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New York Times, Monday, September 7, 2026

Author:
Jeff Chen and Stephan Prock
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
Jabbers on a plane?
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
1697/5/20109/7/2026121
SunMonTueWedThuFriSatAcr
441318313911121
RebusCircleScrabFlowFresh
11471.6232.952%
Jeff Chen
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
312/4/20259/7/20263
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
0110100
CircleScrabFlowFresh
21.6029.117%
Stephan Prock

This puzzle:

Rows: 15, Columns: 15 Words: 78, Blocks: 38 Missing: {Q} This is puzzle # 168 for Mr. Chen. This is puzzle # 3 for Mr. Prock. Grid flow: 37.7 Monday freshness: 41%
Jim Horne notes:

The elevator music goes up and down.

1
E
2
V
3
A
4
A
5
R
6
T
7
E
8
L
9
B
10
O
11
W
12
S
13
L
I
L
14
W
E
R
15
E
16
R
O
O
K
I
E
17
U
N
L
18
A
W
F
U
L
19
R
E
P
A
S
T
20
D
E
A
D
21
I
C
E
22
S
A
W
23
Y
E
S
24
E
S
T
A
25
R
26
E
V
E
N
E
27
D
28
I
M
A
29
C
30
A
D
D
31
I
32
P
33
A
34
S
35
M
36
E
N
S
C
H
37
T
A
B
38
M
I
R
E
39
E
G
G
40
K
I
41
M
O
N
O
42
S
43
Z
I
T
44
S
O
L
45
O
46
C
A
R
47
Y
O
48
W
Z
A
H
49
S
T
E
W
50
K
I
M
51
S
A
R
A
52
N
53
O
C
L
U
54
E
55
R
A
J
56
A
57
S
58
R
59
P
60
M
61
B
O
S
S
E
62
D
63
T
O
T
E
64
E
L
I
65
X
I
R
66
I
N
A
67
W
H
I
L
E
68
D
E
L
E
T
E
69
C
I
T
E
70
N
A
Y
71
O
D
E
S
S
A
72
E
A
T
73
T
S
A
© 2026, The New York Times9/7/26 ( No. 28,062 )
Across
1
Actress Longoria or Mendes : EVA
4
Word after op or pop : ART
7
Jabbers on a plane? : ELBOWS
13
Hip-hop's ___ Wayne : LIL
14
"If I ___ a Carpenter" : WERE
16
First-year professional athlete : ROOKIE
17
Illegal : UNLAWFUL
19
Meal, formally : REPAST
20
Not working, as a phone : DEAD
21
Tool for winter fishing : ICESAW
23
Affirmative : YES
24
To be, in Barcelona : ESTAR
26
Made level : EVENED
28
Apple all-in-one computer : IMAC
30
Contribute something more : ADD
31
Hoppy brews, for short : IPAS
35
Dependable, upstanding guy : MENSCH
37
Key often near Caps Lock : TAB
38
Bog down : MIRE
39
What a hen lays : EGG
40
Robes tied with obis : KIMONOS
43
Bit of acne, informally : ZIT
44
How Lindbergh flew across the Atlantic in 1927 : SOLO
46
___ and Driver (magazine) : CAR
47
"Holy cannoli!" : YOWZAH
49
Fret : STEW
50
Kipling novel or its young hero : KIM
51
Singer Bareilles : SARA
52
"Beats me!" : NOCLUE
55
Indian princes : RAJAS
58
Rotor speed fig. : RPM
61
Ordered (around) : BOSSED
63
Carry : TOTE
64
Wizard's mixture : ELIXIR
66
Not now, but later : INAWHILE
68
Cut out : DELETE
69
List, as in a reference : CITE
70
Yea's opposite : NAY
71
Ukrainian seaport, in an older spelling : ODESSA
72
"Let's ___!" ("Dinner's on!") : EAT
73
Org. checking carry-on bags : TSA
Down
1
Deftly avoid : ELUDE
2
Plants with tendrils : VINES
3
Electric with excitement : ALLATINGLE
4
Cry over a newborn : AWW
5
Home loan overhaul, in brief : REFI
6
Halt to hostilities : TRUCE
7
Some gofers : ERRANDBOYS
8
Handbag fashion label from Madrid : LOEWE
9
Playful knock on the noggin : BOP
10
Give the thumbs-up : OKAY
11
Sagacious : WISE
12
Divisions in a tennis match : SETS
15
Uplifting tunes? ... or a hint to the circled squares : ELEVATORMUSIC
18
President after Washington : ADAMS
22
Alternative to a convertible or station wagon : SEDAN
25
Hat holder : RACK
27
Barely visible, as light from a star : DIM
29
Grammy-winning pianist with the Elektric Band : CHICKCOREA
32
Dive offering slices : PIZZAJOINT
33
Puccini's "Nessun dorma," e.g. : ARIA
34
Meyers of late night : SETH
35
Clutter : MESS
36
Rare four-award achievement in entertainment, for short : EGOT
41
Slips in a slot at the post office : MAILS
42
Fly to new heights : SOAR
45
Dominate, in sports slang : OWN
48
"I was angry with my foe: / I told it not, my ___ did grow": William Blake : WRATH
53
Passing notices, informally : OBITS
54
Counting-out rhyme opener : EENIE
56
Book made obsolescent by GPS : ATLAS
57
"Buh-bye!" : SEEYA
58
Attempt anew : REDO
59
Said "guilty," say : PLED
60
One of 26 in a marathon : MILE
62
Contents of an Excel spreadsheet : DATA
65
Kisses, symbolically : XES
67
Like some dog kisses : WET

Answer summary:
2 unique to Modern Era but used previously.

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