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Puzzles for August, 2025
with Jim Horne comments

View these same grids with comments from:
Constructor (7)Editor (5)Jim Horne (15)Hide comments
Fri 8/1/2025
PITHSINRECNBC
STREETFOODAERO
SCAMARTISTMWAH
THYWEARESERVE
SEARPATREON
NAPPEDBEREAL
APHIDHOTCEREAL
IPODSORAPEACE
LATEAPRILLASED
ORLESSSEDERS
MASSAGERACY
ACHEDROUGHLOT
MOONCARNEASADA
BROSACCESSROAD
ANTETEASEASYA

This is the debut for SPIDER SENSE, but SPIDEY SENSE has been used 3 times,

Sat 8/2/2025
BATTEDATANCHOR
ADHEREMANGIONE
DREXELIMDOOMED
JONASTREESEMO
OPENHAIRSCMON
KIXKILTSBLAME
ENTRANCEGEODE
STBARTSPREVENT
HIDESTRIFECTA
BEGINSWIMSOPT
ROTITHESEDOLE
ACHHAREMBAKER
HEINEKENLARIAT
MANIPEDILIKESO
ANGLAISECLOSET
Sun 8/3/2025 Heavenly Voices
BOWTHEERISEYUP
ANETAEONSPEDISTONE
ASHYMISTERSCOTTRUDE
STAPLEREXISTHEROCOP
AVOWCRYPTOSADAB
EKEOKGOARFSNUT
METREALIDSAVEUPATE
OOODEMOTETROLLSLTR
JUMPPERONPERILIWON
ITALICSONKEYCTSCANS
KILOKYOTOHUEY
THEGYMMASSEURREDSOX
WITHPAIRHULUICBM
ACHTOMNISBUSESNOVA
SKIASSISTERSATZUSS
STRUTKARATDEIGN
SQUIRESRIMWARPATH
SWUMERATOMACSLOOM
HAITIDYEREASTGONNA
INCURANTEUNTOARMOR
ASKMEMOCKPIERBEERS
Mon 8/4/2025
AMFMUSTEDAGRA
SARISHONEGOOD
ARILAARONJUDGE
DIALBRAPANEL
AERIALPHOTOORE
ONESTAPA
GHANAARCLULU
AINTGONNAHAPPEN
YEAHREYCACTI
SHEAROTC
AMOAORTICVALVE
WALTZDDTFAIL
AUDRELORDEANGI
IDEAADULTRAID
TERMGENESMILE
Tue 8/5/2025
STUBSYNODSTUD
TASEREAIRARLO
ACUTEANGLEVINE
SORTASPACEBAR
IMPETUSAMOS
SASASCENTOFMAN
STEALPAIGE
BOOTSMEARCREW
RODEOCLOSE
AHEADOFTIMEART
MICATEATREE
GAGREELSMADAT
OREOACORNSHELL
DINONOLIEONME
SEEMSNOOTETSY
  • A CUTE ANGLE
  • A SCENT OF MAN
  • A HEAD OF TIME
  • A CORN SHELL

A cute theme.

Wed 8/6/2025
EVILEYEOPTIMA
LINEMENAORTAS
SOFABEDSTWISTS
ALLSETCASENET
AERBRRRIO
JETSDUETNOTCH
USAPOSECASTLE
DABSATNEAPHAM
OILUPSPOTSAPS
EVEHANHAT
DIPRYESLETDIE
EROICASCARIEST
LOOKUPUNDRESS
INLETSBASEPAY

From the original lineup introduced by Parker Brothers in 1935, only two classic tokens are still part of the standard Monopoly set today: Battleship and Top Hat.

Other original tokens like the boot, cannon, thimble, iron, and money bag have been retired over the years. The thimble was briefly removed but made a comeback in 2022 after fan voting—though it's not guaranteed in every edition.

Modern additions include the dog, race car, cat, penguin, and rubber ducky, reflecting more contemporary tastes.

Thu 8/7/2025
BUMPALOUDASTI
AFARGODNOLOAN
TOPEARNERSPORE
PRAGUELATTE
HASATIMPEACHED
AVERSEAGASSI
YALEPUERTOATT
FRUITLESSLY
FCCPLASMAEELS
OROMEOTIGRIS
ROMANGODSCASTE
GAMINGRAVER
ETALPROBLEMONE
TINETESLAOPAL
SADDASSEDRINK

Remove the fruit from the theme answers to match the clues:

  • TOPEARNERS → TONERS
  • IMPEACHED → IMED
  • ROMANGODS → RODS
  • PROBLEMONE → PROBE

This is Mr. Zimmer's solo NYT debut. On Wordplay, he noted: "It took a while to land on the set of TO🍐NERS, IM🍑ED, RO🥭DS, and PROB🍋E, with the 'fruitless' entries still making words of their own, but they ended up fitting nicely in the grid."

Fri 8/8/2025
STOWETENTPOLE
LYCRABARTRIVIA
OPTICECOHOTELS
GEETHANKSWARTY
SATELGSWEST
BABACELUSA
SCAMALERTCRUX
YOUCANCOUNTONME
TUSKIASSUMESO
DRSFATARID
WEANCDSSPOT
STOATSHEETPANS
NORTHSTARWONKA
UNDIERUNSORDER
BESTRONGSTAYS
Sat 8/9/2025
ACCOSTASSETS
WALUIGIBLIGHT
CROSTINIHANGER
MOUTHEPSOMWWI
OLDSBEHARSHIP
NESLEDONLAIRS
CUTANDPASTE
JUSTBECAUSE
EASTERCANDY
TAMPSEASESCUD
ERASLASTSROPE
TMIYOKELHESSE
RASTASSEAOTTER
IRVINESPORCLE
SKULKSSPOOLS

This is the 9th time this grid pattern has been used. Mr. Williams has 6 of them.

Most common grid patterns.

Sun 8/10/2025 Passing Glances
EHOWUMACORDCHEW
TAXASSETAIMEESHANIA
CHENNEMOUNTAINHOWODD
ASTORASGARDPICKLED
OWNSOLDDONKEARS
ABUNDANTEERAPE
DEMEMOERLENMERFLASK
JAPANESENSTIESRATTY
SUSSELSAOKSGAYBAR
ABIDEROOKAASALA
ISPYWITHMYLITTLEEYE
SHHPINAGEEHOARD
NEUMANSVUDIEMAFAR
OATESSHOALSMILEMOJI
BRERSICECREAMZOOCAP
MREDAGRENFAIRE
HONEATERSEMIGNC
UNIBROWLATOYALEEKS
BELAIRDOUBLELLOWLINE
SULLENACRIDTOSTADAS
PALLPHATOPTSAGE
Mon 8/11/2025
RIFFSDEEMDRS
ADOREDELSEEEK
FIRECRACKERAHI
TONEACLCARE
STOWTRAFFICJAM
SWIGERIEHORA
FITESTAHSN
MINIFIGHIHONEY
ATETEASDAN
MATTOREOSECT
ALISONBRIEBRUT
IPASPLYYORE
SAOCHEESEBOARD
ENTAEONDUNKED
ASSRESTTESTY
Tue 8/12/2025
SKIHARRIETASH
OOFAMOUNTSUAE
CANTHOLDACANDLE
ALOHALESRURAL
LATECELEBMEDS
CANDYCANE
SATURNNORMAL
CRATEBFSMOANA
REXSTRIPESGIS
AWEDHALALPITT
MEXICANAMERICAN
BLIGHTMOESHA
LILASHAMEDHIM
EVETOUCANSOLE
DESKNELTPLS
Wed 8/13/2025
CALEBSTABBOIL
DIARYAUNTILSA
CLOUDATLASGLUT
DEMOSAMAZE
RAISININTHESUN
BESTIEOOHS
UNPEGSANDSALE
DECNEWMOONSEA
SEALVETSOTTER
ISEEUSHERS
NUMBERTHESTARS
UBERXALERT
RONASKYWRITING
SLURAIDELOOFA
ETSYPANSSOULS
Thu 8/14/2025
ATPJUMPLITHE
SLURASEAASWAN
HERDWHATISLOVE
APBIOTINAFEW
WHOSTHEBOSSONS
ACURATHAR
ORBSLUGSORTHO
WHATSUPWHOSWHO
NONETTRIOPOSH
GREWAMOCO
GNUWHATSTHETEA
RIPAARTATOLL
INJEOPARDYIDIE
FJORDBARECOAX
TABOOSPEWASS

What's the Tea (i.e., gossip), by Mary Cassatt.

What's the Tea?
Fri 8/15/2025
RASTACLOGS
DOESNOTCOMPUTE
INTHENEARFUTURE
STYLESSPASBOX
PAPERBESOCHIC
EPEEBODESAUCE
LEDMINIVERBAL
HEADSHOTS
FIBERSMATHJOB
AMORETIMEPANE
UFOSBOSSDASHI
CUTCUPSGERMAN
ILLDOTHETALKING
LEMONADESTANDS
GSPOTCHASE

Beethoven's first two symphonies almost sound like they could have been written by Hadyn or Mozart, but #3 broke all the rules and ushered in a new era of more emotional and romantic music.

In early drafts, #3 was dedicated to Napoleon Bonaparte, but Beethoven was so pissed off at the audacity of someone crowning himself Emperor, that the dedication was struck. The published name was Sinfonia EROICA, composed to celebrate the memory of an unspecified heroic man.

Sat 8/16/2025
BLOWDRYBARHUSH
LOWERHOUSEANTE
OPENMOUTHSSWAY
BESTADVICETATA
CREEALLEVEN
GALOISMRLONELY
OCELOSITESREB
ATADHEXERTIVO
TISPAVERMINED
BOARDIESGIGGLY
UNLEARNARCH
THOSTHEBARTMAN
TENTROSETOFAME
ERGOAUSTENITES
ROANPRESSSTART
Sun 8/17/2025 Ixnay That!
AGREETOSUFFERBACH
ROADGANGMINORCAALSO
NOTYOURAVERAGEOJBLUR
EDTSUZIEGELGETIN
TOLLSSECTORPARASITE
THEEIGHTHUNDERWAYMET
RAGUTYPEASMERE
SEINESEBASTIAN
STEEPLYAPPAREYOUOK
OHMSEXTRAOLDBAYSLOE
LEOIASKYOUADE
ULTAJUMBOENTREEGILL
MAINPAGERXSEXCITES
MONEYGRABCLAIM
NEWSLOAFERCALF
UVATOEBAYORNOTTOEBAY
PILSENERSCOOCHSTIPE
TAXERYAPSCHWATIS
OGRETOSSINTHEASHTRAY
WRAPCRISPUSTREASURE
NAYSMELTONTABKEYS

The base phrases that Amsay Piglatinizes are:

  • Not your average Joe
  • The eighth wonder
  • Extra bold
  • Jumbotron
  • To be or not to be (double transformed)
  • Toss in the trash
  • All-time low
  • Emotional wrecks
Mon 8/18/2025
CASEIHOPAPOP
ARENTTOFUNONO
BIRTHDAFFYDUCK
LAURENREFINEE
ELMERFUDDPHD
ALPTEACUP
STRAPTHAITATA
WOODYWOODPECKER
ADAMOPEDCHEST
NODICEUFO
SNLPEPELEPEW
AMIUBERWOULDI
BUGSBUNNYGROWN
ULNALASEYOWIE
TESTBLTSSSNS
Tue 8/19/2025
DIGIPASSPREY
ESONICERLEAVE
BLANKETPOLICIES
TALEROIOMAN
SNIPSRAILINGAT
DETERTATERA
UTOPIAFAIR
MONITORLIZARD
RODELAYMAN
ANDASKSPAMS
MOBILEAPPSTAIR
ANTEAHAIDLE
WELCOMETOMYCRIB
ATLASLITERICU
NESSMOONSDAS
Wed 8/20/2025
BARONLABTEY
EMORAPDEMOMODE
GOLIVEMISOSOUP
GELTHCTOGO
ABESROREFFIB
RADICALELFTSA
NOTIPSSPELT
HAIKUDIETUNES
ELMSTAPEMAN
MMASPYDOGKISS
PAMHASERESUE
ODORFDRANI
VERONICAIROBOT
PROMOTEDSENECA
SANRYECOLON

The O's represent pips on dice, all correctly aligned.

Flashback to one of my favorite ever "Cross" words experiences. Print those out or solve online.

Thu 8/21/2025
OARSSPANSICIER
KLEEAGREEBITTE
SIVAGAMERMASON
BOWTODVRSLID
TAKEIPAYEECOLE
IBEENHADSAYOVER
LADDERATDOMES
WHATGOESUP
KIROVEUROAWED
SENATESCINERAMA
PERPHESHELIVER
IPAZORKWISER
GENIITONYAODIN
ORGANARBORNOTE
TSENGSTANDSNIT

To match the starred clues, answers go across to the end, and then bounce up. But since what goes up must come down, they follow the track back down to complete the answer.

So, 19-Across is GAMER+ES+ERVES.

Fri 8/22/2025
ADAPTORCABELLO
REVERSEENGINEER
FAIRYTALEENDING
SLATEDITGUSTY
AUNTSSOS
LOGINTOGAPESAT
AMANDAEMMAPRO
RAISETHECURTAIN
ANTVIOLELOISE
MISSIONCLOWNED
HANNACRE
HASATROTHROMP
TRADITIONALIRAS
TAKENOPRISONERS
PLEDGESPETGOAT
Sat 8/23/2025
COBRAPOSECPAS
DALAILAMASALDI
ANDROIDAPPREST
NASASHNEPAL
CRANKSAGREESON
EDWINRAGEGO
KOOLAIDEDAM
MYJOBHEREISDONE
YEUNITSGOOD
SAMBOAMITTS
TOPFORTYLEERAT
REIKIOTOIPA
UNDOVEGANBACON
MAINEVILGENIUS
MYNARESCUECAT
Sun 8/24/2025 Mixed Company
POSHIRAISEPSAAGRI
ANTICFERNETINCLEON
STETHOSCOPESTATERTOT
TONSILAERAFFILIATE
APTCABERNETSAUVIGNON
MAYERDAHLHAND
OREOBIDEDELIGHT
CINNAMONBREADMAETUT
ADDEDUPAIDSSELFCARE
NYETACESOPALLPGA
CHOPSTICKSPHONECASES
TATIETDSBRITRASH
RHETORICEROSAIRSOUT
LASBENFLOWERGARDENS
RIDABLELEIAASIA
IONEEINESIXTY
GLOVECOMPARTMENTSSFO
LIBELLOUSRIARASCAL
OVERLAPSMAGICMARKERS
OILSUSEOTELLOSINGE
SASESYDPARSEDNEON
Mon 8/25/2025
HIPERASEBUSTS
ADOMAMMAONTOE
LAKETROUTBLOWN
THENERRSCARES
SORTLEFTTACKLE
TRAYHATE
OBEYSMAUISSNS
OILLAUNDRYPIE
HOLATRISENACT
NALABEER
COLDCALLERPEDS
ALERTSOXOATOM
VIDEOONTHELINE
EVIANRERUNRNA
DENSEBRAGSEAR
Tue 8/26/2025
KEGGILASING
ECONOMISTEVIL
PROUDPAPASLIEU
TUFTSNETEFFECT
AERIALSEE
COGSCIMOE
UNITARDTEATREE
REVERSEONTHEDL
BLEATAAASALES
DEBCDSNENE
VDAYLIEWHOA
EELNODTOOLSET
SALMONBERRYEAU
PREORDEREDMSN
ASYMMETRYETA
Wed 8/27/2025
MASTKPOPGMS
UHUHARALIRON
NENETOTEDADA
IMDFORWHATEVER
AHIYAYME
BUTTONDUPS
ASHEASAMISPF
DEISMIMPSERA
ARCUNDOTOPIC
TSKSPENTHAZE
SIRGOBBLED
ADDONFEE
GOINGDINFLAMES
AWAYKNEEPIKE
INNSECCEANEW
NSAYAKSLIDS

The circles contain UP or DOWN — either works in both directions. In the answers below the grid, I've arbitrarily used UP for the Across answers, and DOWN for the Down ones.

Thu 8/28/2025
LAPPIGSTYSMS
APRANEMIAHANA
GOODENOUGHARAB
SPOOLGREWRIFE
FILLFREAKOUT
BARAOLHST
ASEALADSHAIKU
CHAINLINKFENCES
HYDRARAILKALE
PIPTUTLPS
FELLFLATBAWL
AQUAAMOSLADLE
RUINSPOONERISM
MAGEMETROSBAM
LISADHERESTA

Four clues are Spoonerisms. Read "Recently dated" at 17-Across as "Decently rated", etc.

Fri 8/29/2025
DISCBNAIDEET
LUNARBELLCURVE
ABODEKILLERBEE
MANDARINBLUES
PIETINDIEM
SWINGSETSASH
HERODMEETCUTE
RONINDUDIOTAS
CUSTOMERCANON
AREFUNFILLED
RANTDEEIMS
MOODSILOVEDIT
RAPBATTLEEVADE
FREEMEALSNOCAP
KENSRUSTTOTS

EVOO stands for Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Sat 8/30/2025
SENORMAGIOCHO
IMANIOLAFDOOR
MINIDONUTSELMS
BRANDNAMENODE
ASSLTESONORA
HEHMEETPUN
COMETOABADEND
HEREBEDRAGONS
KARATELESSONS
IVEHALLTOE
MEANITSIDYOM
ALASDALAILAMA
ISBNURBANDECAY
RIANSALTETHNO
SPRYAWESASTIR

"Heat setting, perhaps" is MEET because preliminary races at, say, track meets, are called heats.

Sun 8/31/2025 A Man of Character
HILTITLLDOBYTECNN
OMOOPATOOTOOHSLOOT
MOVEYOURASHWHATAMESH
EVERESTFEEDLOTTARE
LEARNPEDROSMOOCH
ORBAGEDTINMANIAM
SILENCERLINTIERAVID
STENCILBEDECKTONERS
GODSHAVETHEKING
ACKAREAANTLIKE
SHINEDSHIELDDELIVERED
PERIDOTMOETEAU
COULDIHAVEASHIP
APLOMBROOTEDCARAFES
PEELLEANDERCASANOVA
ERGTEABAGSETSRID
MACROSERATOEMALL
ERLEYOUSURESCRAGGY
JAMESBONDSEANCONNERY
ITOOAUTOENDEARERIE
MERETONSAYSMESSNS

Here's another James Bond connect-the-dots puzzle from 2008.

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