This web browser is not supported. Use Chrome, Edge, Safari, or Firefox for best results.

In Play

New York Times, Sunday, January 1, 2023

Author:
Adam Wagner, Michael Lieberman and Rafael Musa
Editor:
Will Shortz
14-Down : Precursors to finals
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
194/20/20212/19/20244
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
6151600
RebusCircleScrabbleFresh
281.6459%
Adam Wagner
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
223/1/20214/14/20244
SunMonTueWedThuFriSatVariety
44312107
CircleScrabblePGramFresh
21.64138%
Michael Lieberman
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
1110/21/20222/24/20247
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
4000061
CircleScrabbleFresh
11.5271%
Rafael Musa

This puzzle:

Rows: 21, Columns: 21 Words: 140, Blocks: 71 Missing: {Q} This is puzzle # 12 for Mr. Wagner. This is puzzle # 15 for Mr. Lieberman. This is puzzle # 2 for Mr. Musa. Sunday freshness: 4%
Will Shortz notes:
Adam Wagner, of Oakland, Calif., is a creative lead at Patreon, the crowdfunding site for content creators. Michael Lieberman is an attorney in Washington, D.C. Rafael Musa, of San ... read more
Constructor notes:
RAFA: It's a huge honor to share a byline with two besties and crossword idols for what is undoubtedly the best NYT puzzle of 2023 so far! Three things: 16D is very apt Pour one ... read more
Jeff Chen notes:
Paired literalisms, a solid phrase describing a word spread out within another solid phrase. Some neat finds, especially FRIENDS IN HIGH PLACES cluing MATES, which is contained within M ... read more
Jim Horne notes:
We haven't done this in a while, and I know many find these notes annoying, but for the few who like to learn this stuff, It's time once again to play Fun with the Finder™. Jeff ... read more
1
T
2
R
3
E
4
E
5
J
6
A
7
P
8
A
9
N
10
S
11
P
12
A
13
M
14
S
15
A
16
C
17
T
18
S
19
Y
E
N
S
20
A
I
O
L
I
21
A
E
R
I
E
22
L
O
I
N
23
R
E
C
T
24
A
N
G
U
L
A
25
R
P
R
I
S
M
26
E
L
M
O
27
A
L
E
R
T
28
R
E
L
O
29
S
I
30
M
P
L
E
R
31
L
O
V
32
E
33
W
I
L
L
T
34
E
35
A
36
R
U
S
A
P
A
R
T
37
D
38
R
A
G
39
N
O
T
E
40
D
O
E
S
41
C
O
B
42
A
I
D
E
43
T
W
O
44
S
45
W
I
N
G
A
46
T
47
O
48
P
49
A
50
M
O
U
N
51
T
A
I
N
52
S
T
A
T
E
S
53
O
54
U
55
T
R
U
N
56
E
T
S
57
H
I
E
58
P
A
R
59
F
I
N
E
A
R
T
60
T
E
L
61
D
O
C
T
62
O
63
R
64
D
O
L
I
T
T
L
E
65
A
66
X
67
I
O
M
68
T
O
O
K
69
Z
E
R
O
70
C
R
E
S
S
71
G
E
T
B
A
72
C
K
I
N
S
73
H
A
P
E
74
G
O
A
75
I
N
S
I
G
H
T
76
E
R
R
77
S
U
R
78
P
79
A
80
T
81
L
O
N
N
I
E
82
B
83
R
84
E
A
K
O
85
U
T
I
N
86
S
O
N
G
87
E
N
O
88
M
89
A
N
U
A
L
S
90
N
A
N
91
A
S
T
I
92
B
93
B
94
S
95
L
A
I
C
96
S
O
L
E
97
L
E
I
F
98
F
99
R
I
E
N
100
D
S
I
N
H
101
I
102
G
H
P
L
A
103
C
E
S
104
L
E
G
R
O
O
M
105
S
U
R
E
106
D
I
N
107
A
108
R
109
U
R
G
E
110
P
I
111
C
112
T
113
U
R
E
I
N
114
P
115
I
C
T
U
R
E
116
B
A
I
T
117
E
T
H
O
S
118
S
N
E
E
R
119
E
D
E
N
120
S
N
E
S
121
S
H
I
N
E
122
S
E
D
G
E
123
M
E
A
T
© 2023, The New York Times1/1/23 ( No. 26,717 )
Across
1
Image on the flag of Oakland, Calif., appropriately : TREE
5
Country whose capital is an anagram of its former capital : JAPAN
10
Sends 10 texts in a row to, say : SPAMS
15
Stage partitions? : ACTS
19
Achings : YENS
20
Basic Mediterranean sauce : AIOLI
21
Eagles' home : AERIE
22
Pork cut : LOIN
23
Stick of butter, geometrically : RECTANGULARPRISM
26
Sesame Street resident who refers to himself in the third person : ELMO
27
Attentive : ALERT
28
Change of scenery, in real estate lingo : RELO
29
Less involved : SIMPLER
31
Seminal 1980 hit by Joy Division : LOVEWILLTEARUSAPART
37
Attire for some queens : DRAG
39
Subtle flavor, to a wine taster : NOTE
40
Accomplishes : DOES
41
Barbecue discard : COB
42
White House staffer : AIDE
43
What a V-sign might indicate : TWO
44
Try to hit, as a piñata : SWINGAT
47
___-Locka, Fla. : OPA
50
Colorado, Idaho and Wyoming, among others : MOUNTAINSTATES
53
Lap, maybe : OUTRUN
56
Visitors from afar, in brief : ETS
57
Hurry, quaintly : HIE
58
A matter of course? : PAR
59
Works in a gallery : FINEART
60
___ Aviv : TEL
61
Hit 1998 Eddie Murphy comedy based on books by Hugh Lofting : DOCTORDOLITTLE
65
"An empty set exists," e.g. : AXIOM
68
Stole : TOOK
69
It lacks value : ZERO
70
Leafy salad green : CRESS
71
Recommit to one's fitness … or what 23-Across depicts literally : GETBACKINSHAPE
74
State south of Mumbai : GOA
75
Perception : INSIGHT
76
Goof : ERR
77
South, in much of South America : SUR
78
Light touch : PAT
81
Nickname that's an anagram of ONLINE : LONNIE
82
What characters in musicals often do … or what 31-Across depicts literally : BREAKOUTINSONG
87
"Discreet Music" musician Brian : ENO
88
Cars with clutches : MANUALS
90
Photographer Goldin : NAN
91
Prosecco cousin : ASTI
92
Big shots they are not : BBS
95
Secular : LAIC
96
It's just under a foot : SOLE
97
Explorer Ericson : LEIF
98
Useful people to know … or what 50-Across depicts literally : FRIENDSINHIGHPLACES
104
What an economy seat is usually short on : LEGROOM
105
"Oh, why not?!" : SURE
106
Kuwaiti currency : DINAR
109
Beseech : URGE
110
Screen feature that facilitates multitasking … or what 61-Across depicts literally : PICTUREINPICTURE
116
Food that's easy to get hooked on? : BAIT
117
Group character : ETHOS
118
Mocking smile : SNEER
119
The "garden" in Bosch's "The Garden of Earthly Delights" : EDEN
120
Old video game console inits. : SNES
121
Excel : SHINE
122
Swamp plant : SEDGE
123
Lamb, for one : MEAT
Down
1
Banks on TV : TYRA
2
Lively dance : REEL
3
Moon of Saturn found to have a potentially habitable ocean : ENCELADUS
4
Component of some hormone therapy : ESTROGEN
5
National Blood Donor Mo. : JAN
6
Big inits. in insurance : AIG
7
Work enthusiastically and energetically : POURITON
8
Genetic variant : ALLELE
9
Singer Horan of the boy band One Direction : NIALL
10
Part of a woodpecker's diet : SAP
11
/ : PER
12
Perfume line by pop star Grande : ARI
13
Beauty pageant since 1952 : MISSUSA
14
Precursors to finals : SEMIS
15
Mideast city with an eponymous pepper : ALEPPO
16
Share a byline, maybe : COLLABORATE
17
Part of a stove : TIMER
18
[That is SO funny!] : SNORT
24
Off-road option, for short : ATV
25
Spoil : ROT
30
___ Pro (tech product) : MAC
32
Require : ENTAIL
33
"Holy moly!" : WOWIE
34
Button added to Twitter in 2022 : EDIT
35
Primo : AONE
36
Govt. agency rules : REGS
37
Title for food writer Mary Berry : DAME
38
Hilarious sort : RIOT
44
Library section : STACKS
45
Imperfection, metaphorically : WART
46
Labor : TOIL
48
Makes certain knitting stitches : PURLS
49
Before: Sp. : ANTES
51
Group of gift-givers : THEMAGI
52
Cuddle amorously, in a way : SPOON
54
Magical creature associated with rainbows : UNICORN
55
Tri- one more time? : TETRA
59
Rock's ___ Fighters : FOO
60
Soccer star ___ Heath : TOBIN
61
Enthusiastic affirmative : DOI
62
Region encompassing most of the Arkansas/Missouri border : OZARKS
63
Copy, in brief : REPRO
64
Rap mogul, familiarly : DRE
65
Quick and nimble : AGILE
66
Noble gas used in some lasers : XENON
67
"All good" : ITSNOBIGGIE
68
B'way purchase : TKT
72
STEM subject that rhymes with "stem" : CHEM
73
Recover : HEAL
74
___ pig : GUINEA
77
Buy time : STALL
78
Barely sits still? : POSESNUDE
79
No pro : ANTI
80
"Weekend, here I come!" : TGIF
82
___ mitzvah (Jewish ceremony for multiple people) : BNAI
83
Flatten, say : RUIN
84
A pop : EACH
85
Having an intact tamper seal, say : UNOPENED
86
One might move fast in stores : SALEITEM
89
Loser to Herbert Hoover in 1928 : ALSMITH
93
Parts of some military uniforms : BERETS
94
___-Caps (candy) : SNO
96
Holy place : SHRINE
98
Goofs : FLUBS
99
Aired anew : RERAN
100
Uses performance-enhancing drugs : DOPES
101
Egypt neighbor: Abbr. : ISR
102
Say "…, say," say : GUESS
103
Agcy. that advises against eating raw cookie dough : CDC
107
___ man (frequent subject in The Onion) : AREA
108
Monopoly payment : RENT
111
Home of more than one M.L.B. team : CHI
112
Whole lot : TON
113
Bring into play : USE
114
Cribbage marker : PEG
115
Anger : IRE

Answer summary:
8 unique to this puzzle.

Found bugs or have suggestions? Please let us know.

Like this puzzle? Please share this page on social media to help spread the word about XWord Info. Thanks!

XWord Info Home
XWord Info © 2007-2024, Jim Horne
132 ms