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New York Times, Thursday, August 20, 2026

Author:
Hoang-Kim Vu
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
Try to place connoisseurs?
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
146/27/20198/20/20266
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
1211324
RebusCircleScrabFlowFresh
131.5339.363%
Hoang-Kim Vu

This puzzle:

Rows: 15, Columns: 15 Words: 78, Blocks: 38 Missing: {JQXZ} Spans: 1 This is puzzle # 14 for Mr. Vu. Grid flow: 36.4 Thursday freshness: 10%
Jim Horne notes:

Reverse the order of the words in Across clues to match the answers. Sound like heaven → Heaven-like sound, and so on.

1
H
2
A
3
R
4
P
5
S
6
A
7
F
8
A
9
R
10
I
11
P
12
S
13
A
14
T
R
O
U
15
S
P
O
T
O
N
16
A
I
L
17
T
A
S
T
18
I
N
G
R
O
O
M
19
R
N
A
20
P
L
A
I
D
21
O
W
N
22
A
23
T
E
A
M
24
N
U
25
E
V
A
26
S
T
U
D
I
O
27
H
28
O
R
N
S
29
R
30
I
P
E
R
31
R
A
V
E
N
S
32
D
R
Y
33
N
34
D
35
A
36
S
37
B
R
A
V
O
38
E
T
A
39
L
O
O
F
A
40
I
D
L
E
41
M
E
H
42
D
E
F
R
A
Y
43
R
44
E
I
K
I
45
O
N
P
A
R
46
C
47
U
48
S
S
A
T
49
N
50
E
I
G
H
51
I
S
L
E
T
52
O
K
S
53
T
R
54
A
55
C
56
E
57
R
U
E
58
S
59
P
L
I
T
60
S
H
A
I
R
S
61
C
A
P
62
U
S
E
N
E
T
63
S
N
I
P
64
A
L
T
65
P
I
G
G
E
D
66
E
T
S
Y
© 2026, The New York Times8/20/26 ( No. 28,044 )
Across
1
Sound like heaven : HARP
5
Game of observation for travel : SAFARI
11
Ad free : PSA
14
Brief in pants : TROU
15
Correct thoroughly : SPOTON
16
Bad feel : AIL
17
Try to place connoisseurs? : TASTINGROOM
19
Cells in compound : RNA
20
Checks with style : PLAID
21
To cop : OWN
22
Competition, for starters : ATEAM
24
York ___ : NUEVA
26
Place recording : STUDIO
27
Signals over game : HORNS
29
Maturity approaching : RIPER
31
Crows to relatives : RAVENS
32
Free booze : DRY
33
Confidentiality of letters? : NDAS
37
"Done well" : BRAVO
38
Short for "info flight" : ETA
39
Sponge bath : LOOFA
40
Nothing doing : IDLE
41
Say "minus C" : MEH
42
Set off : DEFRAY
43
Practice Japanese : REIKI
45
Equal roughly : ONPAR
46
Into light : CUSSAT
49
Nags about noise? : NEIGH
51
Land of Spot : ISLET
52
On-off signs : OKS
53
Lines some over draw : TRACE
57
For repentance some feel : RUE
58
Details insignificant contests : SPLITSHAIRS
61
Spending limits it : CAP
62
Forum discussion, popular once : USENET
63
Cut short : SNIP
64
Rock-___ : ALT
65
Out with ate, ate, ate : PIGGED
66
Website gift custom : ETSY
Down
1
URL starter : HTTP
2
Asian sea currently undergoing replenishment efforts : ARAL
3
Civil rights icon Parks : ROSA
4
Shift the gears of, in a way ... or a hint to this puzzle's Across clues : PUTINREVERSE
5
ID in some data breaches : SSN
6
Elite H.S. class covering the Constitution : APGOV
7
Visionary ... or what you'll need to return to when solving this puzzle's Down clues : FORWARDTHINKING
8
Loads : ATON
9
Babe in the Hundred Acre Wood : ROO
10
One advocated for by the National Prison Project : INMATE
11
Whittled (down) : PARED
12
Biblical mount : SINAI
13
It's worth remembering! : ALAMO
18
"No idea" : IDUNNO
23
Distinctive expression ... or a hint to this puzzle's Across clues : TURNOFPHRASE
25
Feature of San Francisco's Lombard Street : ESS
26
Mole, e.g. : SPY
27
Firm : HARD
28
Like many cricket fields : OVAL
30
Plan to contribute to, for short : IRA
31
One of 1,909 for Willie Mays, for short : RBI
34
"___ the Explorer" : DORA
35
Some distance away : AFAR
36
Declare : SAY
38
"Oh no! A mouse!" : EEK
39
What the second number indicates in men's jeans sizes : LENGTH
41
Univ. with an annual Mystery Hunt : MIT
42
Eager response to "Wanna join?" : DOI
44
Goes nuts for : EATSUP
46
Around : CIRCA
47
Garden-variety : USUAL
48
Wasn't paying attention : SLEPT
50
Lauder of cosmetics : ESTEE
52
Designer Cassini : OLEG
54
"I don't really care / If ya think I'm strange / I ___ gonna change": Joan Jett : AINT
55
N.F.L. commentator Collinsworth : CRIS
56
Arthur Ashe Courage Award, e.g. : ESPY
59
Letter after chi : PSI
60
The "S" of E.S.T.: Abbr. : STD

Answer summary:
7 unique to this puzzle.

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