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Second in Command

New York Times, Sunday, November 23, 2025

Author:
Trenton Charlson
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
Billions and billions of boutique items?
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
394/26/201711/23/20251
SunMonTueWedThuFriSatVariety
412379121
RebusCircleScrabDebutFlowFresh
141.7216239.765%
Trenton Charlson

This puzzle:

Rows: 21, Columns: 21 Words: 134, Blocks: 78 Missing: none – this is a pangram. Puzzle has duplicate clues. This is puzzle # 39 for Mr. Charlson. Grid flow: 60.2 Sunday freshness: 47%
Will Shortz notes:
Trenton Charlson, of Columbus, Ohio, creates a daily online puzzle called Fliptogram. He's a longtime Scrabble aficionado and is currently the highest-rated tournament player in ... read more
Jim Horne notes:
Swap the first two letters of a word in a common phrase to match the clues. Do you sometimes confuse a cotillion dress with a debutante dress? Don't worry, XWord Info is here to help. A ... read more
1
E
2
L
3
O
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P
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E
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D
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H
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E
9
L
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D
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B
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A
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I
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T
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S
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O
N
A
D
A
T
E
17
A
M
E
N
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H
O
W
T
R
U
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E
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S
P
A
N
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S
H
R
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A
M
A
D
A
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E
X
O
T
I
C
A
23
G
A
M
G
E
E
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V
I
I
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S
E
E
K
26
A
C
T
27
T
R
O
U
28
O
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C
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T
I
L
L
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I
32
O
N
D
R
E
33
S
S
E
S
34
S
T
R
A
35
P
36
R
E
A
L
37
A
D
A
38
N
O
S
E
D
39
G
O
40
P
A
S
T
41
M
I
F
42
F
43
D
I
D
I
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A
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C
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M
E
T
O
T
H
E
47
R
48
E
S
C
U
E
49
P
A
C
E
R
50
I
R
A
51
E
S
E
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O
X
O
53
N
54
O
E
55
P
D
T
56
R
E
D
57
A
N
T
58
C
59
A
N
I
60
A
61
C
C
U
R
62
S
E
63
D
A
N
C
I
64
N
G
W
I
T
65
H
T
H
E
T
S
A
R
66
S
67
M
A
I
T
A
I
S
68
F
A
V
E
69
F
I
N
I
T
70
E
71
I
72
Z
E
73
E
S
P
74
J
E
W
75
C
A
M
76
O
Y
L
77
N
O
T
78
E
S
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E
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G
81
O
C
E
N
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T
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R
I
C
M
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O
D
E
L
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A
L
U
M
86
S
O
U
R
87
H
A
V
E
O
N
88
F
A
S
T
89
S
90
O
S
E
91
S
E
M
I
92
N
E
93
P
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A
95
L
96
L
E
S
S
E
97
R
98
O
F
T
W
99
O
V
E
I
L
100
S
101
L
O
C
O
102
A
S
A
103
M
A
R
Y
104
R
E
Y
105
T
106
R
I
S
H
A
107
S
Q
U
108
E
E
Z
E
109
U
110
N
C
L
E
111
A
112
R
P
O
T
I
O
N
113
H
U
D
D
L
E
S
114
S
E
A
T
115
H
E
A
V
E
T
O
116
E
S
S
E
S
117
B
A
S
E
118
I
N
T
E
R
S
© 2025, The New York Times11/23/25 ( No. 27,774 )
Across
1
Departed unceremoniously? : ELOPED
7
Contained : HELD
11
Tries to get a rise out of : BAITS
16
Seeing someone, say : ONADATE
17
"Couldn't agree more!" : AMEN
18
"Couldn't agree more!" : HOWTRUE
20
Certain vacation booking in Madrid? : SPANISHRAMADA
22
Things from a distant land : EXOTICA
23
Samwise ___, companion of Frodo Baggins : GAMGEE
24
Number of ancient kings in pre-Republic Rome : VII
25
Look for : SEEK
26
Play one's part? : ACT
27
Pants, in slang : TROU
28
Billions and billions of boutique items? : OCTILLIONDRESSES
34
One may keep a watch on you : STRAP
36
Honest-to-goodness : REAL
37
Programming pioneer Lovelace : ADA
38
Snooped (around) : NOSED
39
Exceed : GOPAST
41
Put out : MIFF
43
Actress Conn who played Frenchy in "Grease" : DIDI
44
What Wile E. Coyote thinks before his new purchase backfires? : ACMETOTHERESCUE
49
Indiana pro athlete : PACER
50
Nest egg inits. : IRA
51
Nashville-to-Asheville dir. : ESE
52
Big name in kitchenware : OXO
53
San Francisco's ___ Valley : NOE
55
Summer hours in L.A. : PDT
56
Tiny stinger : REDANT
58
"Pretty please?" : CANI
60
Bedamn : ACCURSE
63
Activity for a nimble-footed noble in Imperial Russia? : DANCINGWITHTHETSARS
67
Cocktails with curaçao : MAITAIS
68
#1, say : FAVE
69
Like the set of single-digit integers : FINITE
71
Suffix with 75-Down : IZE
73
Meeting of the minds? : ESP
74
Many a Yeshiva student : JEW
75
Kiss ___ : CAM
76
Olive of old cartoons : OYL
77
Little reminders : NOTES
79
Figure who might say "Look at me on the cover of all these fashion magazines!"? : EGOCENTRICMODEL
85
Many a university benefactor, informally : ALUM
86
Mouth-puckering : SOUR
87
Sport : HAVEON
88
Observes Ramadan, in a way : FASTS
90
Sugar suffix : OSE
91
One might have a "How's My Driving?" bumper sticker : SEMI
92
Home of eight of the world's 10 tallest mountains : NEPAL
96
What bridesmaids might point out as the inferior choice while shopping? : LESSEROFTWOVEILS
101
Bananas : LOCO
102
Naked ___ jaybird : ASA
103
Contrarian in a nursery rhyme : MARY
104
Jedi trained by Luke Skywalker : REY
105
Country singer Yearwood : TRISHA
107
Tight fit : SQUEEZE
109
Contents of a murky cauldron? (twice!) : UNCLEARPOTION
113
Tight formations : HUDDLES
114
Parking spot? : SEAT
115
Stop, to a sailor : HEAVETO
116
Sargasso Sea quartet : ESSES
117
Corner of a diamond : BASE
118
Buries : INTERS
Down
1
Fill with love : ENAMOR
2
Love ___ : LANGUAGE
3
Canine frenemy of Garfield : ODIE
4
Leisurely evening walk : PASEO
5
Addis Ababa's country: Abbr. : ETH
6
German article : DER
7
Mark who portrayed Luke Skywalker : HAMILL
8
It may come with attachments : EMAIL
9
Shepherded : LED
10
Part of what makes you you : DNA
11
Ring master? : BOXER
12
Up, now : AWOKEN
13
Cousin of Gomez Addams : ITT
14
When the first mammals and dinosaurs appeared : TRIASSICPERIOD
15
Made it big : SUCCEEDED
16
Dizzying designs : OPART
18
Mind : HEED
19
Grovels : EATSDIRT
20
Police dept. members : SGTS
21
Do the Wright thing? : AVIATE
25
Big fiasco : SNAFU
29
Jalopy : CRATE
30
John in the Radio Hall of Fame : TESH
31
Indignant retort : IAMSO
32
Like many of Horace's works : ODIC
33
Float component : SODA
35
Strengths : POTENCIES
40
Little reminders : POSTITS
42
Metaphorical place of indecision : FENCE
44
Word with gauge or guitar : AIR
45
Standing on the street : CRED
46
It opened in 1835 with a Chamber of Horrors : MADAMETUSSAUDS
47
Rice-A-___ : RONI
48
Charge to redeem mutual funds : EXITFEE
49
The national fruit of Japan, the kaki, is a variety of it : PERSIMMON
54
Stare down : OUTFACE
57
Japan's largest carrier : ANA
58
Some sci-fi film effects, in brief : CGI
59
Utterances of disappointment : AWS
60
4x4, for one : ATV
61
"Evita" narrator : CHE
62
Start of many a Latin American city name : SAN
64
Scruffs : NAPES
65
Goldie who won a 1969 Oscar for "Cactus Flower" : HAWN
66
Reason to see an ophthalmologist : STYE
70
90° bend : ELL
71
Very fast : INAFLASH
72
Reminiscent of a certain French author's work : ZOLAESQUE
74
Banana Republic competitor : JCREW
75
Like some suits : CIVIL
78
Experts in CPR : EMTS
80
Comically ridiculous : GOOFY
81
Send packing : OUST
82
A dirty look : THEEYE
83
Actor Malek of "The Amateur" : RAMI
84
Approximately 33.8 fluid ounces : ONELITER
89
Mortal mother of Dionysus : SEMELE
91
Lithe : SVELTE
93
Puts forward : POSITS
94
It may elicit a blessing : ACHOO
95
Advance : LOAN
97
Tears down : RAZES
98
Bonanza discoveries : ORES
99
Aquatic apex predators : ORCAS
100
Legendary snake exterminator, familiarly : STPAT
106
Emulate a vagabond : ROVE
108
Newsroom V.I.P.s : EDS
109
Kind of PC port : USB
110
Museum-funding org. : NEA
111
Tuna often served tartare : AHI
112
Stimpy's cartoon pal : REN

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

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