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New York Times, Friday, September 25, 2026

Author:
Rafael Musa
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
17-Across : Outcome of a match, maybe
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
3010/21/20229/25/202621
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
60001176
CircleScrabFlowFresh
21.5647.876%
Rafael Musa

This puzzle:

Rows: 15, Columns: 15 Words: 70, Blocks: 32 Missing: {FQXZ} This is puzzle # 30 for Mr. Musa. Grid flow: 64.5 Friday freshness: 22%
Jim Horne notes:

So many excellent clues today.

1
C
2
A
3
N
4
O
5
E
6
C
7
A
8
V
9
A
10
G
11
E
12
A
13
R
14
I
K
I
D
Y
15
O
U
N
O
T
16
A
C
M
E
17
T
I
N
D
E
R
D
A
T
E
18
R
O
M
E
19
E
N
O
20
L
A
D
L
E
21
B
A
N
A
L
22
B
E
L
L
23
S
24
A
I
G
O
N
25
G
26
A
27
M
E
T
H
E
28
S
Y
S
T
E
M
29
A
V
E
R
S
E
30
W
E
K
31
B
I
32
D
33
E
34
P
E
D
I
35
A
36
M
I
S
S
37
A
S
I
A
38
E
C
I
G
39
L
A
P
40
N
41
A
N
T
E
S
42
T
H
43
A
T
R
E
44
M
I
N
D
S
M
E
45
C
A
T
C
H
Y
46
A
C
T
S
47
L
E
T
B
E
48
J
49
A
D
E
N
50
P
51
C
52
P
53
A
L
I
A
54
P
A
R
A
L
E
55
G
A
L
S
56
B
L
O
C
57
E
N
E
M
Y
S
P
I
E
S
58
S
I
N
K
59
P
E
A
S
60
T
A
R
O
T
© 2026, The New York Times9/25/26 ( No. 28,080 )
Across
1
Olympic slalom equipment : CANOE
6
Spanish sparkling wine : CAVA
10
First, second or third : GEAR
14
"For real!" : IKIDYOUNOT
16
Fictional company famous for its duds : ACME
17
Outcome of a match, maybe : TINDERDATE
18
Forum setting : ROME
19
U2 producer Brian : ENO
20
Stew on it! : LADLE
21
Like a whodunit in which the butler did it [duh!] : BANAL
22
Device seen on a front desk : BELL
23
Ho Chi Minh City's former name : SAIGON
25
Exploit a loophole, e.g. : GAMETHESYSTEM
29
Disinclined : AVERSE
30
Supermodel Alek : WEK
31
___ one's time : BIDE
34
Procedure after which you might wear flip-flops, informally : PEDI
35
Off : AMISS
37
___ Minor : ASIA
38
Pen that isn't used for writing, in brief : ECIG
39
"Karma is a cat / Purring in my ___ 'cause it loves me" (Taylor Swift lyric) : LAP
40
Port on the Loire : NANTES
42
"Speaking of which ..." : THATREMINDSME
45
Like an earworm : CATCHY
46
Play group : ACTS
47
Not bother : LETBE
48
Rapper and actor Smith : JADEN
50
Go-to doc : PCP
53
Actress Shawkat : ALIA
54
Ones providing brief assistance? : PARALEGALS
56
Alliance : BLOC
57
Invasive plants? : ENEMYSPIES
58
One might be meat-only or dairy-only in a kosher household : SINK
59
Morsels often found in fried rice : PEAS
60
The Devil's domain : TAROT
Down
1
Give credit to, in a way : CITE
2
Analogous : AKIN
3
___ Sarratore, "My Brilliant Friend" character : NINO
4
"How ___" : ODD
5
Certain loopholes : EYELETS
6
Spoon, e.g. : CUDDLE
7
Second Freudian stage : ANAL
8
Gives one's approval, in a way : VOTESYES
9
Past-tense verb that becomes its present tense when you move its last letter to the front : ATE
10
Sources of some rock : GARAGEBANDS
11
Some experts of interest? : ECONOMISTS
12
World capital once known as Philadelphia : AMMAN
13
Instagram : ___ :: YouTube : Short : REEL
15
Focus for the foul-mouthed? : ORALHEALTH
21
Skosh : BIT
22
"Hang on a sec" : BERIGHTBACK
24
Says "please," say : ASKSNICELY
25
Look stunned : GAPE
26
"___ plaisir" ("You're welcome," in French) : AVEC
27
Breathtaking activity? : MEDITATION
28
Take without paying ... or a motion made while paying : SWIPE
32
Per ___ : DIEM
33
Slip (into) : EASE
36
Ganja : MARYJANE
41
Residence that can have thousands of chambers : ANTNEST
43
Unreturnable pickleball shot : ACE
44
Polite titles : MADAMS
45
Instruments in chamber groups : CELLI
47
Discovery sites : LABS
49
What's distorted in a Mercator projection : AREA
50
Part of a full house : PAIR
51
Ptolemaic royal, familiarly : CLEO
52
Poke alternative : PSST
54
Vim : PEP
55
Transcript fig. : GPA

Answer summary:
5 unique to this puzzle.

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