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New York Times, Friday, May 22, 2026

Author:
Gene Louise De Vera
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
Qualifier to an embarrassing question
TotalDebutLatest
64/29/20255/22/2026
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
1010112
ScrabDebutFlowFresh
1.653961.278%
Gene Louise De Vera

This puzzle:

Rows: 15, Columns: 16 Words: 75, Blocks: 32 Missing: {JQXZ} Spans: 5, (1 double stack) Puzzle has duplicate clues. This is puzzle # 6 for Mr. De Vera. Grid flow: 82.8 Friday freshness: 36%
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K
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© 2026, The New York Times5/22/26 ( No. 27,954 )
Across
1
Guns, so to speak : BICEPS
7
Prefix with American : MESO
11
Charcuterie spread : BRIE
15
Footnote phrase : ETALII
16
Sherwood, e.g. : OAKFOREST
18
Qualifier to an embarrassing question : ASKINGFORAFRIEND
20
Location for some osteoarthritis : KNEE
21
___-Saint-Michel (French commune on a tidal island) : MONT
22
Saps : DOLTS
23
Sign of desperation : SOS
24
Consider as one's residence : CALLHOME
27
Mrs. Addams, to Mr. Addams : TISH
29
Val who played Iceman in "Top Gun" : KILMER
30
Guimarães greeting : OLA
33
"Neato!" : OHCOOL
35
"Brooklyn Nine-Nine" character ___ Linetti : GINA
36
Genre for Blackpink and Twice : KPOP
37
Counteract negativity using lavish generosity : KILLWITHKINDNESS
40
Former boy band with the members Harry, Liam, Louis, Niall and Zayn, familiarly : ONED
41
Bit of marginalia : NOTE
42
Dealt with : SEENTO
43
Weight plate units: Abbr. : KGS
44
Place to get "pawmpered," say : PETSPA
46
Case for military police : AWOL
47
Like the Millennium Problems of the Clay Mathematics Institute : UNSOLVED
49
Suffix with peace but not war : FUL
51
Philosopher William of ___ : OCCAM
55
Product for manscaping : NAIR
56
Assuming that : IFSO
57
More sizzle than steak : ALLBARKANDNOBITE
61
Infamous chess trap that ends the game in two moves : FOOLSMATE
62
Contents of a kitchen rack : SPICES
63
Bump on a lid : STYE
64
Thin board : SLAT
65
What some streakers are charged with? : TASERS
Down
1
Woodpeckers' peckers : BEAKS
2
"Really, my pleasure" : ITSNOTHING
3
"Sticky" birthday treats? : CAKESICLES
4
Tahari or Saab of fashion : ELIE
5
Blame (on) : PIN
6
Symbol used in summation : SIGMA
7
Classical piece said to be the inspiration for Chopin's "Fantaisie-Impromptu" : MOONLIGHTSONATA
8
Kepler-22b or Kepler-186f, e.g. : EARTHLIKEPLANET
9
Calypso cousin : SKA
10
Flat, say : OFF
11
Zest : BRIO
12
Highlight ___ : REEL
13
___ fussy (can be very flexible) : ISNT
14
Some airport data, in brief : ETDS
17
Carnivora or Lagomorpha : ORDER
19
Word with rock or medicine : FOLK
24
When doubled, a fluffy Chinese dog : CHOW
25
Hilton competitor : OMNI
26
Is : MEANS
28
Went (for) : SOLD
30
Workplace with few barriers : OPENOFFICE
31
Became tarnished : LOSTLUSTER
32
Lhasa ___ : APSO
33
"I heard you the first time! Geez!" : OKOK
34
Wrapping material in mummification : LINEN
36
Had no doubt : KNEW
38
Deep-fried side dish, familiarly : TOTS
39
Unexciting, as a party : DEAD
44
Catamounts : PUMAS
45
Like some readers : AVID
48
Young's partner in accounting : ERNST
50
Rich soil deposit : LOESS
51
Saps : OAFS
52
Stop the bleeding, say : CLOT
53
Sicken with sweetness : CLOY
54
Fit : ABLE
56
Sacred bird to the Egyptians : IBIS
58
Info on Zillow: Abbr. : RMS
59
___-El (Superman) : KAL
60
Shout at a Greek wedding : OPA

Answer summary:
7 unique to this puzzle, 1 unique to Modern Era but used previously.

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