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New York Times, Wednesday, July 15, 2026

Author:
Jonathan Raksin and Jeff Chen
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
50-Across : Places for hot dates?
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
31/20/20267/15/20261
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
0012000
CircleScrabDebutFlowFresh
11.561418.330%
Jonathan Raksin
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
1687/5/20107/15/2026120
SunMonTueWedThuFriSatAcr
441218313911121
RebusCircleScrabDebutFlowFresh
11461.6297132.853%
Jeff Chen

This puzzle:

Rows: 15, Columns: 15 Words: 78, Blocks: 36 Missing: {JQXZ} This is puzzle # 3 for Mr. Raksin. This is puzzle # 167 for Mr. Chen. Grid flow: 29.5 Wednesday freshness: 13%
Constructor notes:
Jonathan: I've had the honor and pleasure of publishing a bunch of puzzles with Jeff in various venues, but it's wonderful to make our ... read more
Jim Horne notes:
Squares in the central 3x3 block are circled in print. They contain an anagram of ERNŐ RUBIK, the cube's inventor. If you solve on the ... read more
1
A
2
L
3
L
4
I
5
N
6
A
7
T
8
R
9
A
10
A
11
P
12
E
13
D
14
S
A
U
N
A
15
R
O
A
D
16
D
E
L
I
17
T
U
R
N
I
18
N
G
P
R
O
19
O
D
I
N
20
O
D
E
21
L
O
U
I
E
22
O
R
A
T
E
23
M
A
D
S
C
R
24
A
M
B
L
E
S
25
E
26
M
27
P
I
R
E
28
L
I
S
P
29
R
O
O
S
T
30
O
31
R
32
B
I
T
33
O
34
V
35
A
36
I
C
E
T
37
F
R
U
I
T
38
A
W
E
D
39
E
S
T
40
T
A
K
E
N
41
B
L
E
N
D
42
R
43
Y
A
N
44
B
O
A
R
D
S
45
F
46
L
Y
I
N
G
47
C
48
O
49
L
O
R
S
50
O
A
S
E
S
51
O
P
E
N
S
52
I
53
P
54
A
55
G
U
L
L
56
S
P
E
E
D
C
57
U
B
E
R
58
G
R
A
D
59
K
E
R
R
60
H
A
I
T
I
61
Y
A
M
S
62
I
S
A
Y
63
T
E
S
S
A
© 2026, The New York Times7/15/26 ( No. 28,008 )
Across
1
Bold way to go when bluffing : ALLIN
6
Blade brand : ATRA
10
Mocked, in a way : APED
14
One of approximately three million in Finland (for a population of less than six million) : SAUNA
15
Artery : ROAD
16
Place for a hero : DELI
17
Giving up one's amateur status : TURNINGPRO
19
Valhalla V.I.P. : ODIN
20
Ben Jonson wrote one to himself : ODE
21
Name repeated in a hit 1963 rock song : LOUIE
22
Emulate Cicero : ORATE
23
Frantic rushes : MADSCRAMBLES
25
Apple variety named for the state it was developed in : EMPIRE
28
Daffy Duck characteristic : LISP
29
Thing to rule, proverbially : ROOST
30
Moon's path : ORBIT
33
Largest human cells : OVA
36
Rapper born Tracy Lauren Marrow : ICET
37
Good source of vitamin C : FRUIT
38
Thunderstruck : AWED
39
Ballpark fig. : EST
40
Liam Neeson action trilogy : TAKEN
41
Many a rosé wine : BLEND
42
Budget airline of Ireland, informally : RYAN
44
Word with college or message : BOARDS
45
Something it's good to pass with : FLYINGCOLORS
50
Places for hot dates? : OASES
51
Moves pawn to e4, e.g. : OPENS
52
"Hazy" drink : IPA
55
One flying in to the coast, maybe : GULL
56
Competitor suggested by 17-, 23- and 45-Across ... or by the name of the inventor jumbled in the circled letters : SPEEDCUBER
58
Mortarboard wearer : GRAD
59
Steve with nine N.B.A. titles as a player and coach : KERR
60
Island country that's an anagram of TAHITI minus T : HAITI
61
Major export of Ghana : YAMS
62
Brit's exclamation : ISAY
63
Thompson who plays Valkyrie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe : TESSA
Down
1
Regarding : ASTO
2
Hail : LAUD
3
Draw : LURE
4
Days or Knights follower : INN
5
Finger painting? : NAILART
6
Many-eyed giant of Greek myth : ARGUS
7
Hot ___ (fast-fashion company) : TOPIC
8
Like triplets vis-à-vis twins : RARER
9
Botheration : ADO
10
Cute to the max : ADORBS
11
Standard bicycle propulsion : PEDALPOWER
12
Upper echelon : ELITE
13
Patronizes a four-star restaurant, say : DINES
18
Central point : NODE
22
Pass over : OMIT
23
Atomizer output : MIST
24
Came to rest : ALIT
25
The "E" in HOMES : ERIE
26
Some comfy kicks : MOCS
27
Spoken-word event : POETRYSLAM
30
Mork's planet on an old sitcom : ORK
31
Narrator on "Euphoria" : RUE
32
Storage container : BIN
34
Peddle : VEND
35
Tacks on : ADDS
37
Vampire double feature? : FANG
38
"What a pity!" : ALAS
40
Catches some rays : TANS
41
Sour soup : BORSCHT
43
Rates of return : YIELDS
44
Whom Austin Powers parodies : BOND
45
Like San Francisco, frequently : FOGGY
46
Early 2000s first lady : LAURA
47
Hangs in there : COPES
48
Work with a libretto : OPERA
49
Distrustful : LEERY
52
Sacred bird of ancient Egypt : IBIS
53
Contents of some carriers : PETS
54
Highlight of a 48-Down : ARIA
56
Word with run or lift : SKI
57
Burj Khalifa's home, in brief : UAE

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

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