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Puzzles for May, 2026
with Jim Horne comments

View these same grids with comments from:
Constructor (3)Editor (2)Jim Horne (7)Hide comments
Fri 5/1/2026
OARSOCCAMSCAN
NEONLOOFALIPO
ARMADILLOSYAPS
LOCKANDLOADALE
OBOESTETOLSEN
GEMSWAGCOASTS
MAKEBELIEVE
SPOILERALERTS
COUPLESONLY
ANNULSOKSAMFM
POSSEMMAATARI
ARTTHEMUNCHIES
BOERERADICATES
LURKACTINNAPE
ESSOTHETADIRS
Sat 5/2/2026
MOONSHOTSFLAT
AUNATURELRARER
STAGENAMEALANA
HINGESPERMABAN
UNDERNOPEEKING
PLODCARSWEAT
SANGENAHORNS
COLORWARS
SHALEYORKBOA
WORDSTOEBAND
LATESTFADDOMED
ILLSTARTRAWBAR
ELISAATMINSIDE
DONERGOBANANAS
WEDSSOANYWAYS
Sun 5/3/2026 What Are the Odds?
ICHCPROKEDSATATOP
MUDHOLEPITATEACHME
ATTUNEDPLASTICSHEETS
GIVESADARNHORSTRATA
INSILEOSEARES
NOEASYTASKSTICKYPADS
ENTRAPSSEWINONA
INREERINNODRAMA
BRIDGETJONESLOWDIGIT
EINSNOGTHRUSAFEST
LEFTAWRYYOREETTE
ISAYSOLEASFILMWES
KENKESEYCHILDSUPPORT
ENTENTEPHYSEZRA
TENHUTACCAORTAL
BARBARIANSTHINKPIECE
ELIAEDTOREACA
AMONRAHEWACCOUNTREP
NOTQUITERIGHTBROCODE
NEUTRALMAMAOBTUSER
DRESSUPPHEWPSAEDS

Circled "odd" letters in theme answers combine to match the clue in the following answer.

Mon 5/4/2026
COASTABBAGAPS
OATESFOBSAMAT
CHICKFLICKLENA
OUTLANIONIC
BRICKBYBRICK
ITSLITLUMET
NIKONSCARYRS
CLICKITORTICKET
ALPHUGEMAINE
SATONMOPTOP
PICKUPSTICKS
ADLIBETAWAS
DEANGETSTHEICK
MASTPROMBELAY
ALSOSANEOLDIE

Each theme answer contains ICK twice.

Tue 5/5/2026
GOTOPITCHHOPON
ARALHOOHAIDAHO
LADYFINGERTECHS
LLAMASARAHSKEE
PDFSIMONSAYS
ARTISANMEAN
SHEAKETTLESIDO
HEADLESSHORSEMAN
YAMINTOYOUNARC
MACESNARLED
TRADEWINDSCI
RASHSMEARMCRIB
EMCEENATUREHIKE
ABORTETUDEEPEE
TOTESWOMENDEAF
Wed 5/6/2026
LIEHAMMBRACED
INTRIGUERESALE
BLUEBELLBATMAN
RADIICBDPEONY
AWESMHEVER
ICEHAIRPBJ
ODDNUMBERSPERU
CROSSPOLLINATED
HALTHOLYTOLEDO
OWLVISAOTS
MISTARFADE
METOOSAGOCCAM
ENROLLSOCRATIC
AZALEAPRIMROSE
TOMATOSAGERYE
  • BLUEBELL crosses HIBISCUS at B
  • PEONY crosses ASTER at E
  • AZALEA crosses VIOLET at E
  • PRIMROSE crosses DAISY at S

The four crossing letters spell BEES.

Thu 5/7/2026
JAMIEMUGPOET
AGAVEUSESARLO
CARELESSMISTAKE
KIRVCRNAILS
SNORKELINN
WINLESSSEASON
RABBICATEOVA
ILOSTAHASPRIG
TINTRIGKURDS
AGELESSBEAUTY
ARKAMASSES
SAYITECOILL
ENDLESSSTRUGGLE
TAZOKETOAPHID
SPEWWARESTES
Fri 5/8/2026
HATESONATEASE
THERENOWSWANKY
TAXEXILESORTIE
PSTMOORSSLIPS
PANSEARACS
AWMANSORESPOT
CHERUBNASTMOP
TEDTALKNEATENS
INSLOOPTRADES
ICESTORMTRYST
NHLSKIAREA
KROFTSENORKPH
YOOHOOSINKHOLE
IMLATETODIEFOR
VESTEDCATSITS
Sat 5/9/2026
ALCHEMISTSBIRD
MEREMORTALALOO
YOUREEARLYBLOG
SIXERTAKEARFS
GREWSTRATI
PAWNEEBYTECOT
OREOFREEADEPT
KINDASORTAMAYBE
ESTERARILBOAR
RHOSPRYSCOURS
PANEERSKOR
APTSIMHOATOLL
RIOTSCARYMOVIE
TRUEMAKEUPGAME
YORESTEAKSALAD
Sun 5/10/2026 Come Full Circle
ADSSWABFCCCIGIPAD
SUNSHADEWHOOHOSILO
SPACEINVADERMEGAMALL
ALFATOESANTIARTNIL
YOUTHFULINDISCRETIONS
TOONDALEKDERN
LEARREVERESNACL
WHIRRRESDIFCHASM
REFDIASBOWDIETTEE
AREANYTICEBERSBEET
POSTABSSUNBSETANTE
SITENATOLDBADEHIHO
UNOLENONOSLORDGRR
PERSESPFMAGERHUS
YUTZSOILIEDSCAT
CPASDLISTCLAW
ROCKANDROLLHALLOFFAME
EHHSICARIOLEOSIWAS
AWAYTEAMCLOSETHELOOP
DOSESROIMPCHEWELRY
EWESTDSTETHESSSIS

Wow. The three BLOCKs going down from square 65 animate to black so the grid art can "come full circle" and turn what looks like a C into an O.

The italicized clues do the same trick — turn every C into O to match the answer.

  • U.F.C. fighter U.F.O. fighter
  • Where many large cutlets are seen Where many large outlets are seen
  • Wild cats Wild oats
  • Chic venue that features great bands Ohio venue that features great bands
  • bcced booed
  • Bic fillerBio filler
  • Travelers' cases → Travelers' oases
  • Arsenic's realmArsenio's realm
Mon 5/11/2026
DERLLAMAAIMED
AXEGABONSWEAR
BILLBOARDCHARTS
BLOATSSEVEN
LEADFESSTHAW
EDDYTILPOACH
HORSDOEUVRE
ACQUITSUMPTEEN
SOUNDSTAGES
AMAZENUNCHOP
PEDISTOPHAHA
PLAITTHIRDS
DROPINTHEBUCKET
JADEDLEASTEAR
SHEDSERUPTDRY

Oh, dear! Across answers with circles highlight O and kinds of DEER.

Tue 5/12/2026
STARTFEELEWES
OILEROGLEVEST
FLAVOUROFTHEDAY
ALSMRSENSUE
ABDUCTORS
COLOURINGBOOKS
JAMINESTEPEA
ORATEDELITES
INNERSTOPENS
NEIGHBOURHOODS
OUTBREAKS
DWELLMILFAT
OHYOUAREBRITISH
DERNBILLKAFKA
ONEGCOKEEXIST

The circled O, U, and R in 58-Across not only repeat the British (and Canadian!) OUR pattern, but when you sound it out, you get Oh, You Are! Nicely done.

Wed 5/13/2026
TAXISRSERDOCS
AXONPEAPARROT
PLUSSIGNATEASE
SETTEASEALMA
DOLLARSYMBOL
STEEPSMEET
LAVACHINAINU
OPENPARENTHESIS
GASABASEWOKE
TCBYSPOKES
QUESTIONMARK
ULTANEATOILL
ANUBISSHIFTKEY
RADIUMTANVEER
TRENDSSLYSAKE
Thu 5/14/2026
SCARPSLIDPSI
ALLMEUMAMIOHM
COLORPHOTOSTAO
STANDINGHHMARK
TITOROUTE
ONTHEHHCANNONS
DEISMFIATISTO
DEMSMITTENKIN
EDENARCOEKING
RETAINSHHWINGS
DRACODUST
RAINHHPITCHERS
ASAIHEARTRADIO
GALNORSEERICA
UPSGEOSWATER

The circled H-O-H sequences represent water molecules. WATER is added to the end or beginning of the theme answers.

  • STANDING+WATER & WATER+MARK
  • ONTHE+WATER & WATER+CANNON
  • RETAINS+WATER & WATER+WINGS
  • RAIN+WATER & WATER+PITCHERS
Fri 5/15/2026
HILTLIVEWIRES
OMENBANANASEAT
MATTAPECOSTUME
ELMELIZAHOSEA
CLEAVESNITESL
HEADEDSTRUM
EATINBELABORS
FREDTAGONDOES
SMASHCUTBEGAT
SHAKETELUGU
GMCEWWCISTERN
READEOGRESWAN
ITSUPTOYOUCAPE
NEEDLEDROPOVER
DRYSEASONMESS
Sat 5/16/2026
URLSSCRIMWREN
COATPHONESHOME
LUNALITTLEOLME
ANDYKIMWATTLED
DEBATECONTESTS
MEDAYSHAGEL
AMOCODICERLID
NUUKFEATSMANI
EPTSEEPSZARFS
COUPEVIRGOS
SECONDSTRINGER
TRAVAILEXCISED
RIVERSEINENOVA
EVENSTEVENADEN
PODSSPEWSLARK
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