory symbol : LAUREL
98
Lead-in to Tech : CAL
100
Spawned : BEGOT
102
Camera inits. : SLR
103
___ me tangere (Latin warning) : NOLI
105
Jafar's parrot in "Aladdin" : IAGO
107
Driven by envy toward his comrades, he fabricated events that led to their downfall : IAGO
108
Official lang. of Liberia : ENG
110
Acorn, in the future : OAK
111
Messenger ___ : RNA
112
Birth month of most Virgos: Abbr. : SEP
114
"Ruh-___!" (cry from Astro on "The Jetsons") : ROH

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

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