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New York Times, Wednesday, August 19, 2026

Author:
Kareem Ayas
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
4-Down : Top three sights in Fiji?
TotalDebutLatest
1212/27/20238/19/2026
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
2104302
RebusCircleScrabFlowFresh
231.5522.344%
Kareem Ayas

This puzzle:

Rows: 15, Columns: 15 Words: 76, Blocks: 38 Missing: {JQ} Puzzle has duplicate clues. This is puzzle # 12 for Mr. Ayas. Grid flow: 39.7 Wednesday freshness: 14%
Jim Horne notes:

Clever theme. In each theme answer, the lede (leading word) is a type of berry.

1
A
2
R
3
I
4
D
5
P
6
S
7
A
8
T
9
S
10
C
11
O
12
T
13
S
14
M
E
M
O
15
U
N
S
E
E
16
U
N
I
T
17
I
S
N
T
18
F
E
I
N
T
19
R
E
L
Y
20
G
O
O
S
21
E
F
E
A
T
H
22
E
R
S
23
A
R
T
24
X
Y
Z
25
R
I
T
26
E
27
S
28
S
T
O
29
L
E
30
E
31
L
32
D
33
E
R
C
A
R
E
34
S
K
O
R
35
T
36
O
I
L
37
U
R
S
A
38
S
T
R
39
A
W
P
O
40
L
L
41
T
42
A
43
F
T
44
I
V
E
45
N
O
U
46
N
47
S
48
B
L
A
C
49
K
B
A
R
50
T
51
O
M
I
T
52
S
53
S
I
N
A
I
54
A
55
S
S
56
G
U
T
57
B
U
R
58
I
59
E
60
S
T
H
E
61
L
E
D
E
62
B
63
R
A
S
64
O
R
A
T
E
65
A
R
E
A
66
E
A
S
E
67
W
A
L
L
E
68
M
I
N
K
69
D
Y
E
S
70
A
S
T
E
R
71
B
A
T
S
© 2026, The New York Times8/19/26 ( No. 28,043 )
Across
1
Sahara-esque : ARID
5
Exams for high school jrs. : PSATS
10
Private sleeping accommodations? : COTS
14
"Didn't you get the ___?" : MEMO
15
Wipe from one's memory, so to speak : UNSEE
16
Section in a textbook : UNIT
17
"___ She Lovely" (Stevie Wonder hit) : ISNT
18
Deceptive move in fencing : FEINT
19
Depend (on) : RELY
20
Natural pillow filling : GOOSEFEATHERS
23
Graffiti, to some : ART
24
Three unnamed things, in shorthand : XYZ
25
Quinceañeras, e.g. : RITES
28
Lifted : STOLE
30
Services for senior citizens : ELDERCARE
34
Hybrid tennis attire : SKORT
36
Word with pan, pump or paint : OIL
37
___ Minor : URSA
38
Unofficial vote : STRAWPOLL
41
President who was a heavyweight wrestling champion in college : TAFT
44
"___ got it!" : IVE
45
Cats and dogs, for example : NOUNS
48
Old West outlaw who left behind poetic messages after some robberies : BLACKBART
51
Excludes : OMITS
53
Mount ___ Health System : SINAI
54
Immature high score initials on an arcade game : ASS
56
Something to trust : GUT
57
Hides one's central point, in a way ... with a doubly homophonic hint to 20-, 30-, 38- and 48-Across : BURIESTHELEDE
62
They offer support : BRAS
64
Speak at a political convention, perhaps : ORATE
65
Field : AREA
66
Facility : EASE
67
2008 film about a solitary trash-compacting robot : WALLE
68
Semiaquatic relative of a weasel : MINK
69
Blue No. 1 and Yellow No. 6 : DYES
70
Fall bloom : ASTER
71
Cave wall hangings? : BATS
Down
1
Female friends from Fuenlabrada : AMIGAS
2
Some vacation destinations : RESORTS
3
"My mood is pretty low" : IMNOTOK
4
Top three sights in Fiji? : DOTS
5
Like eyes during an allergy attack : PUFFY
6
"Bless you!" elicitor : SNEEZE
7
___ Minor : ASIA
8
Something that's pitched : TENT
9
"Family Guy" creator MacFarlane : SETH
10
Set of courses offered : CURRICULUM
11
Miserable rating : ONESTAR
12
"___ death do us part" : TIL
13
What a parent might compare a messy bedroom to : STY
21
Put forth : EXERT
22
Drop the ball : ERR
26
Verbal hesitations : ERS
27
Neptune's territory : SEA
29
Situations one might no longer put effort into : LOSTCAUSES
31
Drop : LOWER
32
Drop : DIP
33
North Carolina university : ELON
35
Chicago paper, with "the" : TRIB
39
___ Max, singer of the 2018 hit "Sweet but Psycho" : AVA
40
Not taut : LOOSE
41
Longtime "American Dad!" airer : TBS
42
2001 biopic starring Will Smith : ALI
43
The "Beyhive" for Beyoncé, e.g. : FANBASE
46
Country bordering Chad and Benin : NIGERIA
47
Lecture attendee : STUDENT
49
___ royale (Champagne cocktail) : KIR
50
Rat (on) : TATTLE
52
They can be well-done : STEAKS
55
See-through : SHEER
58
Part of the Corn Belt : IOWA
59
Important stretches : ERAS
60
The word "salary" derives from the Latin for this : SALT
61
What a shepherd may shepherd : LAMB
62
Bouncy part of a trampoline : BED
63
"A drop of golden sun," in song : RAY

Answer summary:
3 unique to this puzzle.

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