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New York Times, Thursday, January 8, 2026

Author:
Mallory Montgomery and Zhou Zhang
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
Cars with retractable roofs
TotalDebutCollabs
11/8/20261
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
0000100
ScrabDebutFlowFresh
1.70527.127%
Mallory Montgomery
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
47/6/20251/8/20262
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
1101100
RebusCircleScrabDebutFlowFresh
111.731427.123%
Zhou Zhang

This puzzle:

Rows: 15, Columns: 14 Words: 75, Blocks: 34 Missing: {JQW} Spans: 1 This is the debut puzzle for Ms. Montgomery. This is puzzle # 4 for Ms. Zhang. Grid flow: 27.1 Thursday freshness: 18%
Constructor notes:
Mallory: I couldn't ask for a better NYT debut than this one, shared with Zhou. We've worked through dozens of absolutely ... read more
Jim Horne notes:

Thanks to GRADE INFLATION:

  • HIGH FIVE → HIGH DIVE
  • DROP TOPS → CROP TOPS
  • OVERCOOK → OVERBOOK
  • A LISTERS → BLISTERS
1
B
2
E
3
L
4
A
5
B
6
C
7
S
8
A
9
R
10
B
11
U
12
S
13
A
M
A
14
D
R
I
P
15
Y
O
I
N
K
16
H
I
G
17
H
D
I
V
E
18
P
O
N
Z
I
19
T
R
U
E
20
T
I
A
21
N
A
22
G
I
N
23
N
A
24
E
25
C
R
O
P
26
T
O
P
S
27
T
28
H
I
R
D
29
S
30
V
I
E
31
O
A
T
32
G
E
33
N
34
I
E
35
A
36
F
37
R
38
O
39
G
R
A
40
D
E
I
N
F
L
41
A
T
I
O
N
42
A
P
S
E
43
Z
E
S
T
Y
44
F
S
U
45
A
46
X
E
47
Y
E
48
N
T
A
S
49
O
50
V
51
E
R
B
O
52
O
53
K
54
S
A
Y
55
A
I
L
56
O
N
S
E
57
T
58
S
C
59
O
60
T
61
K
O
T
62
E
X
63
A
L
I
64
S
T
E
R
S
65
E
L
O
T
E
66
G
L
E
E
67
N
C
O
68
N
A
N
A
S
69
E
Y
R
E
70
T
A
S
© 2026, The New York Times1/8/26 ( No. 27,820 )
Across
1
___ canto : BEL
4
Lessons that might be spelled out for you? : ABCS
8
Photographer Diane : ARBUS
13
Wide-open Q&A : AMA
14
Coffee option : DRIP
15
Snatching sound, in the comics : YOINK
16
Nonverbal "well done" : HIGHDIVE
18
Well-known scheme designer : PONZI
19
One of the two Boolean values, in programming : TRUE
20
Disney princess whose name is one letter off from a common princess accessory : TIANA
22
Gimlet base : GIN
23
Dundee dissent : NAE
25
Cars with retractable roofs : CROPTOPS
27
What Neapolitan ice cream is divided into : THIRDS
30
Compete (for) : VIE
31
Bit in a breakfast bowl : OAT
32
Benefactor with a limited number of grants? : GENIE
35
Symbol of the "Black is beautiful" movement : AFRO
39
College concern seen in 16-, 25-, 49- and 63-Across? : GRADEINFLATION
42
Cathedral recess : APSE
43
Full of zing : ZESTY
44
Tallahassee sch. : FSU
45
Get rid of : AXE
47
Tea traders? : YENTAS
49
Accidentally burn, perhaps : OVERBOOK
54
Influential power : SAY
55
Feel under the weather : AIL
56
It's a start! : ONSET
58
___-free : SCOT
61
Brand in the feminine care aisle : KOTEX
63
Results of wearing some uncomfortable shoes : ALISTERS
65
Mexican street food typically served with cheese, chili and lime : ELOTE
66
Hit TV series set at the fictional William McKinley High School : GLEE
67
Cpl. or sgt. : NCO
68
Grannies : NANAS
69
Fictional lover of Rochester : EYRE
70
Many Ph.D.s-to-be, for short : TAS
Down
1
Bangkok currency : BAHT
2
Doha dignitary : EMIR
3
Heineken subsidiary whose name means "small bodies of water" : LAGUNITAS
4
Go on, in dialogue : ADD
5
One who eats crisps and uses a loo : BRIT
6
Kind of duty : CIVIC
7
Stab, in a way : SPEAR
8
Spanish exclamation akin to "Oh, baby!" : AYPAPI
9
Small hopper in the Hundred Acre Wood : ROO
10
"Spot on!" : BINGO
11
Open, as a fanny pack : UNZIP
12
Scrapes : SKINS
17
Get wind of : HEAR
21
Knickknack : NOVELTY
24
"We stand today on the ___ of a new frontier": John F. Kennedy, 7/15/1960 : EDGE
26
Nursing spot : TEAT
27
Attire for a fraternity party, maybe : TOGA
28
Instrument originating in ancient Sumer : HARP
29
Jump at, as an opportunity : SEIZEON
33
Opposite of SSW : NNE
34
Maybes : IFS
36
"In da Club" rapper : FIFTYCENT
37
Parks in history : ROSA
38
Albatross, so to speak : ONUS
40
Beloved : DEAR
41
Thumbs-up votes : AYES
46
PlayStation alternatives : XBOXES
48
So-called "father of the American cartoon" : NAST
49
Like the Coronation Chair in Westminster Abbey : OAKEN
50
It takes a bow in a concert hall : VIOLA
51
Sir ___ Hercules John : ELTON
52
Indigenous people at the center of 2023's "Killers of the Flower Moon" : OSAGE
53
___ green : KELLY
57
Layer : TIER
59
Sea creature that can weigh 400 pounds at birth : ORCA
60
Possessive of a Chinese menu? : TSOS
62
Zeta follower : ETA
64
Go on dates with : SEE

Answer summary:
5 unique to this puzzle.

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