Sat 8/1/2026
| T | R | A | S | H | T | A | L | K | | | A | P | B | S |
| V | A | G | U | E | I | D | E | A | S | | B | A | L | I |
| D | I | A | D | E | L | O | S | M | U | E | R | T | O | S |
| A | N | T | S | | S | U | S | A | N | L | U | C | C | I |
| D | Y | E | | M | I | T | E | S | | K | P | H | | |
| | | D | O | T | | N | U | T | | T | W | I | N |
| R | C | C | A | R | | A | S | T | R | O | N | O | M | Y |
| I | R | A | N | I | A | N | | R | I | V | E | R | A | S |
| G | A | R | G | A | N | T | U | A | | A | S | K | M | E |
| A | P | S | E | | Y | E | T | | O | R | S | | | |
| | H | R | T | | D | I | S | H | Y | | C | O | T |
| A | M | A | Z | E | B | A | L | L | S | | G | A | B | E |
| C | O | R | O | N | A | T | I | O | N | R | O | B | E | S |
| M | I | E | N | | M | E | T | P | A | Y | R | O | L | L |
| E | L | S | E | | | D | Y | S | P | E | P | S | I | A |
Sun 8/2/2026 Going for a Spin
| B | I | C | | S | A | R | I | | T | A | G | S | | C | A | R | P | S | |
| M | E | N | U | | T | I | E | R | | W | R | A | P | | A | L | E | R | T | S |
| O | F | F | R | O | A | D | V | E | H | I | C | L | E | | R | E | V | E | R | E |
| T | O | L | L | F | R | E | E | | A | T | H | L | E | T | E | S | | F | E | N |
| T | R | U | S | T | | | R | A | M | S | | A | D | O | S | | B | E | A | D |
| S | E | X | | T | A | R | S | U | S | | | N | E | W | S | H | O | C | K | S |
| | | M | I | S | S | E | D | | | E | T | R | E | | A | R | T | S | |
| L | O | W | E | M | I | S | S | I | O | N | S | | S | L | A | T | E | | | |
| O | R | A | T | E | S | | | | N | E | E | D | | | R | E | D | A | C | T |
| V | A | N | E | S | | S | C | A | M | P | | I | M | A | C | S | | N | O | R |
| E | N | T | S | | B | U | C | K | E | T | S | E | A | T | S | | N | O | D | E |
| I | G | O | | F | A | R | S | I | | U | P | S | E | T | | F | E | I | G | N |
| T | E | N | D | O | N | | | N | A | N | A | | | | I | R | O | N | E | D |
| | | R | I | S | E | S | | K | E | Y | L | E | S | S | E | N | T | R | Y |
| T | H | I | S | | V | I | S | A | | | O | V | U | L | E | S | | | |
| Q | U | I | E | T | R | I | D | E | | | P | R | I | M | A | L | | S | I | M |
| U | R | L | S | | I | C | E | E | | P | H | I | L | | | O | M | A | N | I |
| A | F | L | | A | C | T | T | H | R | E | E | | D | E | B | A | C | L | E | S |
| S | W | A | T | C | H | | R | E | A | R | W | H | E | E | L | D | R | I | V | E |
| H | A | R | A | R | E | | I | R | I | S | | M | A | L | E | | A | V | E | R |
| R | Y | D | E | R | | P | E | L | E | | S | D | S | U | | E | A | R | |
Mon 8/3/2026
| C | O | S | T | | S | N | A | I | L | | A | R | E | A |
| O | D | O | R | | T | E | D | D | Y | | P | U | M | P |
| M | I | D | I | | A | B | A | S | E | | I | N | C | A |
| B | E | A | C | H | B | U | M | | | P | E | T | E | R |
| | | Y | E | L | L | | C | R | O | C | H | E | T |
| I | C | E | C | R | E | A | M | M | A | K | E | R | | |
| A | I | S | L | E | | | O | O | Z | E | | O | A | F |
| M | A | T | E | | M | I | L | N | E | | H | U | R | L |
| B | O | A | | B | E | T | A | | | B | U | G | L | E |
| | T | R | U | E | C | R | I | M | E | S | H | O | W |
| S | T | E | A | L | T | H | | M | A | L | T | | | |
| L | A | S | I | K | | | C | H | I | L | L | I | N | G |
| E | T | A | S | | B | L | O | O | D | | E | V | E | R |
| P | E | L | E | | A | G | A | M | E | | R | A | R | E |
| T | R | E | S | | E | A | T | E | N | | S | N | O | W |
Tue 8/4/2026
| M | I | T | T | | S | L | I | M | E | S | | S | K | A |
| A | C | E | R | | C | O | M | B | A | T | | W | A | D |
| S | A | R | I | N | O | T | S | A | R | I | | O | L | D |
| S | N | I | P | E | R | S | | | | L | Y | R | E | S |
| | | L | L | C | | B | A | L | E | E | N | | |
| | D | E | L | H | I | P | L | A | T | T | E | R | S |
| O | N | U | S | | | G | A | U | N | T | | N | O | W |
| H | E | M | | A | Y | N | | M | A | O | | E | V | A |
| O | R | B | | R | E | I | G | N | | | A | M | E | N |
| H | O | L | I | M | A | T | R | I | M | O | N | Y | | |
| | E | T | C | H | E | R | | O | R | G | | | |
| Y | A | D | D | A | | | | C | R | E | E | P | I | N |
| U | F | O | | N | A | A | N | A | P | O | L | O | G | Y |
| M | A | R | | D | A | N | I | S | H | | I | P | O | S |
| A | R | E | | Y | A | C | H | T | S | | C | O | R | E |
Wed 8/5/2026
| C | H | A | R | T | | | | T | O | P | P | E | R |
| L | E | A | D | I | N | G | | N | O | W | H | E | R | E |
| A | R | I | Z | O | N | A | | I | C | E | D | T | E | A |
| P | A | G | E | | | R | A | N | K | S | | | | |
| | | | C | A | R | D | | | | C | A | S | E |
| | H | E | A | D | | M | A | S | S | A | G | E | S |
| C | A | R | B | O | N | | S | T | O | R | A | G | E |
| W | E | S | T | E | R | N | | S | A | H | A | R | A | |
| I | N | T | E | R | N | E | T | | B | O | T | S | | |
| G | O | E | S | | | | B | U | S | T | | | | |
| | | | F | I | R | S | T | | | M | A | T | E |
| B | O | O | L | E | A | N | | A | L | G | E | B | R | A |
| I | N | D | I | A | N | A | | H | O | O | S | I | E | R |
| C | O | U | N | T | S | | | | N | O | S | E | S | |
This puzzle was a particularly challenging one to construct (see this similar puzzle for some background). I spent a great deal of time exploring different black-square patterns and ended up filling several grids around this core concept. In the end, I had to accept a few less-than-ideal entries to make everything work. I hope you enjoy the solve and that, at the very least, it gives you something a little different to sink your teeth into.
– puzzle by Daniel Bodily
Thu 8/6/2026
| T | O | N | I | | I | C | E | D | | E | D | D | I | E |
| A | N | O | N | | S | A | M | E | | G | R | O | O | M |
| J | A | I | C | A | N | R | U | M | | G | A | U | N | T |
| R | I | S | O | T | T | O | | | P | R | I | G | | |
| T | R | Y | M | E | | L | E | B | R | O | N | J | E | S |
| | | M | A | R | | C | O | O | L | | H | A | L |
| S | E | S | A | M | E | | H | O | T | L | A | N | T | A |
| C | L | A | N | | T | H | O | S | E | | H | U | M | P |
| R | E | N | D | E | R | E | D | | S | P | I | T | E | S |
| A | N | D | | M | I | R | O | | T | A | G | | | |
| P | A | J | A | P | A | R | T | Y | | R | O | I | D | S |
| | W | I | L | L | | | E | L | M | T | R | E | E |
| P | R | I | M | O | | J | A | M | P | A | C | K | E | D |
| D | I | C | E | Y | | O | N | E | G | | H | E | R | A |
| A | C | H | E | S | | E | T | N | A | | A | D | E | N |
Fri 8/7/2026
| S | T | R | E | S | S | B | A | L | L | | A | F | E | W |
| I | H | A | D | N | O | I | D | E | A | | R | A | V | I |
| C | A | T | S | O | U | T | O | F | T | H | E | B | A | G |
| S | I | S | | W | R | I | S | T | | O | W | E | N | S |
| | | S | C | O | T | | T | A | S | E | R | | |
| P | E | C | A | N | | B | U | S | T | A | G | U | T |
| T | R | A | I | T | | P | O | R | K | | T | E | V | A |
| N | E | R | F | | T | O | O | N | S | | H | E | E | L |
| U | G | L | I | | A | W | E | S | | B | I | G | A | L |
| T | O | Y | M | A | K | E | R | | S | O | N | G | S | |
| | R | O | V | E | R | | B | E | R | G | | | |
| O | L | I | V | E | | G | R | I | D | S | | N | Y | C |
| M | U | S | I | C | P | R | O | D | U | C | T | I | O | N |
| I | C | E | E | | G | A | T | E | C | H | A | N | G | E |
| T | A | R | S | | A | B | I | T | E | T | O | E | A | T |
Sat 8/8/2026
| T | O | S | S | | | | S | A | R | I | | C | B | S |
| H | O | O | T | S | | H | E | M | A | N | D | H | A | W |
| A | L | F | R | E | | E | R | I | C | C | A | R | L | E |
| W | A | T | E | R | S | L | I | D | E | | P | I | L | E |
| S | L | E | E | V | E | L | E | S | S | T | | S | E | T |
| A | N | T | I | R | U | S | T | | R | E | T | R | Y |
| | S | T | E | E | V | E | | D | A | V | I | S | |
| | | E | T | N | A | | M | A | G | I | | | |
| R | I | A | T | A | | F | I | N | I | T | E | | |
| G | E | T | M | E | | L | E | N | S | C | A | P | S | |
| A | A | H | | S | P | A | N | A | K | O | P | I | T | A |
| B | R | E | A | | H | Y | D | R | O | M | E | T | E | R |
| B | E | L | L | E | A | M | I | E | | I | R | O | N | S |
| E | N | P | A | S | S | A | N | T | | C | O | M | T | E |
| R | D | S | | P | E | N | G | | | | N | E | S | S |
Sun 8/9/2026 Freestyle Exercise
| A | T | A | L | L | | H | E | I | S | T | S | | F | L | U | | A | X | I | S |
| C | O | M | E | O | N | I | N | T | H | E | W | A | T | E | R | S | F | I | N | E |
| C | O | N | G | R | E | S | S | I | O | N | A | L | D | I | S | T | R | I | C | T |
| O | C | E | A | N | U | S | | S | W | A | M | P | | D | A | Y | O | | | |
| R | O | S | T | E | R | | U | N | U | M | | H | O | E | | E | M | A | I | L |
| D | O | T | E | | O | N | T | O | P | | D | A | U | N | T | | A | N | N | E |
| S | L | Y | | S | L | E | E | T | | D | E | B | T | | H | I | N | T | A | T |
| | | B | O | O | N | S | | L | I | F | E | S | P | A | N | | C | H | I |
| | L | O | D | G | E | | H | A | V | E | T | H | I | N | G | S | O | U | T |
| T | O | D | A | Y | | M | O | V | E | A | S | O | N | E | | N | L | R | B |
| R | O | T | I | S | | T | O | N | I | S | T | O | N | E | | M | O | O | R | E |
| I | M | I | N | | P | A | L | E | S | T | I | N | E | | T | A | W | N | Y | |
| T | O | N | G | U | E | L | A | S | H | I | N | G | | C | O | V | E | Y | | |
| U | R | L | | B | E | E | S | T | I | N | G | | D | O | M | E | D | | | |
| A | R | I | S | E | N | | S | A | N | G | | G | R | O | A | N | | S | I | P |
| L | O | F | T | | S | H | E | N | G | | W | R | I | S | T | | M | I | N | E |
| S | W | E | E | P | | U | S | S | | I | H | O | P | | I | S | O | L | D | E |
| | | P | O | O | L | | W | A | R | I | O | | F | L | A | R | E | U | P |
| C | O | R | P | O | R | A | T | E | S | U | R | V | E | I | L | L | A | N | C | E |
| I | N | V | E | R | T | E | D | R | O | L | L | E | R | C | O | A | S | T | E | R |
| S | A | S | S | | O | D | S | | F | E | S | S | E | S | | T | S | A | R | S |
- I've been meaning to put 57-Across in a puzzle ever since I learned about her (and Mamie Johnson and Connie Morgan) while visiting the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, one of the first things I did after moving to Kansas City seven years ago. Fortuitous that this puzzle is running so soon after the inaugural season of the Women's Pro Baseball League begins.
- Making the puzzle took longer than usual. I did the middle part of the grid in February 2025, and then I thought it would be nice to have some 21-letter answers. My wordlists didn't have a ton of those (since they're largely sourced from 15x15 puzzles), so I spent some time looking for more by using online dictionary search tools and also by thinking of them. I submitted the puzzle in September 2025. Love a slow burn!
- I asked the Times team which editor wrote the brilliant clue at 66-Across; I should have guessed that it was Sam Ezersky (you know, the Bee guy).
– puzzle by Erik Agard
Mon 8/10/2026
| A | P | E | S | | S | L | A | T | | E | N | J | O | Y |
| M | A | X | I | | A | I | M | S | | G | E | O | D | E |
| O | P | E | D | | S | T | E | P | B | Y | S | T | E | P |
| R | I | C | E | C | H | E | X | | U | P | S | | | |
| | | B | A | A | | | H | O | T | | P | A | N |
| P | L | A | Y | B | Y | P | L | A | Y | | C | A | N | E |
| L | A | S | S | O | | H | A | Z | E | | A | N | T | S |
| U | G | L | I | | S | O | S | A | D | | S | I | L | T |
| C | U | E | D | | U | B | E | R | | R | E | N | E | E |
| K | N | E | E | | B | I | R | D | B | Y | B | I | R | D |
| Y | A | P | | E | T | A | | | L | A | Y | | | |
| | | A | L | L | | L | A | U | N | C | H | E | D |
| F | O | U | R | B | Y | F | O | U | R | | A | U | R | A |
| L | A | R | G | O | | I | S | N | T | | S | L | A | M |
| Y | K | N | O | W | | N | E | T | S | | E | A | S | E |
Tue 8/11/2026
| I | P | A | D | S | | S | Y | S | C | O | | E | S | C |
| N | O | T | U | P | | A | O | K | A | Y | | V | I | A |
| F | L | A | M | I | N | G | L | I | P | S | | I | A | M |
| O | L | D | P | R | O | | O | P | S | | E | L | M | O |
| | | L | E | A | K | | | I | D | L | E | | |
| A | N | T | I | | H | A | N | S | Z | I | M | M | E | R |
| L | A | W | N | S | | R | I | T | E | S | | P | I | E |
| L | U | I | G | I | | M | A | A | | C | H | I | D | E |
| O | R | S | | G | A | I | L | Y | | S | O | R | E | S |
| W | U | T | A | N | G | C | L | A | N | | M | E | R | E |
| | E | L | S | E | | | T | A | K | E | | | |
| D | A | R | E | | D | O | I | | R | U | B | I | E | S |
| R | U | M | | S | O | N | G | D | Y | N | A | S | T | Y |
| I | R | A | | O | U | T | E | R | | I | S | L | A | M |
| P | A | T | | S | T | O | R | E | | S | E | A | L | S |
Wed 8/12/2026
| T | A | G | S | | T | R | E | B | L | E | | D | M | S |
| O | T | R | A | | H | A | R | R | O | W | | A | Y | E |
| G | O | O | G | L | E | D | R | I | V | E | | N | B | A |
| A | M | I | G | O | | | O | N | E | | S | C | A | M |
| | N | E | T | W | O | R | K | S | P | E | E | D | S |
| | | D | R | E | W | | | | A | R | O | | |
| C | I | S | | | A | L | E | C | | R | I | F | T | S |
| I | N | T | E | R | N | E | T | T | R | A | F | F | I | C |
| A | N | O | R | A | | T | A | R | O | | | S | K | I |
| | R | U | G | | | | L | A | M | A | | | |
| C | O | M | P | U | T | E | R | C | R | A | S | H | | |
| L | U | S | T | | H | A | I | | | I | C | A | R | E |
| A | N | O | | S | E | R | V | E | R | D | E | L | A | Y |
| I | C | U | | O | R | N | A | T | E | | N | O | S | E |
| M | E | T | | W | E | S | L | E | Y | | T | S | P | S |
Thu 8/13/2026
| Z | A | G | | B | E | E | P | | P | A | R | I | A | H |
| I | M | O | | O | K | R | A | | R | I | C | O | L | A |
| L | O | B | S | T | E | R | S | | O | R | A | T | E | D |
| C | R | E | P | T | | S | T | U | M | P | | A | V | E |
| H | E | R | A | L | D | | E | S | P | O | U | S | E | S |
| | S | T | E | A | M | | E | T | D | S | | | |
| P | I | E | | S | T | A | L | L | | S | A | B | E | R |
| B | R | R | S | | A | X | L | E | S | | F | A | V | A |
| J | A | K | O | B | | I | M | S | A | D | | N | E | W |
| | | F | A | R | M | | S | P | E | N | D | | |
| A | Q | U | A | R | I | U | M | | S | N | O | W | E | D |
| B | U | N | | R | O | M | A | N | | S | O | A | R | E |
| B | O | B | C | A | T | | S | I | Z | I | N | G | U | P |
| O | R | A | N | G | E | | K | N | I | T | | O | P | T |
| T | A | N | N | E | D | | S | O | N | Y | | N | T | H |
I love crosswords that defy convention and require you to think outside the box (sometimes literally!) to unravel the mysteries of the grid, so I always look forward to tackling The Times's tricky Thursday themes. My favorite puzzle-solving day is extra special this week, as I have the great pleasure of sharing a Thursday twist of my own.
Beyond the theme, I also had a lot of fun writing the clues for this puzzle, challenging myself to incorporate fresh cluing angles and subtle misdirection throughout. I am especially proud of my clues for 31-Across, 73-Across, 27-Down, and 40-Down.
I hope solving this crossword doesn't give you too many fits!
– puzzle by Killian Olson
Fri 8/14/2026
| G | I | Z | A | | | S | N | I | F | F | S | O | U | T |
| I | M | O | N | | | A | Y | C | A | R | A | M | B | A |
| N | E | O | N | | B | R | E | A | K | U | P | S | E | X |
| S | A | M | U | R | A | I | | R | I | C | | | | |
| U | N | F | A | I | R | | R | E | N | T | A | C | O | P |
| C | A | L | O | R | I | E | | G | O | L | O | C | O |
| C | O | T | S | | E | T | C | H | | S | I | N | C | E |
| A | M | I | | I | N | C | L | O | S | E | | F | A | M |
| S | E | G | E | R | | H | U | S | H | | S | A | M | S |
| C | O | U | S | I | N | | S | E | A | L | A | B | S | |
| A | N | E | C | D | O | T | E | | L | E | M | U | R | S |
| | | | E | R | R | | G | O | S | P | L | A | T |
| T | H | A | T | S | M | Y | J | A | M | | L | A | Z | E |
| R | A | P | A | C | I | O | U | S | | | E | T | O | N |
| U | M | P | T | E | E | N | T | H | | | S | E | R | T |
For me, every New York Times submission is like an incarnation of Schrödinger's cat — a submission is both rejected and accepted (or is it neither rejected nor accepted?) until I hear back about it. And no matter what the response is, I'm always surprised and amazed. Acceptance? Total shock! Amazing!! Didn't expect that! Rejection? Total shock! What?! I loved that puzzle!
I know that makes no sense, but it's somehow true. This puzzle was no different — I was shocked that it was accepted. I won't point out its flaws to you though, in case you don't see them.
The seed for this puzzle was ZOOM FATIGUE, which I was worried about using, lest it be irrelevant after a year or two. Luckily for me, this puzzle is being published just 13 months after I first submitted it, which seems like a very short time given how many themelesses are in the queue. Unluckily for me, I continue to experience ZOOM FATIGUE on a weekly basis.
Lastly — many thanks to Rafa Musa!! Without him, this puzzle would not exist. I emailed Rafa shortly after ACPT 2025, asking him to collab on a themeless. He took pity on this themeless newbie and very generously said yes. This spawned a cursed puzzle that generated over 40 emails and many, many grid iterations. Our shared clue spreadsheet tabs read "Sheet1", "new! clues", "new! new! clues", and "new! new! new! (lmao) clues". But through that process --- the filling, the refilling, the clueing, the re-clueing --- I learned so much about the art of constructing a themeless. I'm addicted now.
I'd still love to share an NYT byline with Rafa one day, and I hope that not all of our collab attempts are destined to be cursed… But I think I'll pitch him a themed puzzle, just to be safe.
(I'm also forever pitching to Kevin Curry that we collab on a themeless, but I've yet to get him to bite. Someday!)
– puzzle by Zhou Zhang
Sat 8/15/2026
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