| Total | Debut | Latest |
| 15 | 2/26/2014 | 11/29/2023 |
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
| 5 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Rebus | Circle | Scrab | Debut | Fresh |
| 1 | 1 | 1.53 | 89 | 58% |
View these same grids with comments from:
Constructor (14)Editor (2)Jeff Chen (13)Jim Horne (2)Hide commentsSee the 89
answer words debuted by Ruth B. Margolin.
Alternate name for this constructor:
Ruth Bloomfield Margolin
Wed 11/29/2023
| C | A | F | E | S | | | C | R | U | | L | O | B | S |
| E | N | A | C | T | | D | A | I | S | | O | K | R | A |
| O | N | T | H | E | F | E | N | C | E | | M | A | U | S |
| | C | O | M | E | S | T | O | | A | B | Y | S | S |
| A | C | H | E | | W | I | S | H | Y | W | A | S | H | Y |
| B | O | A | S | T | | | | | A | E | R | | | |
| I | N | N | | I | M | B | U | S | Y | | D | E | F | T |
| D | E | C | I | S | I | O | N | F | A | T | I | G | U | E |
| E | Y | E | S | | S | W | O | O | S | H | | Y | M | A |
| | | A | D | S | | | | | A | S | P | E | R |
| O | F | T | W | O | M | I | N | D | S | | I | T | S | Y |
| S | L | A | T | S | | M | A | E | S | T | R | I | | |
| C | A | S | H | | U | P | I | N | T | H | E | A | I | R |
| A | R | E | A | | G | E | L | T | | A | N | N | O | Y |
| R | E | S | T | | H | I | S | | | I | S | S | U | E |
Thu 9/15/2022
| E | B | B | S | | T | E | R | R | I | | M | A | L | A |
| C | U | J | O | | I | N | C | A | N | | I | M | I | N |
| R | E | E | L | | N | O | S | W | I | M | M | I | N | G |
| U | N | C | O | R | K | S | | E | M | A | I | L | E | R |
| | T | S | O | | | C | R | U | E | | Y | A | Y |
| E | P | I | | A | T | T | A | | M | V | P | | | |
| G | O | O | D | N | E | W | S | | W | E | L | T | E | D |
| G | O | N | E | | M | O | I | R | A | | A | O | N | E |
| O | H | S | N | A | P | | N | E | G | A | T | I | V | E |
| | | T | R | E | | O | V | E | R | | L | Y | S |
| M | A | V | | A | R | T | S | | | I | C | E | | |
| I | R | O | N | B | A | R | | S | P | A | R | T | A | N |
| S | O | L | A | S | T | Y | E | A | R | | I | S | L | E |
| S | M | U | G | | U | M | A | M | I | | S | E | A | S |
| Y | A | M | S | | R | E | L | I | C | | P | A | S | T |
Jim here, sitting in for Jeff Chen, who is counting the number of puppeteers needed to manipulate Topo Gigio, in Italian!
I think I understand this one. Some answers peek out the top. You have to raise oBJECTIONS, raise a sTINK, raise the mINIMUM WAGE, and raise a fAMILY to make the clues make sense.
Down below, you have to lower the VOLUMe, lower the TEMPERATURe, and lower the PRICe to fit the clues. And finally, in a bit of classic crossword humor, you have to please, for God's sake, for once in your life, lower the damn TOILET SEAt. (On the other hand, it bugs the heck out of me that some thoughtless people leave the seat down, which is just so very inconvenient! We aim for equally balanced offense here.)
Will Shortz insists that Thursday is simply "one harder than Wednesday," but we've come to expect Thursday to be gimmick day. NYT submission guidelines say they already have plenty of rebus puzzles, so what's a gimmickologist to do? One option is to color outside the lines. Today's example was brave because there's no explicit revealer, like GO OVER THE EDGE or DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS or THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX or MAN OVERBOARD. Hopefully, you had a nice Aha Moment.
If you're curious about how other constructors have broken through the outer wall, the complete list is here.
Our OneLook finder can help find phrases that start with RAISE or LOWER.
Tue 8/17/2021
| I | R | E | | B | A | R | A | | A | M | I | G | O | S |
| R | E | D | N | O | S | E | S | | C | A | N | A | R | Y |
| I | N | D | I | A | I | N | K | | A | N | T | M | A | N |
| S | T | A | B | | S | O | S | A | | S | E | E | T | O |
| | | | M | A | W | | S | T | I | R | R | E | D |
| S | W | I | M | M | I | N | G | P | O | O | L | | | |
| A | R | G | U | E | D | | R | E | E | N | A | C | T | S |
| P | I | E | S | | | B | A | N | | | K | A | R | A |
| S | T | R | I | P | E | R | S | | O | B | E | R | O | N |
| | | C | H | E | E | S | E | F | O | N | D | U | E |
| M | A | R | S | A | L | A | | S | F | O | | | | |
| E | L | A | T | E | | D | U | P | E | | A | I | W | A |
| M | O | V | A | D | O | | P | A | R | A | F | F | I | N |
| O | H | E | N | R | Y | | O | N | E | S | L | I | C | E |
| S | A | N | D | A | L | | N | A | D | A | | T | K | T |
Sun 8/9/2020 CRAFT SHOW
| F | A | C | A | D | E | | | A | R | R | O | Z | | V | A | C | | A | A | S |
| E | R | O | D | E | D | | S | L | O | A | N | E | | I | D | A | | S | L | O |
| N | O | O | D | L | E | | M | E | C | H | A | N | I | C | A | L | | S | U | N |
| C | A | L | L | I | N | S | I | C | K | | P | I | C | K | M | E | | A | M | I |
| E | R | S | | M | I | T | T | | W | R | A | T | H | | | N | S | Y | N | C |
| | | L | I | C | E | | B | E | E | R | H | A | T | | D | E | S | I | |
| O | R | N | O | T | | P | R | E | L | L | | | T | U | P | A | C | | | |
| L | E | O | V | | S | K | I | S | L | O | P | E | | S | T | R | U | T | S | |
| E | D | G | E | | A | I | M | S | | | A | L | P | H | A | | R | I | T | A |
| H | O | T | R | O | D | S | | | I | T | S | A | | S | K | I | M | P | Y |
| W | E | A | R | Y | | S | H | I | P | S | H | A | P | E | | A | T | E | I | N |
| W | A | R | I | E | R | | O | D | O | M | | | A | N | A | L | Y | S | E | |
| I | D | E | A | | O | T | T | E | R | | | C | Y | T | O | | L | I | R | A |
| S | A | N | C | T | A | | S | T | O | R | Y | A | R | C | | I | N | R | I |
| | | G | R | I | L | L | | | M | A | S | S | E | | I | N | K | E | D |
| S | A | L | E | | C | U | L | P | R | I | T | | N | Y | S | E | | | |
| T | O | N | E | D | | | P | A | L | I | N | | N | C | O | S | | C | D | S |
| N | W | T | | I | N | D | I | R | A | | F | I | S | H | M | A | R | K | E | T |
| O | H | I | | T | O | W | N | S | Q | U | A | R | E | | A | R | E | O | L | A |
| T | A | C | | O | U | I | | O | U | T | L | A | W | | M | A | I | N | L | Y |
| E | T | S | | R | N | S | | N | E | A | L | E | | | A | E | N | E | A | S |
Thu 3/12/2020
| C | A | N | A | S | T | A | | S | P | I | L | L | E | D |
| A | B | O | R | T | E | D | | H | E | R | O | I | N | E |
| F | O | R | S | A | L | E | | R | A | I | S | E | U | P |
| | S | O | I | L | | G | U | T | S | | S | R | O |
| U | P | E | N | N | | B | A | B | Y | S | H | O | E | S |
| R | U | M | | S | P | A | R | S | | C | O | N | D | E |
| G | R | A | S | | I | T | D | | M | A | A | | | |
| E | R | N | E | S | T | H | E | M | I | N | G | W | A | Y |
| | | I | C | Y | | N | O | D | | Y | E | T | I |
| A | S | A | N | A | | L | E | O | I | X | | N | I | P |
| N | E | V | E | R | W | O | R | N | | B | U | T | T | E |
| S | R | I | | L | A | O | S | | T | O | N | S | | |
| W | E | A | S | E | L | S | | S | I | X | W | O | R | D |
| E | N | T | I | T | L | E | | K | N | E | E | L | E | R |
| R | E | E | N | T | E | R | | I | T | S | D | O | N | E |
Sun 5/26/2019 BUZZ CUT
| D | I | A | N | A | | C | R | A | B | | A | T | H | O | S | | S | T | A | B |
| E | M | B | E | R | | R | I | C | E | | C | H | A | S | E | | H | E | L | L |
| J | U | R | Y | O | F | Y | O | U | R | P | I | E | R | C | E | | O | L | G | A |
| A | S | A | | M | O | P | | R | E | E | D | | D | A | T | A | P | L | A | N |
| | S | T | A | R | T | D | A | T | E | | S | C | R | O | D | | M | E | D |
| L | E | I | A | | T | I | E | | | T | A | T | I | | I | L | R | E | | |
| T | W | O | P | I | E | C | E | I | N | A | P | O | D | | T | E | E | N | E | R |
| D | E | N | I | M | | | P | L | O | | B | I | E | B | | R | H | O | D | A |
| | | R | I | B | M | E | A | T | | S | C | R | A | M | | A | L | I | G |
| H | O | W | | G | R | A | N | N | I | E | | | | R | A | B | B | I | T | S |
| E | R | A | | H | I | S | S | A | N | D | H | E | A | R | S | E | | C | O | O |
| P | I | R | A | T | E | S | | | | Y | U | P | P | I | E | S | | E | R | N |
| C | O | M | O | | F | I | R | E | S | | E | S | P | O | R | T | S | | | |
| A | L | A | R | M | | F | U | M | E | | V | O | L | | | O | P | A | R | T |
| T | E | N | T | E | R | | D | O | W | N | O | N | A | L | L | F | O | R | C | E |
| | D | A | R | A | | I | T | S | A | | | U | A | E | | O | M | A | N |
| O | A | F | | G | I | M | M | E | | C | A | N | D | Y | C | A | N | E | | |
| B | R | U | C | E | L | E | E | | O | R | L | E | | O | H | M | | N | E | E |
| A | L | S | O | | C | A | N | T | B | E | L | I | E | V | E | M | Y | I | C | E |
| M | E | S | S | | A | R | T | I | E | | O | G | L | E | | A | M | A | H | L |
| A | N | Y | A | | R | A | S | P | Y | | W | H | I | R | | N | A | N | O | S |
Thu 12/20/2018
| A | M | O | S | | C | A | R | T | S | | S | P | A | S |
| R | E | N | O | | A | N | O | U | K | | T | A | C | K |
| T | E | A | S | | S | C | E | N | I | C | A | R | E | A |
| T | W | O | W | A | Y | S | A | B | O | U | T | I | T |
| | H | O | O | | | | | I | N | N | A | T | E |
| S | K | I | N | O | F | F | M | Y | B | A | C | K | | |
| A | R | M | | | A | L | E | E | | I | H | E | A | R |
| N | O | | | M | Y | A | N | M | A | R | | | N | O |
| S | C | A | L | Y | | Y | S | E | R | | | R | O | O |
| | M | A | N | I | S | A | N | I | S | L | A | N | D |
| A | G | O | R | A | S | | | | | S | A | C | | |
| L | A | U | G | H | I | N | G | M | A | T | T | E | R | |
| F | I | N | E | S | T | H | O | U | R | | E | D | A | M |
| A | L | T | S | | O | R | A | T | E | | N | A | S | A |
| S | Y | S | T | | K | A | L | E | S | | T | Y | P | O |
Two-letter answers were common in Margaret Farrar's day. They disappeared from the NYT crosswords in 1952, until Patrick Merrell broke the two-letter ban and nine other rules in this memorable 2004 puzzle. Joe Krozel gave us eight two-letter State abbreviations in 2008. In 2014, Peter A. Collins's Mother's Day grid art required four two-letter entries.
Sun 6/10/2018 RUSH HOUR HEADACHES
| A | S | A | M | I | | A | D | M | A | N | | Q | E | I | I | | M | G | M | T |
| C | O | L | I | C | | S | U | E | D | E | | A | N | O | S | | A | R | E | A |
| C | H | U | T | E | F | O | R | T | H | E | S | T | A | R | S | | K | I | D | S |
| T | O | M | | P | I | N | A | | D | R | E | A | M | | U | S | E | N | E | T |
| | | I | O | L | A | N | I | | | P | R | E | S | E | N | T | D | A | Y |
| C | R | A | M | P | I | N | G | M | Y | S | T | I | L | E | | A | H | S | | |
| H | E | R | S | | | T | O | P | E | K | A | | | G | O | G | E | T | E | M |
| A | S | T | E | R | N | | | E | L | I | | D | C | O | N | | T | O | K | E |
| R | O | U | T | E | O | F | A | L | L | E | V | I | L | | S | C | E | N | E | S |
| D | D | R | | B | O | O | M | | | S | I | O | U | X | | H | E | E | D | S |
| | | G | A | R | R | O | T | E | | A | R | M | Y | M | O | M | | | |
| L | E | G | I | T | | K | E | A | N | U | | | S | L | O | P | | B | S | A |
| O | A | R | M | E | N | | B | U | S | S | E | D | Y | O | U | R | B | U | T | T |
| O | R | E | M | | I | S | A | T | | H | M | O | | | E | A | R | B | O | B |
| S | N | E | E | T | C | H | | | S | E | I | N | E | R | | | O | B | L | A |
| | N | A | W | | I | N | E | E | D | T | O | L | O | S | E | W | A | I | T |
| R | A | B | B | I | T | H | O | L | E | | | R | E | S | I | N | S | | | |
| O | M | E | R | T | A | | T | A | T | A | S | | V | E | N | D | | L | O | L |
| T | A | R | A | | P | A | Y | Y | O | U | R | F | A | R | E | S | H | A | R | E |
| O | N | E | K | | A | M | E | N | | S | T | A | T | E | | I | O | W | A | N |
| R | A | T | E | | S | I | T | E | | T | A | X | E | D | | T | E | S | L | A |
Sun 8/20/2017 FOUND IN YOUR INBOX
| F | A | U | V | E | | | S | A | K | I | | C | H | I | S | | S | A | V | E |
| A | N | T | I | S | | L | U | R | I | D | | R | O | W | A | | C | L | I | P |
| Q | U | E | S | T | F | O | R | P | R | O | P | O | S | A | L | | O | D | D | S |
| S | T | P | I | E | R | R | E | | | | E | A | T | N | O | | T | R | I | O |
| | | T | R | E | A | T | I | S | N | O | T | A | N | O | P | T | I | O | N |
| A | F | R | O | | E | X | E | R | T | O | N | | | A | N | O | I | N | T | S |
| Q | U | A | R | T | Z | | | K | A | L | | B | A | S | S | E | S | | | |
| U | R | N | | V | E | R | S | E | C | O | U | R | S | E | | T | H | O | R | N |
| A | L | T | A | R | | A | I | D | | S | L | A | K | E | D | | | M | A | O |
| | | S | O | A | P | S | | V | E | N | N | | | O | M | A | N | I | S |
| A | C | T | I | O | N | T | I | M | E | | A | D | O | N | L | Y | F | I | L | E |
| C | R | E | A | M | Y | | | O | R | D | S | | U | L | T | R | A | | | |
| E | E | L | | | A | G | E | N | D | A | | U | S | E | | T | R | A | S | H |
| S | E | L | I | G | | M | O | T | E | C | O | N | T | R | O | L | | U | T | A |
| | | P | R | I | C | E | Y | | A | V | A | | | N | E | C | T | A | R |
| O | N | T | O | A | S | T | | | A | P | E | R | C | U | S | | A | O | N | E |
| W | A | R | D | F | O | R | I | N | F | O | R | M | A | T | I | O | N | | | |
| E | V | A | N | | L | U | M | E | T | | | | P | A | T | R | I | C | I | A |
| S | I | V | A | | A | C | H | E | S | F | O | R | T | H | E | S | T | A | R | S |
| T | E | E | N | | T | K | O | D | | O | R | I | O | N | | A | B | B | O | T |
| O | S | L | O | | E | S | T | S | | G | E | A | R | | | Y | E | S | N | O |
Thu 6/22/2017
| S | H | O | G | I | | A | S | H | E | | G | E | A | R |
| I | O | W | A | N | | R | E | A | D | | O | R | S | O |
| G | L | E | N | S | | O | U | T | D | O | O | R | S | Y |
| H | A | N | D | P | A | S | S | H | A | N | D | | | |
| | | H | A | Z | E | S | | | E | I | L | A | T |
| S | T | N | I | C | K | | | O | B | A | D | I | A | H |
| C | H | I | | E | A | R | S | M | I | L | E | E | A | R |
| O | R | C | A | | B | U | Y | I | N | | A | I | M | E |
| T | O | E | S | T | A | N | D | T | O | E | | N | A | E |
| T | A | N | K | I | N | G | | | C | L | A | S | P | S |
| S | T | E | A | D | | | A | P | H | I | D | | | |
| | | F | A | C | E | M | E | E | T | F | A | C | E |
| C | E | S | T | L | A | V | I | E | | I | R | I | N | A |
| A | L | E | E | | R | E | S | T | | S | E | L | E | S |
| T | S | A | R | | E | L | S | A | | T | E | S | T | Y |
Tue 11/1/2016
| I | N | C | H | | E | B | O | L | A | | M | A | Y | A |
| S | I | R | E | | T | O | G | O | S | L | O | G | O | S |
| A | N | I | L | | A | L | L | O | S | A | U | R | U | S |
| Y | E | M | E | N | S | L | E | M | O | N | S | | | |
| S | T | E | N | O | | | | P | R | A | Y | I | N | G |
| O | Y | S | | T | O | P | H | A | T | | | N | I | P |
| | P | E | O | R | I | A | | | S | A | N | T | A |
| F | R | A | N | C | E | S | D | A | N | C | E | S | |
| C | R | E | T | E | | | T | I | N | E | A | R | | |
| E | Y | E | | | S | W | A | N | E | E | | B | I | T |
| L | E | S | O | T | H | O | | | | Z | E | E | N | A |
| | | C | H | I | N | A | S | M | Y | N | A | H | S |
| R | O | M | E | O | R | O | M | E | O | | D | U | E | T |
| C | U | B | A | S | T | U | B | A | S | | E | T | R | E |
| A | S | A | N | | S | T | I | R | S | | D | Y | E | D |
Sun 7/31/2016 MAKE THAT A DOUBLE
| A | L | L | C | A | P | S | | | P | E | R | P | | G | R | E | A | S | E | R |
| R | O | O | F | T | O | P | | F | O | L | I | O | | R | E | L | L | E | N | O |
| S | W | I | C | H | P | O | S | I | I | O | N | S | | A | F | F | E | C | T | S |
| E | T | E | S | | | R | O | B | S | | | S | O | N | S | | | U | R | I |
| N | E | R | | C | R | E | D | I | O | R | D | E | B | I | | A | G | R | E | E |
| I | C | E | T | E | A | | A | S | N | E | R | | R | E | C | R | U | I | E | R |
| C | H | R | O | N | I | C | | | | W | I | F | I | | A | R | M | Y | | |
| | | M | E | M | O | P | A | D | | | R | E | A | P | | P | D | F | S |
| T | R | I | T | | I | N | I | I | A | T | I | O | N | R | I | E | | E | A | T |
| A | E | S | O | P | | T | A | R | R | I | N | G | | M | A | T | | P | S | A |
| T | H | Y | M | U | S | E | S | | R | S | T | | C | O | L | D | C | O | C | K |
| T | A | B | | R | M | S | | J | O | C | U | L | A | R | | S | U | S | I | E |
| O | B | I | | L | I | T | L | E | W | H | I | E | L | I | E | | R | I | A | S |
| O | S | S | O | | I | S | E | E | | | S | A | F | A | R | I | S | | | |
| | Y | A | W | N | | S | P | C | A | | | | L | I | M | O | G | E | S |
| B | U | S | T | A | G | U | T | | U | C | O | N | N | | T | H | R | E | A | T |
| E | S | P | Y | S | | P | A | T | E | R | N | I | Y | S | U | I | | I | S | U |
| R | E | I | | | A | S | T | O | | | E | W | E | N | | | A | S | I | A |
| E | N | D | G | A | M | E | | K | E | E | P | I | T | O | G | E | T | H | E | R |
| T | E | E | S | H | O | T | | E | L | V | I | S | | O | U | T | C | A | S | T |
| S | T | R | A | I | N | S | | D | I | A | N | | | T | V | H | O | S | T | S |
Wed 2/24/2016
| L | I | M | E | | U | R | B | A | N | | D | U | E | S |
| E | M | A | C | | L | O | R | N | A | | I | N | S | T |
| T | E | C | H | | T | A | I | N | T | | P | I | S | A |
| T | A | H | O | E | | S | T | A | G | G | | T | E | N |
| E | N | O | | L | S | T | S | | E | N | B | A | N | C |
| R | I | N | G | I | N | | | B | O | U | R | R | E | E |
| T | E | A | H | O | U | S | E | | | A | D | S | |
| | | S | U | B | M | E | R | G | E | S | | | |
| A | B | S | | | P | A | N | E | L | I | S | T | |
| S | L | E | E | V | E | S | | | S | A | L | A | A | M |
| C | I | T | R | O | N | | K | I | T | T | | S | P | A |
| R | E | A | | A | R | T | O | O | | E | T | H | E | R |
| I | N | M | E | | A | S | A | N | A | | K | I | R | I |
| P | E | A | S | | P | A | L | I | N | | O | M | E | N |
| T | E | X | T | | T | R | A | C | T | | S | I | D | E |
Wed 11/4/2015
| B | A | L | L | | | T | S | K | | V | I | D | E | O |
| O | L | I | O | | S | H | I | A | | A | C | O | R | N |
| G | I | L | G | A | M | E | S | H | | N | E | W | M | E |
| G | E | L | | L | O | S | I | N | G | | A | N | A | L |
| S | N | E | E | T | C | H | | | R | A | G | U | | |
| | | M | A | K | I | N | G | A | M | E | N | D | S |
| R | A | D | A | R | | N | U | O | V | A | | D | E | I |
| O | L | E | G | | B | I | B | L | E | | T | E | L | L |
| U | S | A | | C | A | N | I | D | | A | U | R | A | L |
| T | O | R | N | L | I | G | A | M | E | N | T | | | |
| | S | E | E | R | | | E | N | D | U | P | A | T |
| S | E | A | S | | D | E | A | D | E | R | | A | M | I |
| A | U | N | T | S | | A | G | A | M | E | M | N | O | N |
| A | R | T | O | O | | R | E | L | Y | | A | D | U | E |
| B | O | A | R | D | | L | D | S | | | C | A | R | D |
POW Wed 2/26/2014
| P | I | G | S | | A | V | I | A | T | E | | C | A | F |
| A | M | O | K | | N | A | S | S | A | U | | R | I | O |
| C | U | B | I | S | T | R | E | P | O | R | T | E | R | S |
| S | P | I | C | E | | Y | E | S | | A | I | D | E | S |
| | | A | N | G | | | | A | S | P | I | R | E |
| P | O | M | P | O | U | S | A | S | S | I | S | T | | |
| O | R | A | | R | E | P | L | I | C | A | | R | A | W |
| P | S | I | | | V | O | I | L | E | | | I | C | E |
| E | O | N | | C | A | R | B | O | N | S | | S | H | E |
| | S | T | A | R | K | I | S | T | N | A | K | E | D |
| A | T | T | I | L | A | | | | S | A | D | | | |
| S | U | R | L | Y | | G | A | S | | I | D | I | O | M |
| S | L | E | E | P | E | R | C | E | L | L | I | S | T | S |
| E | S | E | | S | E | A | N | C | E | | C | L | O | G |
| T | A | T | | O | L | D | E | S | T | | T | E | E | S |
