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Slight Adjustments

New York Times, Sunday, July 12, 2026

Author:
Collin Drown
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
Bull rings?
TotalDebut
17/12/2026
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
1000000
FlowFresh
28.345%
Collin Drown

This puzzle:

Rows: 21, Columns: 21 Words: 138, Blocks: 77 Missing: {QWX} Puzzle has duplicate clues. This is the debut puzzle for Mr. Drown. Grid flow: 28.3 Sunday freshness: 12%
Will Shortz notes:
Collin Drown, of Richmond, Va., is a Ph.D. student in Educational Research, Assessment and Evaluation at Virginia Commonwealth University. He is making his Times debut with this pun-themed ... read more
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© 2026, The New York Times7/12/26 ( No. 28,005 )
Across
1
One-named singer from County Donegal : ENYA
5
Spot treatment provider? : PETSPA
11
You might need to lose a few to get them : ABS
14
Problem with a story : HOLE
18
Shallot relatives : LEEKS
20
Icon beside a username : AVATAR
21
Push-up, for example : BRA
22
Asia's rejuvenated North ___ Sea : ARAL
23
"I vant to suck your blood!" : BITINGREMARK
25
White Claws, e.g. : SELTZERS
27
Twisted balloon shapes, typically : ANIMALS
28
Doesn't wait to find out, say : ASKS
29
Video game setting for noobs : EASYMODE
30
Sculptor's degree, for short : BFA
31
Little annoyance : FLEA
32
Turkey part : ANKARA
33
"I know you're the one who used up the last of my artisanal coffee!" : GROUNDLESSACCUSATION
40
Apt letters missing from PRO_EC_T_ : SUE
41
Reef setting : CAY
42
Profound : DEEP
43
Preserve : SAVE
44
Prepared to pray : KNEELED
47
Contradictory : ATODDS
50
"In ___," Colin Farrell dark comedy set in Belgium : BRUGES
52
Digs in the snow? : IGLOO
53
Gridiron unit that includes the nose tackle, informally : DLINE
54
Certain bony protrusions : BUNIONS
55
"If you don't find the rings this instant, I'm calling off the wedding!" : THINLYVEILEDTHREAT
60
Prodigal ___ : SON
61
Apex : ACME
62
Author Colfer of the "Artemis Fowl" series : EOIN
63
Palindromic family member : SIS
66
"I love your paintings so much, I'd like to finance your next exhibition!" : PATRONIZINGCOMMENT
73
What fighter pilots fight, for short : GFORCES
76
Noggins : DOMES
77
Device for sending group messages? : OUIJA
78
Lap, maybe : REPASS
79
Oaf : GALOOT
81
Surf in a daring way : HANGTEN
83
"You can say that again" : AMEN
84
Japanese city known for its beef : KOBE
85
Shop ___ : VAC
86
Pack-bearing beast : ASS
87
"Wow! With form like that, you're headed to Wimbledon!" : BACKHANDEDCOMPLIMENT
95
Stroke gently : CARESS
96
Puts away : ICES
97
Planner unit : DAY
98
"Don't fall for that!" : ITSATRAP
101
Like many wines and cheeses : AGED
102
Gallery collection : FINEART
106
Where one might drink a mai tai or piña colada : POOLSIDE
107
"I'm so glad you shaved! I hated when you looked like a sexy lumberjack!" : BALDFACEDLIE
109
Kind of contraceptive : ORAL
110
Compete : VIE
111
Josh of "No Country for Old Men" : BROLIN
112
Love seats, e.g. : SOFAS
113
Certain body-weight exercises : DIPS
114
The Big Crunch, theoretically, for our universe : END
115
Daisy relatives : ASTERS
116
Quitter's word : CANT
Down
1
Actor Idris : ELBA
2
German dissent : NEIN
3
Himalayan menace : YETI
4
With hands on hips : AKIMBO
5
Common occurrences for scratch golfers : PARS
6
Apple consumer : EVE
7
Mesoamerican staple cooked in a cornhusk : TAMALE
8
Equilibria : STASES
9
Heavy coats : PARKAS
10
Torah vessels : ARKS
11
Things marked during attendance : ABSENCES
12
End it : BREAKUP
13
They might be green or red : SALSAS
14
Dress for a job you probably don't want? : HAZMATSUIT
15
Apt name for a tuxedo cat : OREO
16
Embellish as with unnecessary words : LARD
17
Alternatively : ELSE
19
Screw-up : SNAFU
24
Ricochet : GLANCE
26
Supermodel Banks : TYRA
31
Groovy : FLY
32
Crushed, in a way : ACED
33
Rarin' to go : GUNGHO
34
Land, as a fish : REELIN
35
Palindromic family member : DAD
36
Contributed : ADDED
37
Shakespeare character who declares "I am not what I am" : IAGO
38
Baker's necessity : OVEN
39
Loch ___ : NESS
40
Sketches : SKITS
45
Vast span : EON
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[That was a good one] : LOL
47
The thing in "The Thing," for one : ALIEN
48
"Open ___ midnight" : TIL
49
United : ONE
50
No es ___ (Spanish put-down) : BUENO
51
Cellular messenger : RNA
53
Audience stat : DEMO
54
___-a-brac : BRIC
56
David who directed the final four Harry Potter films : YATES
57
Tape players : VCRS
58
2020 Christopher Nolan sci-fi movie : TENET
59
Uses more than one's fair share of : HOGS
63
Tofu alternative : SEITAN
64
As a joke : INJEST
65
Obsessive supporters, in modern lingo : STANS
66
Bull rings? : PRANKCALLS
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Some summer purchases, informally : ACS
68
Laid off : IDLED
69
Madhouse : ZOO
70
Texter's qualifier : IMO
71
Dude in Jamaica : MON
72
Root beer order : MUG
73
Clutch : GRAB
74
Disaster relief org. : FEMA
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Noted example of oligopoly, in brief : OPEC
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"Have a safe trip" : GODSPEED
80
Fivers : ABES
81
"2001" villain : HAL
82
Far from basic : ACIDIC
84
Baking recipe instruction : KNEADIN
85
Biden and Bush, once, in brief : VPS
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Professional responsibilities, colloquially : HATS
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Show up : ARRIVE
90
Cubans, e.g. : CIGARS
91
Spotted wildcat : OCELOT
92
Put your nose where it doesn't belong, say : MEDDLE
93
Flowing tresses : MANES
94
One looking after pupils, for short : EYEDOC
98
Device outmoded by the smartphone : IPOD
99
"Holesome" figures : TORI
100
Carving material for beginners : SOAP
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___ Arena, concert venue in London's Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park : ABBA
102
Waves a hand in front of, maybe : FANS
103
___ Romeo : ALFA
104
Director Johnson of "Knives Out" : RIAN
105
Word repeated into a mic : TEST
108
Symbol on an Oregon license plate : FIR

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

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