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Target Practice

New York Times, Sunday, May 31, 2026

Author:
Jeffrey Martinovic and Evan Park
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
Appointments that may lead to better contacts
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
1311/30/20235/31/20267
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
4025200
RebusCircleScrabFlowFresh
351.5736.540%
Jeffrey Martinovic
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
23/19/20255/31/20262
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
1001000
RebusCircleFlowFresh
2129.546%
Evan Park

This puzzle:

Rows: 21, Columns: 21 Words: 140, Blocks: 82 This is puzzle # 13 for Mr. Martinovic. This is puzzle # 2 for Mr. Park. Grid flow: 36.3 Sunday freshness: 67%
Constructor notes:
We are good friends from school, bonding through activities like frisbee, water polo, cards, outdoor adventures, and of course, crosswords. We are both graduating now. Jeffrey will be ... read more
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overlay
© 2026, The New York Times5/31/26 ( No. 27,963 )
Across
1
Sacsayhuamán fortress builders : INCAS
6
Literary forerunner of Captain Hook : AHAB
10
Many an Alpha Beta in "Revenge of the Nerds" : JOCK
14
Help-wanted letters : SOS
17
Fermented vegan protein : TEMPEH
19
Wrestler/actor John : CENA
20
Coin with 12 stars around the border : EURO
21
Align : SYNC
22
Home of the legendary folk hero at 116-Across : SWITZERLAND
24
One involved with checks and balances : TREASURER
26
Without : SANS
27
Green spaces : PASTURES
29
Hero of Arabian tales : ALIBABA
30
In the past : AGO
31
___ Mahal : TAJ
32
Expertise demonstrated by 116-Across in a fabled feat of precision : MARKSMANSHIP
34
Home Run ___ (annual M.L.B. event) : DERBY
36
D.O.J. agency : ATF
39
Fuel-efficient Toyota : PRIUS
40
Main ideas : GISTS
41
Athletic skill mastered by 116-Across : ARCHERY
44
W-9 fig. : SSN
45
Banned substance, in sports lingo : PED
46
Diego Rivera project : MURAL
48
Apt name for a lawyer : SUE
49
Laughed loudly : ROARED
52
N.C.A.A. hoops powerhouse : UNC
53
Like the Statue of Liberty at night : UPLIT
55
Beatle who sang "Yellow Submarine" : STARR
57
Sailor's septet : SEAS
60
Go-getter's opposite : DEADBEAT
62
Through : VIA
63
"Drat!," in Dortmund : ACH
65
"The Situation Room" airer : CNN
66
Chirruping bird : SPARROW
67
Pat down : FRISK
69
City sobriquet that might describe the target for 116-Across, as depicted in this puzzle : THEBIGAPPLE
71
Stuff in a puff : AIR
72
She-ep? : EWE
73
Home to the Burj Khalifa, in brief : UAE
74
Appointments that may lead to better contacts : EYEEXAMS
76
Dampens : WETS
78
"Whoa, ___!" : NELLY
80
Bel ___ cheese : PAESE
81
Instinctive : GUT
82
Religious dissent : HERESY
84
$5 bill, slangily : ABE
85
Actress Spacek : SISSY
87
Negative logic gate in electrical engineering : NOR
88
Cartesian conclusion : IAM
91
Composer of an overture dedicated to 116-Across : ROSSINI
93
Gets lost : SCATS
96
Came to a conclusion : ENDED
98
"Doctor ___" : WHO
99
Start of an encrypted URL : HTTPS
103
Streaker in the night sky ... or a punny description of 116-Across : SHOOTINGSTAR
106
Acid : LSD
108
Unprocessed, as data : RAW
109
Inspiration for many seasonal festivals : HARVEST
110
Oscar-winning 2019 film directed by Bong Joon Ho : PARASITE
113
Smoke, perhaps : CURE
114
What may begin at the end : AFTERLIFE
116
Legendary figure who's the subject of this puzzle : WILLIAMTELL
118
Orchard selection : PEAR
119
Lot calculation : AREA
120
"All's well with me" : IMOK
121
Human : MORTAL
122
Masthead figs. : EDS
123
Timid : MEEK
124
Quibbles : NITS
125
Ruses : PLOYS
Down
1
"What a bummer" : ITSSAD
2
À la Enya : NEWAGE
3
Key with three flats : CMINOR
4
Studios and penthouses: Abbr. : APTS
5
"___ me!" : SEZ
6
Knee parts, for short : ACLS
7
Part of a track meet : HEAT
8
Per ___ (accounting term) : ANNUM
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Undeserved condemnation : BADRAP
10
Watercraft that leave "rooster tails" in their wakes : JETSKIS
11
"___ home and native land!" : OUR
12
Absolutely whomps, in sports lingo : CREAMS
13
"Bear" that's not a bear : KOALA
14
Some red wines : SYRAHS
15
Smallest quantity of digital data : ONEBIT
16
Abandons, as a project : SCRAPS
18
Purifying filter acronym : HEPA
21
Eases : SUBSIDES
23
Jasmine's tiger companion in "Aladdin" : RAJAH
25
Big name in sewing machines : SINGER
28
Messes up : ERRS
31
TV host Banks : TYRA
33
Longtime jazz bandleader with an Egyptian-inspired name : SUNRA
35
Where Cary Grant orders a Gibson in a classic scene from "North by Northwest" : BARCAR
37
Magnetic unit named for an inventor : TESLA
38
Productive ... or a punny description of the feat performed by 116-Across? : FRUITFUL
42
Many a liquor license applicant : CLUBOWNER
43
As of now : YET
45
Board game with ancient origins : PARCHEESI
46
Gooey chocolate dessert : MUDPIE
47
Discover : UNEARTH
50
Holds forth : ORATES
51
Tenth, in Latin : DECIMUS
54
Small flycatchers named for their call, not their size : PEWEES
55
Bro kin : SIS
56
What 116-Across did before and after this puzzle's feat? : TAKEABOW
58
Dread-full? : ANGSTY
59
Popular beverage brand : SNAPPLE
61
Dr. ___ : DRE
62
Compete : VIE
64
Bad spelling? : HEX
66
Lead-in to bones or bucks : SAW
68
Sunbeam : RAY
70
Abandons a project, slangily : BAGSIT
75
"Oy!" : YEESH
77
Forwarded : SENTOVER
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Full of tall tales : LYING
80
It's better than a bogey : PAR
83
Team lineup : ROSTER
86
Like most modern TV broadcasts : INHD
89
"Money-back guarantee" and "Limited-time offer" : ADSPEAK
90
Self-referential : META
92
Conductor Georg : SOLTI
93
Snaky double curve : SSHAPE
94
Really irritated : CHAFED
95
Main lines : AORTAS
96
Full : ENTIRE
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Australian city named for a scientist : DARWIN
100
Closely following : TRUETO
101
Gambler's combo bet : PARLAY
102
Waves sought by surfers : SWELLS
104
Five Pillars religion : ISLAM
105
"Spider-Man" director Sam : RAIMI
107
Stitcher's line : SEAM
111
Tee time or airtime, e.g. : SLOT
112
Sorts : ILKS
113
Corner key : CTRL
115
Toll : FEE
117
Bucket list item? : MOP

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

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