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New York Times, Friday, September 12, 2025

Author:
Joe Marquez
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
Idea for a pair of trick-or-treaters
TotalDebutLatest
512/18/20239/12/2025
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
0200210
RebusCircleScrabDebutFresh
121.571534%
Joe Marquez

This puzzle:

Rows: 15, Columns: 15 Words: 70, Blocks: 32 Missing: {JQXZ} This is puzzle # 5 for Mr. Marquez. Friday freshness: 26%
Jim Horne notes:
I guess an area bereft of grocery stores would be a FOOD DESERT, but that term generally means a lack of nearby healthy, affordable ... read more
1
E
2
V
3
A
4
D
5
E
6
F
7
A
8
L
9
L
10
R
11
A
12
S
13
P
14
S
A
N
A
N
15
T
O
N
I
O
16
A
R
M
Y
17
O
N
E
S
T
R
O
G
E
N
18
W
E
A
R
19
S
E
W
20
R
I
D
I
N
G
21
E
Y
R
E
22
F
O
L
D
23
B
24
E
S
O
T
25
C
26
O
U
P
L
E
27
S
28
C
O
S
T
U
M
29
E
30
C
U
R
R
Y
31
S
H
O
W
S
32
G
O
V
33
A
L
A
S
34
B
E
E
R
S
35
C
O
N
E
36
S
T
L
37
T
E
R
R
A
38
S
H
O
E
S
39
A
L
R
40
I
G
H
T
A
L
41
R
E
A
D
Y
42
E
E
R
I
E
43
S
H
E
D
44
P
A
P
I
45
M
46
I
47
G
N
O
N
48
B
49
A
50
N
51
I
D
O
S
52
O
C
E
A
N
O
53
L
O
G
Y
54
M
E
R
E
55
T
E
A
K
E
T
T
L
E
S
56
A
R
T
S
57
H
E
R
E
58
E
R
O
D
E
© 2025, The New York Times9/12/25 ( No. 27,702 )
Across
1
Shake off : EVADE
6
Collapse : FALL
10
Ailment the morning after a loud concert, maybe : RASP
14
Largest U.S. city with a majority-Hispanic population : SANANTONIO
16
BTS ___ (K-pop group's fan base) : ARMY
17
Receiving a certain hormone treatment : ONESTROGEN
18
Sport : WEAR
19
Hem, but not haw? : SEW
20
Word with crop or shotgun : RIDING
21
Literary heroine who described herself as "poor, obscure, plain and little" : EYRE
22
Give in : FOLD
23
Intoxicate, quaintly : BESOT
25
Idea for a pair of trick-or-treaters : COUPLESCOSTUME
30
Chicken korma, e.g. : CURRY
31
Network lineup : SHOWS
32
End of a mayoral address? : GOV
33
"Sad to say …" : ALAS
34
Case load? : BEERS
35
Bit of equipment in many athletic training exercises : CONE
36
The Blues, on N.H.L. scoreboards : STL
37
___ incognita (unexplored area) : TERRA
38
Things left at the entrance of a mosque : SHOES
39
"I get it, I get it!" : ALRIGHTALREADY
42
Like some silences : EERIE
43
Lose : SHED
44
Spanish familial term of endearment : PAPI
45
French for "dainty" : MIGNON
48
Word that becomes its own synonym when the last letter is changed to "r" : BAN
51
Heartfelt exchange? : IDOS
52
Deep study : OCEANOLOGY
54
Slight : MERE
55
They make a high-pitched noise when they're pretty heated : TEAKETTLES
56
Creative domain, with "the" : ARTS
57
Classroom cry : HERE
58
Weaken over time, as support : ERODE
Down
1
Plural pronoun in Puebla : ESOS
2
Pointer up high : VANE
3
Freshly : ANEW
4
"___ Lied von der Erde" (Mahler work) : DAS
5
Chaotic state : ENTROPY
6
Area bereft of grocery stores : FOODDESERT
7
Website for finding home services : ANGI
8
Something sold in a tax sale : LIEN
9
Medieval weapons traditionally made with yew : LONGBOWS
10
Like one's most natural emotions : RAWEST
11
Check-in line? : AREYOUGOOD
12
Bets from the experts : SMARTMONEY
13
Burning structure : PYRE
15
Pianist's flourish : TRILL
22
Certain winter accouterments : FURS
24
Suffix with heir : ESS
25
Someone with a devoted following : CULTLEADER
26
Classroom delivery, perhaps : ORALREPORT
27
Cartoondom's "Princess of Power" : SHERA
28
Reptile known for its distinct color bands : CORALSNAKE
29
Days of anticipation : EVES
30
"___ dolce ___" (Italian saying) : CASA
34
Beast : BEHEMOTH
35
Land with two official languages — French and Arabic : CHAD
37
___ Fridays : TGI
38
[More info below] : SEENOTE
40
They surround pupils : IRISES
41
River sourced by a glacier in the Swiss Alps : RHONE
44
Cotton variety : PIMA
46
Beverage that was invented in a Dairy Queen : ICEE
47
What a backpacker packs : GEAR
48
Accessory out West : BOLO
49
Like some cheese : AGED
50
Where Ferrari is "RACE," for short : NYSE
53
Paper size: Abbr. : LTR

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

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