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New York Times, Wednesday, August 27, 2025

Author:
Zhou Zhang
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
"Come on, help me out"
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
27/6/20258/27/20251
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
1001000
RebusCircleDebutFresh
11828%
Zhou Zhang

This puzzle:

Rows: 16, Columns: 14 Words: 78, Blocks: 42 Spans: 2 Puzzle has duplicate clues. This is puzzle # 2 for Ms. Zhang. Wednesday freshness: 49%
Zhou Zhang notes:
This puzzle has a very special place in my heart because it's the first one I had accepted by the New York Times. Looking ... read more
Jim Horne notes:
The circles contain UP or DOWN — either works in both directions. In the answers below the grid, I've arbitrarily used UP for ... read more
1
M
2
A
3
S
4
T
5
K
6
P
7
O
8
P
9
G
10
M
11
S
12
U
H
U
H
13
A
R
A
L
14
I
R
O
N
15
N
E
N
E
16
T
O
T
E
17
D
A
D
A
18
I
M
UPDOWN
F
19
O
R
W
H
A
20
T
E
V
E
R
21
A
H
I
22
Y
A
Y
M
E
23
B
24
U
25
T
T
O
N
26
UPDOWN
27
U
P
S
28
A
S
H
E
29
A
S
30
A
M
I
31
S
32
P
33
F
34
D
E
I
S
35
M
36
I
M
P
S
37
E
R
A
38
A
R
C
39
U
40
N
D
O
41
T
42
O
P
I
C
43
T
S
K
44
S
P
E
N
45
T
46
H
A
Z
E
47
S
I
R
48
G
O
49
B
B
L
E
UPDOWN
50
A
51
D
52
D
O
N
53
F
E
E
54
G
O
I
N
G
55
UPDOWN
56
I
57
N
F
L
A
58
M
59
E
60
S
61
A
W
A
Y
62
K
N
E
E
63
P
I
K
E
64
I
N
N
S
65
E
C
C
E
66
A
N
E
W
67
N
S
A
68
Y
A
K
S
69
L
I
D
S
© 2025, The New York Times8/27/25 ( No. 27,686 )
Across
1
It might be rigged : MAST
5
Genre for Blackpink or BTS : KPOP
9
N.B.A. or M.L.B. V.I.P.s : GMS
12
"No way!" : UHUH
13
___ Sea, shrinking body of water that was once the world's third-largest lake : ARAL
14
Rock's ___ Maiden : IRON
15
Wildlife that may nest on Hawaiian golf courses : NENE
16
Bag with handles : TOTE
17
Some absurdist art : DADA
18
"Anything sounds good to me" : IMUPFORWHATEVER
21
Poke bowl fish : AHI
22
"I'm so great!" : YAYME
23
Basic couturier offering : BUTTONUP
27
Highs ... that could appear four more times in this puzzle : UPS
28
Arthur who was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom : ASHE
29
"Same here" : ASAMI
31
Letters on some moisturizer bottles : SPF
34
Philosophy followed by Benjamin Franklin : DEISM
36
Rascals : IMPS
37
"Reputation" or "Midnights," for Taylor Swift : ERA
38
It's how the story goes : ARC
39
Ctrl+Z : UNDO
41
Talking point : TOPIC
43
Expression of disapproval : TSK
44
Exhausted : SPENT
46
State of confusion : HAZE
47
Gary Oldman or Ian McKellen, e.g. : SIR
48
Devour : GOBBLEUP
50
Extra : ADDON
53
Ticket seller's take : FEE
54
Failing epically : GOINGUPINFLAMES
61
Not at home : AWAY
62
Foundation for a proposal? : KNEE
63
Diving position with bent hips and straight legs : PIKE
64
The Prancing Pony and the Admiral Benbow are fictional ones : INNS
65
Latin "Behold!" : ECCE
66
All over : ANEW
67
Govt. group with cryptologists on staff : NSA
68
Goes on and on and on ... : YAKS
69
Screw them! : LIDS
Down
1
S.F. transit option : MUNI
2
"I'm standing right here, you know!" : AHEM
3
One end of the day : SUNDOWN
4
Sister goddesses who personify destiny : THEFATES
5
Hurricane that's the subject of the 2006 documentary "When the Levees Broke" : KATRINA
6
Vessel's front : PROW
7
Statement in a courtroom : OATH
8
Statement in a courtroom : PLEA
9
Contents of some boats : GRAVY
10
Router hookup : MODEM
11
Trap : SNARE
14
Creatives may jot them in a notebook : IDEAS
19
"What have we here?!" : OHO
20
Key worker? : TYPIST
23
Perennially struggling with : BADAT
24
Apt letters missing from "c_ _tom_ _ _" : USERS
25
Like pea soup fog : THICK
26
One aspect to consider in making a decision : DOWNSIDE
27
Who often brushes dirt off home plate : UMP
30
Honor ___ thieves : AMONG
31
Flower part : SEPAL
32
Value : PRIZE
33
One orientation of a playing card during a magic trick : FACEDOWN
35
Saying "hmm ...," perhaps : MUSING
40
Where to get some "Fresh Air" : NPR
42
"Come on, help me out" : OHBEAPAL
45
Buttery confections : TOFFEES
47
Some computers and televisions : SONYS
49
"___ Canto" (Ann Patchett novel) : BEL
50
Once more : AGAIN
51
Lows ... that could appear four more times in this puzzle : DOWNS
52
Roman goddess of fertility : DIANA
55
One tool for scrolling on a computer : DOWNKEY
56
Quechua speaker : INCA
57
Prominent feature of an alpaca : NECK
58
Little : MINI
59
Scraped (out) : EKED
60
Hides a tear, say : SEWS

Answer summary:
3 unique to this puzzle.

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