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New York Times, Monday, September 28, 2026

Author:
Helen Chen
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
Dugout, e.g.
TotalDebutLatest
29/22/20229/28/2026
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
0100100
ScrabFlowFresh
1.6532.846%
Helen Chen

This puzzle:

Rows: 15, Columns: 15 Words: 78, Blocks: 37 Missing: {Q} This is puzzle # 2 for Ms. Chen. Grid flow: 23.4 Monday freshness: 70%
Jim Horne notes:

The MLB playoffs start tomorrow. Each theme answer here leads off with slang for a baseball home run.

1
H
2
A
3
V
4
O
5
C
6
S
7
C
8
A
9
L
10
Y
11
O
12
W
13
E
14
A
R
E
N
A
15
O
L
D
I
E
16
P
I
E
17
L
I
N
E
R
18
B
O
M
B
S
19
H
E
L
L
20
T
A
N
D
E
21
M
22
S
I
R
23
O
N
L
Y
24
G
E
O
25
E
N
A
26
C
T
27
T
28
A
29
T
E
R
T
30
O
T
S
31
L
O
32
G
33
I
34
C
35
U
R
E
36
I
O
S
37
B
A
N
A
N
A
38
L
E
A
39
D
40
O
F
F
41
H
O
M
E
R
U
N
42
S
A
M
O
A
S
43
A
U
X
44
B
R
O
45
A
S
S
E
T
46
B
L
A
S
47
T
48
Z
O
N
E
49
S
H
50
A
L
L
51
E
R
E
52
A
53
L
54
S
O
55
R
O
T
56
T
A
N
57
G
58
O
59
S
60
J
A
C
K
61
F
R
U
I
62
T
63
G
I
A
N
T
64
A
N
A
65
G
O
S
E
E
66
I
T
G
U
Y
67
R
E
N
68
S
W
E
D
E
69
C
H
A
S
E
© 2026, The New York Times9/28/26 ( No. 28,083 )
Across
1
Widespread disorder : HAVOC
6
Like the exteriors of armadillos : SCALY
11
Fall behind in payments : OWE
14
Boxing locale : ARENA
15
Classic radio song : OLDIE
16
Dessert with a crust : PIE
17
Solid baseball hit : LINER
18
Complete shocker : BOMBSHELL
20
Bicycle built for two : TANDEM
22
Round Table title : SIR
23
"___ time will tell" : ONLY
24
Prefix with physics or thermal : GEO
25
Make into law : ENACT
27
Alternative to French fries : TATERTOTS
31
Skill needed to solve sudoku : LOGIC
35
Suffix with fail or forfeit : URE
36
Apple platform : IOS
37
"Time flies like an [50-Down]; fruit flies like a ___" : BANANA
38
With 41-Across, ball hit out of the park by the very first batter for either side ... or a hint to the starts of 18-, 27-, 46- and 60-Across : LEADOFF
41
See 38-Across : HOMERUN
42
Coconut Girl Scout cookies : SAMOAS
43
"La Cage ___ Folles" : AUX
44
Frat member : BRO
45
Liability's opposite : ASSET
46
Detonation region : BLASTZONE
49
"___ I compare thee to a summer's day?": Shak. : SHALL
51
Before, poetically : ERE
52
What's more : ALSO
55
Spoil : ROT
56
Performs a stylish ballroom dance : TANGOS
60
Tropical tree whose product is sometimes used as a meat substitute : JACKFRUIT
63
San Francisco ballplayer : GIANT
64
Actress de Armas : ANA
65
"Take a look!" : GOSEE
66
Helper for computer problems, informally : ITGUY
67
Kylo ___ of "Star Wars" : REN
68
Stockholm native : SWEDE
69
Pursue : CHASE
Down
1
"Stop!" : HALT
2
Puccini's "O mio babbino caro," e.g. : ARIA
3
Kind of diagram with overlapping circles : VENN
4
Antsy : ONEDGE
5
One's employment pursuit : CAREER
6
Bawl : SOB
7
Places to hang clothes : CLOSETS
8
Forum overseers : ADMINS
9
The Scales, zodiacally : LIBRA
10
"Definitely!" : YES
11
Certain golf or tennis tournament : OPEN
12
Funny Ferrell or Rogers : WILL
13
Slippery : EELY
19
Scorcher : HOTONE
21
Recurring thematic elements : MOTIFS
26
Happy as a ___ : CLAM
27
City NE of Oklahoma City : TULSA
28
Fields : AREAS
29
The N.H.L. has 32 : TEAMS
30
Cartoon brawl sound effect : OOF
32
Actress Greta of "Queen Christina" : GARBO
33
Store, as ashes : INURN
34
Dugout, e.g. : CANOE
37
Complete series, maybe : BOXSET
39
Gets by : DOESOK
40
Solemn vow : OATH
41
___ Guofeng, successor of Mao Zedong : HUA
43
Like the score going into extra innings : ALLTIED
46
Top to accompany a skirt : BLOUSE
47
Like the fate of Ophelia : TRAGIC
48
Peak : ZENITH
50
See 37-Across : ARROW
52
Cracked slightly, as a door : AJAR
53
Word following bike or memory : LANE
54
Look at carefully : SCAN
57
"Shallow" singer Lady ___ : GAGA
58
Burden : ONUS
59
Ailment that aptly rhymes with "eye" : STYE
61
N.F.L. three-pointers: Abbr. : FGS
62
Top to accompany shorts : TEE

Answer summary:
1 unique to this puzzle.

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