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The Full 12 Rounds

New York Times, Sunday, September 27, 2026

Author:
Adam Wagner
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
Shaders of gray?
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
354/20/20219/27/202612
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
121531211
RebusCircleScrabFlowFresh
4111.6134.062%
Adam Wagner

This puzzle:

Rows: 21, Columns: 21 Words: 140, Blocks: 83 Missing: {FQXZ} This is puzzle # 35 for Mr. Wagner. Grid flow: 28.3 Sunday freshness: 89%
Will Shortz notes:
Adam Wagner, of Oakland, Calif., is a creative lead at Patreon, a monetization platform for content creators. He's the creator of the online games Shuffalo and Catalogues on The New ... read more
Adam Wagner notes:
This puzzle is brought to you by family taco night. I was rolling burritos for my kids and started wondering what it would be like to fold up crossword entries like a tortilla. The fact ... read more
Jim Horne notes:
Start at the notch and follow around in the direction the water drains in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere. Shaded stretches Completed answer Reassembled clue TETRAD / UPSIDE TRADE ... read more
1
S
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A
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R
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W
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O
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M
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M
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P
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O
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N
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L
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P
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C
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H
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W
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M
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H
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B
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G
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J
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B
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P
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M
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J
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B
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T
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V
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Y
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E
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T
H
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M
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P
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V
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A
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A
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overlay
© 2026, The New York Times9/27/26 ( No. 28,082 )
Across
1
Bad association : STIGMA
7
Shoot for dinner? : SPRIG
12
Jeweler's wares : CUTGEMS
19
... in global commerce)(Conflict ... : TRADEDISPUTE
20
Emerge : ARISE
21
DeVore who co-founded one of the first U.S. agencies for nonwhite models in 1946 : OPHELIA
22
Potential benefit : UPSIDE
23
Was almost out of supplies : RANLOW
25
That's saying something! : ORATORY
26
Turned into an internet gag : MEMED
27
Japanese graphic novels : MANGA
28
... outdoor festivals)(Bathrooms at ... : PORTAPOTTIES
30
Dukes, countesses, etc. : PEERAGE
32
Put down in writing : COMMITTOPAPER
37
Actress Sink of "Stranger Things" : SADIE
39
Baby who's up all night? : OWLET
40
Where many papyrus plants grow : NILE
41
Frenzied locale at a rock concert : MOSHPIT
44
Press a case? : SUE
45
"Spring forward" hrs. : DST
47
Test room : LAB
48
Cut back on : PARE
49
Kind of effect that can manifest as a counterclockwise motion in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise motion in the Southern Hemisphere [with a hint to this puzzle's shaded squares] : CORIOLIS
53
Carnivore whose vocalization sounds like giggling : HYENA
55
Google's domain : THEWEB
58
Hindu festival of colors : HOLI
59
Auto brand whose logo is meant to evoke the precision of a caliper : ACURA
62
Instant : SEC
63
Challenge to a potential investor : AREYOUIN
66
... transport)(Bigwig's ... : PERSONALLIMO
68
Straightaway driving contests : DRAGRACES
70
Philadelphia-area university that's a powerhouse in men's hoops : VILLANOVA
73
... park an auto)(Narrow space in which to ... : ONECARGARAGE
74
Marvelous : SPLENDID
77
One in 100: Abbr. : SEN
78
"It ___ Me" (2000 Shaggy hit) : WASNT
79
Word with dish or drag : MAIN
80
Locale for many a commercial logo : TSHIRT
82
German brewery since 1873 : BECKS
85
Return to an earlier topic of conversation ... or what six answers in this puzzle literally do : LOOPBACK
89
Cause of some red cheeks : ACNE
90
Entertainment source for general audiences, in brief? : USO
91
Bub : MAC
94
___ Lanka : SRI
95
Custom-tailored : BESPOKE
98
One of Cuba's Castros : RAUL
100
Lose it : GOAPE
102
Best-case : IDEAL
103
Crafts used in NASA's Galileo and Juno missions : JUPITERPROBES
107
Good position to be in? : PLUMJOB
112
... clarify or explain)(Seeking to ... : INTERPRETIVE
113
Hide-outs : LAIRS
115
Itsy-bitsy : TEENY
116
Disk-flipping strategy game : REVERSI
119
Like wheat beers : YEASTY
121
Certain factory machine : SORTER
122
Chaperones : ESCORTS
123
Many a John Williams composition : THEME
124
... of hindsight)(With the benefit ... : INRETROSPECT
125
Clear coat : VARNISH
126
Oafs : ASSES
127
Deal made on the spot? : ADSALE
Down
1
Bewilder : STUMP
2
Conical accommodations : TEPEE
3
Unhelpful way to respond to "Hello?" : ITSME
4
"Jackie Brown" star Pam : GRIER
5
Unruly rush : MADDASH
6
Commercial suffix with Power : ADE
7
Singer Bareilles : SARA
8
Have a spring in one's step : PRANCE
9
One of the Beatles : RINGO
10
Faith with five pillars : ISLAM
11
Prefix with cache : GEO
12
Assumed ownership over : COOPTED
13
Pulls out, as weeds : UPROOTS
14
Choreographer Twyla : THARP
15
Achieve a sunbather's goal : GETTAN
16
___ rating (chess stat) : ELO
17
Old space station : MIR
18
Perhaps : SAY
24
Chinese artist Ai ___ : WEIWEI
27
Triage provider : MEDIC
29
The Cardinals, on scoreboards : STL
31
Clothing brand named for perceived generational differences in the '60s : GAP
33
"___ Rouge" : MOULIN
34
It's driven into the ground : PILE
35
Flair : ELAN
36
Redheaded "Queen of Country" : REBA
38
Diminutive Spanish suffix : ITO
41
Bill of HBO's "Real Time" : MAHER
42
Mine craft? : ORECAR
43
Do some garment-making : SEW
44
Performances for one : SOLI
46
Competitor of Bluesky and X : THREADS
48
Affliction for some vets, in brief : PTSD
50
Greek PPP : RHOS
51
Promise of payback : IOU
52
Chef Nosrat who wrote the best seller "Salt Fat Acid Heat" : SAMIN
54
Tall tale : YARN
56
Sonic euphoria, colloquially : EARGASM
57
Scottish hillsides : BRAES
60
Far from the target, in a guessing game : COLD
61
Illuminated from below : UPLIT
64
Univ. course that's in demand? : ECON
65
Streisand musical : YENTL
67
"That's freaking epic!" : SOSICK
69
Rubberneck : GAWK
70
___ cava (major blood vessel) : VENA
71
Sci-fi pioneer Jules : VERNE
72
It gets you a hand : ANTE
74
Portmanteau sandwich cookie with a layer of marshmallow : SMOREO
75
Big ___, nickname for M.L.B.'s David Ortiz : PAPI
76
Lefty, to a righty : LIB
81
"Ni ___" (Chinese "hello") : HAO
82
___ Khalifa, tower scaled by Tom Cruise in "Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol" : BURJ
83
Heir with much hair in the Bible : ESAU
84
Great success : COUP
86
Fish hawk : OSPREY
87
Purportedly calming compound in some gummies, in brief : CBD
88
Play for ___ : KEEPS
92
Shaders of gray? : AGEISTS
93
Cultural group of SW Britain : CORNISH
96
___ soda : SAL
97
Astronomically demoted, as per a 2006 Word of the Year : PLUTOED
99
Persist : LIVEON
101
Fitting : APT
102
"Am I crazy ...?" : ISITME
104
Twin sister of Sherri on "The Simpsons" : TERRI
105
Malaise, with "the" : BLAHS
106
Lets up : EASES
108
Violently eliminates, in gamer-speak : MERCS
109
Volkswagen sedan : JETTA
110
Buck enshrined in Cooperstown : ONEIL
111
David who fronted Talking Heads : BYRNE
114
Some loaves or liquors : RYES
116
Something gas cars do noisily that electric vehicles don't : REV
117
That, in Spanish : ESA
118
Forerunner of the DVD player : VCR
120
"when r u coming?" : ETA
121
Relaxing getaway : SPA

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

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