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New York Times, Saturday, March 14, 2026

Author:
Kameron Austin Collins
Editor:
Will Shortz
Inner tube?
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
266/6/20143/14/20262
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
00001718
ScrabDebutFlowFresh
1.5818644.489%
Kameron Austin Collins

This puzzle:

Rows: 15, Columns: 15 Words: 70, Blocks: 34 Missing: {JQVXZ} This is puzzle # 26 for Mr. Collins. Grid flow: 48.6 Saturday freshness: 39%
1
B
2
R
3
A
4
Y
5
W
6
H
7
I
8
G
9
R
10
E
11
C
12
U
13
R
14
L
O
C
A
15
L
H
E
R
O
16
A
G
A
P
E
17
T
W
O
H
E
A
D
E
D
18
G
O
T
T
A
19
B
L
O
T
T
Y
20
F
21
S
U
22
H
U
D
23
T
O
Y
O
T
A
24
T
E
E
25
O
A
R
S
26
B
A
T
S
27
B
28
R
E
A
S
29
T
P
I
N
30
A
T
E
31
M
O
O
N
R
A
K
E
R
32
P
A
U
L
S
I
M
O
N
33
B
E
L
T
L
I
N
E
S
34
B
35
F
36
F
37
P
O
L
L
I
W
O
G
S
38
S
O
U
R
39
T
R
O
T
40
S
I
N
41
T
42
U
N
D
R
A
43
W
O
K
44
E
M
T
45
A
R
R
A
Y
S
46
I
N
T
47
O
W
48
H
49
O
T
E
L
P
O
O
50
L
51
S
T
O
R
E
52
I
N
T
E
S
T
I
N
E
53
T
O
K
E
S
54
T
E
A
T
55
O
L
A
Y
© 2026, The New York Times3/14/26 ( No. 27,885 )
Across
1
Behave like an ass : BRAY
5
18th-century British P.M. William Pitt, e.g. : WHIG
9
Come back : RECUR
14
Recipient of a key to the city, say : LOCALHERO
16
Shocked ... shocked! : AGAPE
17
Like Thunderdell, the monster slain by Jack the Giant Killer : TWOHEADED
18
Des'ree's "You ___ Be" : GOTTA
19
Mottled : BLOTTY
20
Sch. whose symbol is the Native American war leader Osceola : FSU
22
Title role for Paul Newman, 1963 : HUD
23
41-Across maker : TOYOTA
24
Top option : TEE
25
Sporting blades : OARS
26
Flutters : BATS
27
Jewelry that may double as a fastener : BREASTPIN
30
"Aliens ___ My Homework," children's comedy/sci-fi book by Bruce Coville : ATE
31
007 feature of 1979 : MOONRAKER
32
Writer of the 1969 hit "The Boxer" : PAULSIMON
33
Hip places? : BELTLINES
34
Bosom buddy : BFF
37
They croak as soon as they grow up : POLLIWOGS
38
Go bad : SOUR
39
Easy gait : TROT
40
"Some rise by ___, and some by virtue fall": Shak. : SIN
41
23-Across debut of 1999 : TUNDRA
43
Deep-frying vessel : WOK
44
Many an "SVU" extra : EMT
45
Displays with variety : ARRAYS
46
Following closely behind : INTOW
48
Where travelers might take the plunge on vacation : HOTELPOOL
51
Keep : STORE
52
Inner tube? : INTESTINE
53
Takes a hit : TOKES
54
Baby bottle component : TEAT
55
U Beauty competitor : OLAY
Down
1
Counter order : BLT
2
Subject of outdoor paintings by Renoir, Monet and Homer : ROWBOAT
3
Follower : ACOLYTE
4
Vulgarians : YAHOOS
5
Some deflections for argument's sake : WHATABOUTISM
6
"Bombshell: The ___ Lamarr Story" (2017 documentary) : HEDY
7
Hotness : IRE
8
Really, really believing : GODFEARING
9
Classic meat sauce : RAGU
10
Freudian origin of defense mechanisms : EGO
11
Strands from the litter? : CATHAIR
12
Rise on the market : UPTURN
13
Auditions : READS
15
Latvian, old-style : LETT
21
Noted series with over 200 Emmys ... and an Oscar : SESAMESTREET
23
Letters for those awaiting specifics : TBA
24
Something cut or defused : TENSION
25
Ready for business : OPEN
28
Just go along : ROLLWITHIT
29
Ring stats : TKOS
31
Promenade : MALL
32
Tanning target : PELT
33
Social media community for avid readers : BOOKTOK
34
Shimmering substance in the skin-care aisle : BODYOIL
35
Animal identity in role play : FURSONA
36
Title for a holy person : FRA
37
Lickety-split : PRONTO
38
Become suddenly awake and focused : SNAPTO
39
Distort : TWIST
42
Address strings : URLS
44
Farm females : EWES
45
Flour used to make paratha : ATTA
47
Raw material : ORE
49
All together : ONE
50
Law of La Mancha : LEY

Answer summary:
4 unique to this puzzle, 4 unique to Modern Era but used previously.

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