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Next, Please!

New York Times, Sunday, May 24, 2026

Author:
David Steinberg
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
Online reference with many faces
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
1136/16/20115/24/202622
SunMonTueWedThuFriSatVariety
117891634262
RebusCircleScrabFlowFresh
7221.6334.765%
David Steinberg

This puzzle:

Rows: 21, Columns: 21 Words: 140, Blocks: 78 Missing: {QXZ} This is puzzle # 113 for Mr. Steinberg. Grid flow: 37.9 Sunday freshness: 6%
Will Shortz notes:
David Steinberg, 29, of Palo Alto, Calif., is the editorial manager of puzzles for the Andrews McMeel media company. This is his 113th puzzle for The Times. On his first chat with his ... read more
Jim Horne notes:

Circled letters in standard phrases are replaced by the next letter in the alphabet to match the clue. The circles in order spell PLUS ONE.

1
R
2
E
3
D
4
O
5
S
6
L
7
A
8
B
9
A
10
D
11
E
12
P
13
T
14
W
15
I
16
L
17
T
18
I
R
A
N
19
H
O
U
R
20
C
U
R
I
O
21
P
A
T
I
O
22
C
O
N
T
23
R
O
L
L
E
24
D
C
H
A
P
S
25
I
N
S
P
O
26
E
S
C
H
E
W
27
D
A
R
E
28
S
29
A
N
D
A
R
T
30
E
E
L
S
31
T
E
N
32
T
33
G
I
G
A
34
L
E
S
35
A
36
R
R
A
Y
37
T
H
A
T
S
38
S
O
N
O
T
39
O
L
A
Y
40
D
E
P
P
41
M
42
I
R
E
D
43
A
P
T
44
A
R
O
D
45
A
T
O
P
46
C
H
I
47
G
R
O
D
48
Y
49
E
V
E
50
N
51
M
I
S
S
52
E
D
A
B
53
E
54
A
U
55
T
O
O
56
L
57
G
E
R
E
58
S
E
E
59
L
A
T
60
W
H
A
61
M
62
N
G
O
63
O
R
S
O
64
G
I
V
E
65
M
E
O
N
E
66
S
E
A
S
67
O
N
68
D
69
E
70
C
O
71
I
D
O
72
Y
A
M
S
73
B
T
U
74
R
75
N
76
A
77
O
M
A
N
78
D
I
L
79
L
80
C
O
N
81
T
A
C
T
82
L
E
O
S
83
C
O
M
E
84
T
E
A
85
M
O
86
A
L
A
87
I
S
I
S
88
J
E
R
89
I
90
M
O
I
91
S
92
P
I
L
T
93
F
O
R
E
94
F
I
R
S
T
95
C
96
L
A
S
S
97
N
A
I
L
98
B
E
R
E
T
99
S
P
A
100
R
A
I
N
101
T
O
R
N
102
C
A
S
T
103
H
E
R
104
O
I
N
E
105
M
A
P
106
S
107
O
T
T
A
108
W
109
A
110
A
D
O
R
E
111
D
112
I
113
S
114
S
O
N
A
N
115
T
C
H
O
R
E
S
116
R
I
L
E
D
117
T
A
K
E
R
118
D
I
S
K
119
R
E
E
K
120
P
A
L
S
121
O
N
I
C
E
122
S
P
A
Y
123
Y
A
K
S
© 2026, The New York Times5/24/26 ( No. 27,956 )
Across
1
Second attempt : REDO
5
Hunk of marble, e.g. : SLAB
9
Very proficient : ADEPT
14
What many plants do in the heat : WILT
18
Neighbor of Turkmenistan : IRAN
19
Word with happy or half : HOUR
20
Unusual trinket : CURIO
21
___ furniture : PATIO
22
Stoical British guys? : CONTROLLEDCHAPS
25
Creative spark, in slang : INSPO
26
Avoid : ESCHEW
27
Sleepover challenge : DARE
28
It's made with grains : SANDART
30
They twist beneath the surface : EELS
31
Poles support this : TENT
33
Prefix with watt : GIGA
34
"___ Miz" : LES
35
Assortment : ARRAY
37
"The skin cream you're using must be Neutrogena or CeraVe!"? : THATSSONOTOLAY
40
Hollywood's Johnny : DEPP
41
Stuck in the mud : MIRED
43
Fitting : APT
44
Baseball legend who dated J.Lo : AROD
45
Lying on : ATOP
46
Tai ___ : CHI
47
Filthy, in slang : GRODY
49
Like 2026, but not 2025 : EVEN
51
Pined for an ex-boyfriend? : MISSEDABEAU
55
Awl, for one : TOOL
57
Richard of "Pretty Woman" : GERE
58
Grasp : SEE
59
Muscle below a delt : LAT
60
[Pow!] : WHAM
62
Save the Children, e.g., in brief : NGO
63
Roughly : ORSO
64
Exasperated television producer's plea? : GIVEMEONESEASON
68
'20s architecture style : DECO
71
Bridal line : IDO
72
They can be candied : YAMS
73
HVAC measure : BTU
74
Molecule with the nucleotides G, U, A and C : RNA
77
The Arabian Sea's Gulf of ___ : OMAN
78
Pickle type : DILL
80
Reach out to people born between July 23 and August 22? : CONTACTLEOS
83
When repeated, "Oh, please" : COME
84
Phrase on a Spanish candy heart : TEAMO
86
___ carte : ALA
87
Sister of Osiris : ISIS
88
Actress Ryan of the "Star Trek" franchise : JERI
90
"Me?!" : MOI
91
Like milk that isn't worth crying over : SPILT
93
Warning after a slice : FORE
94
Good name for a salon specializing in mani-pedis? : FIRSTCLASSNAIL
98
Floppy hat : BERET
99
Aromatherapist's workplace : SPA
100
Common forecast in Portland : RAIN
101
Struggling to decide : TORN
102
Musical group? : CAST
103
Princess Leia or Hester Prynne : HEROINE
105
Visitor center handouts : MAPS
107
City west of Montreal : OTTAWA
110
Worship : ADORE
111
Loading the dishes and unloading the dishes, e.g.? : DISSONANTCHORES
116
Agitated : RILED
117
Selfish person : TAKER
118
Coin, commonly : DISK
119
Stink : REEK
120
Pen ___ (corresponding pair) : PALS
121
Like the strawberry champagne in Bruno Mars's "That's What I Like" : ONICE
122
Neuter's partner : SPAY
123
Tibetan oxen : YAKS
Down
1
White bed, perhaps : RICE
2
Love god : EROS
3
Stance that resembles a ballerina on one leg : DANCERPOSE
4
Using Tinder, Bumble, Hinge, etc. : ONTHEAPPS
5
"The Conners" and "The Jeffersons" : SHOWS
6
Common palindromic text : LOL
7
"___ Lang Syne" : AULD
8
"Relax. Calm yourself" : BREATHE
9
One of two found on résumés? : ACCENT
10
"Of course!" : DUH
11
Distinct period : ERA
12
Domino dot : PIP
13
Add at no extra cost : TOSSIN
14
Sorcerer's stick : WAND
15
"We're toast!" : ITSALLOVER
16
Experts in body language? : LIPREADERS
17
Foot, cutesily : TOOTSY
21
Something a child takes a swing at : PINATA
23
Count (on) : RELY
24
Really not look forward to : DREAD
29
Earlier : AGO
32
Ruler in Russian history : TSAR
33
Finished : GOTDONE
35
President in 1800 : ADAMS
36
Knot again : RETIE
37
Windy City paper, with "the" : TRIB
38
Trouble ___ : SPOT
39
Only U.S. state whose flag features a different design on each side (the back is a beaver!) : OREGON
41
N.H.L. star Connor ___ : MCDAVID
42
"Awful! Awful! Awful!" : IHATEDIT
47
Relative of an alpaca : GUANACO
48
Accessory used in some stretches : YOGABALL
50
Paleo- : old :: ___ : new : NEO
52
Pharmacist Lilly : ELI
53
She may have a little lamb : EWE
54
Sailor's opener : AHOY
56
Feline that a neighbor may find : LOSTCAT
61
Note to staff : MEMO
64
They're toast : GONERS
65
Supervillain in "Fantastic Four" comics : MOLEMAN
66
XXX-XX-XXXX ID : SSN
67
Away from the office : OUT
68
OB/GYN, e.g. : DOC
69
Online reference with many faces : EMOJIPEDIA
70
Miniature photo gallery : CAMERAROLL
74
Touristy destination : RESORTAREA
75
Bête ___ : NOIRE
76
Insider, in spy lingo : ASSET
79
So-called "Land of a Million Elephants" : LAOS
81
Follow closely : TAIL
82
Individual account? : LIFESTORY
85
Spray, in a way : MIST
89
"It was my best effort" : ITRIED
91
Wrap name : SARAN
92
Parts of card-swiping machines : PINPADS
94
G flat's equivalent : FSHARP
95
Pink-slip : CAN
96
Misinformed, say : LIEDTO
97
"Stop!" : NOMORE
98
Place for miniature boats : BATH
102
Arrogant : COCKY
104
Sources of lead or gold : ORES
106
Cut quickly : SNIP
108
Half of a fortnight : WEEK
109
Invites : ASKS
112
"Mean Girls" character Janis ___ : IAN
113
Jet ___ : SKI
114
Jiff : SEC
115
It may request that you remove your coat, in brief : TSA

Answer summary:
15 unique to this puzzle.

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