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Puzzles for December, 2022
with Editor comments

Thu 12/1/2022
ANTICIMAGCIEL
TURNONAPOONME
BRIGGSGROWNUPS
ITSANOGONACRE
RUTALMOSTTHERE
TRANCESHOUSTON
HENSNOUSORO
WAITFORIT
UNABRETRAMP
SENSORSPREENER
NOTQUITEYETNAE
DAUNTNEVADANS
BAREDALLALISTS
IDEATIAMINUTO
BASKELIPATION
Fri 12/2/2022
MONSTERMASHGNC
EDITORIALWEROO
LIFETIMEBANERN
BUTTONUPSTATE
AMYSNAMOATHS
ONSETSNOGS
ICANTWATCHSATE
CAFHATESONMAP
ERRSNOSPOILERS
GOOFSTASHA
GOPROMSNKPOP
AHITUNAETERNE
MOCRECENCYBIAS
MLKPHOTOCREDIT
ADSMINDREADERS
POW Sat 12/3/2022
JUMPYMADAMMOW
APOLOGYTOURAVA
NOTAKEBACKSREV
NONETHISPARE
ASTRALFASTS
ASMRHOLEPUNCH
TWOWESTHEEHEE
VIRGINSJOLLITY
STEREOSINSNOR
COULDITBETOPE
SHREDNASCAR
HELLDAMATEAM
OREPIPECLEANER
EOSEVENALITTLE
SOSPATSYNYETS
Sun 12/4/2022 Gossip Session
FINSILLMOIRALASSO
ALECDEEMABOUTIMHIP
SHARESANACCOUNTBEAST
TATUMFORTRESSSERKIS
NOBAILBOODAHLIA
IDEALCARDICSA
HASALLTHEJUICYDETAILS
AGARISHIRANDANGLE
RATIOELGRECOXANAX
SPILLSTHETEAPATCH
HENDOWELYAHOOPAW
TWOAMSTIRSUPDRAMA
SACRESIPHONSEUROS
PROUSTAEROKFCITUP
AIRSTHEIRDIRTYLAUNDRY
ARTRANKSADAMS
OFFERSNABNOHELP
NODULEHOSEDOWNELBOW
AMINOWANTSTOHEARMORE
PANDAEPCOTSOLOSMEE
ANGSTBEEPSASKTBSP

Gustie Owens, of New York City, is a research assistant at MDRC, a nonprofit education, and social policy research organization. She has been solving crosswords since middle school. Once in history class, her teacher announced to her from across the room, "12-Across is ALLIGATOR." She realized that the puzzle she was doing was reflected in her glasses.

Last spring, while a senior at Barnard, she was a member of The Times's first Diverse Crossword Construction Fellowship program. This is her first puzzle in the paper.

Mon 12/5/2022
COBSHOTPARCHI
OWLCABOOSEHIP
LEOOLEMISSAKA
ADOBOYENUMPED
DEPOSITSLIP
ILLASKATLAST
PEIEUROSQUO
SANANDREASFAULT
OPERANOTLEAKS
RAHTAR
HONEYBOOBOO
SLAWLAIRDSWAK
CORKMYBADONME
AGEESALTYLUMP
ROSYSEESPOT
Tue 12/6/2022
CCSBADCEDAR
HONECOLIANIMAL
INAGARTENBERATE
CRITIDABWELLS
WELLDUHIBISGIS
ADALOVELACEBAKE
YETWERELUMEN
ANADEARMAS
DESKSNOONKEN
ULTAAVADUVERNAY
VEEEMIREELIEST
EVAMENDESIBET
TAMARIEVEENSLER
STUDIOLUNGEORC
EPEESDOSNSA
Wed 12/7/2022
SWOOSHATTICS
CARACASCHINUA
OLDTIMEREERILY
FLEEMRESBETTS
FEASTGYMNASIUM
STLWEEEARARE
WINFAMATE
CONCURRENCE
JAWANYLOT
AOLGMCEYELOS
MULTIPLEXSKOSH
PREENETCHASHE
ENRAGESEMESTER
RAISEDLOVETAP
ELDERSSAMOSA
Thu 12/8/2022
YENSMAYSMALLS
AVOWINACAMEIN
KIWIDNCURBANE
LONGJOHNSLVER
RENUTEENIEST
EARFULSOMEN
TAILYAWNERSOL
THEUSMEGSCHWA
ASSTHEBATSAID
PAIDSHRIKES
TVSIGNALRIME
WEIRDYSTOPIAN
ENCASEAHAAPOP
EMOTERTATMEGA
NONEWSSTYIGOR
Fri 12/9/2022
PRAYERMATADMIT
SUPERNOVALOOFA
IGOTTASAYANVIL
LIESITSSTILL
AMOBYLAWGELS
MAGPIEYALE
BUYINGUPBOTTOM
INASTUPORGUAVA
TACTNOPEOPTED
CIVNUDESTRE
PEELERPSAMODS
ALPROOSTSSORE
LETSDOTHATAGAIN
ENEROTOTEMRVS
RADONOPERATEE
POW Sat 12/10/2022
IRISSCANSOPS
CENTURIESEPEE
ESCAPEROOMATTA
STOKEDPLASTICS
TAMERPEEKABOO
ORBSGETSEVEN
REASOWSSOL
MATCHESEPITAPH
HESSTARTAO
FELDSPARFEST
HEAVEHOSCLASP
LATTEARTTAYLOR
ARIDFELLINLOVE
MESADIALTONES
ASHYTVTOWERS
Sun 12/11/2022 Step on It!
ABATINGSLRSCADSLED
LATERALTEAMGAMEPEPE
PYTHAGOREAHEOREMAGIN
HOARNEOANDSARAL
AURASHALDREICELEB
NITEELIABOVEREPR
DESIGEDDRIVERMATISSE
ONAURGEOARDISOBEYS
WATERMELONWAITON
EMOTESIBSILASESSAY
LOUTCELTNOTLIME
SRTASBASESNOMROLES
PURSEDSEMIWEEKLY
PATOOTIEOUIITOOBIO
ANEMONEINSPECTORCLAU
INLIKEFNNNSCEDGY
DULCEELSASONSCRAM
LARDTEAKBTWLARA
ALLOLUDWIGVANBTHOVEN
REINONESEEDSCHINESE
IDESWADROSYHOPENOT

Laura Taylor Kinnel, of Newtown, Pa., teaches math and is the director of studies at a Friends boarding school near Philadelphia. This is her sixth crossword for The Times, most of them Sundays.

For her son's wedding last June, the couple asked Laura to construct a crossword for their outdoor reception. The result was printed on a large foam board and guests worked on it with dry erase markers. The completed puzzle now hangs in the newlyweds' living room.

Mon 12/12/2022
CABINPANSBUM
USINGFLOPROPE
BALLOFFIREENDS
IDLEITSMECEOS
CASABATACTIC
FESTHIPHOP
CDSACIDSGEICO
HITGOFETCHNHL
ARIALFAULTAOL
DECREENOEL
KISMETSNAFUS
BATSOLIVEBONA
ALOEPAPERTRAIL
IBISOTISSALTS
TATPENTATSEA
Tue 12/13/2022
CAKESCRAPWHIZ
RUNECIARAHONE
IRONURGESOUTS
BABYSBREATHSET
HAIRLONELY
CREPESSITUP
LEVARWOLFSBANE
ONITAERIEBRED
GOLDENRODLITHE
GRATEPINYIN
THEYRESAUL
RANLADYSLIPPER
UNITTONYSBETA
COUPEMCEEJETS
KISSRESTSSLAP
Wed 12/14/2022
POLLCCEDSPCA
AVIAHALOAPART
NUMBERSEVENOM
ELIBRIEGOLAN
RETRAINBOWLCUT
ASSESGALASETA
BIORUTSASS
LUCKYBREAKS
IPASDEYEMU
NAVTESSAULTRA
GRISHAMROCKIER
ASTIRPICKNSA
ABHORSESHOEUF
BLENDUSERRAMA
CEDENOSEBRET
Thu 12/15/2022
EELINGOSLOIDED
OROMEOPHEWNINA
NEWPOTATOESLETT
SANSCLIOMEDIA
ADOCHICKENSTOCK
GETBEATWINWEE
OREADDIETANDY
HEAVYCREAM
BESSLIEUBIBLE
UNAPOEDEEDBOX
SAUTEEDLEEKSQVC
RCCARUTNECREE
ITISVICHYSSOISE
DENTACREBULBED
EDGYLEERYEASTS
Fri 12/16/2022
BADJUJUTOGAS
AQUINASTILAPIA
GUNBOREREDMASS
MAKESFRASECTS
ARTSRUINSRHEE
NIABOLTCUTTERS
ANVILZEBRA
KOOLSSMOGS
DRUNKITSON
CHOKEPOINTSREC
LARASODASDATE
ERECTZAPGINZA
ALLRISEPOMADES
RESALESELENORE
YENTADYNAMOS
Sat 12/17/2022
KEYSUPDADBOD
AMOEBAWINEBAR
MAULERTEDTALKS
AIRFRESHENER
LEISPENTAFTS
SHOELORISNARE
TONHITMEANNUL
RAFAURORALTEE
AXIOMEMOTEHON
TERNSMEATCERA
ISEECOTSGOOF
ABOVETHEFRAY
REDRYDERONFILE
IDOTTERPRIEST
GUSHEDSENSEI
POW Sun 12/18/2022 Some Theme's Missing
AHBLISSMERCIHOPES
BALONEYCARPENTERANT
CLOWNEDTHISISTHELIFE
SLOWEDTHINETRADEDUP
OMARCARPSMBASAFES
SWITGOGOSFEINTNOGO
PENETRATECOMESATRON
LEGRAISEPHOENIXAZ
IKOBETAWARDSTEXAN
TENSFEMINISTSSIDES
SNITSRESTSTOPSSIXES
DORICDESPACITOETCH
NOTITCRANKCALLTOE
MADEPROUDIMSODONE
FIBTELLALLKNEEBENDS
IMAMREECEGLENNLOCH
RANATPAKCRASSSITH
ELGRECOSGAIUSLASHAT
POLICEREPORTSPOUTINE
ONESHOTDEALSCADENCE
TESTYSORTASMIDGEN

Ryan McCarty, of Washington, D.C., is a principal consulting manager at a firm specializing in data/analytics for federal clients. He is also a baritone in multiple vocal ensembles.

This is his 23rd crossword for The Times, and his first Sunday. All but one of these puzzles have been themeless, like today's. To construct it, Ryan started in the middle and built outward, weaving lots of fresh, lively vocabulary. Twenty of the answers have never appeared in a Times crossword before.

Mon 12/19/2022
HIPARCSASSES
AMIDYOLKBLUNT
TAPEDELAYCASIO
SCENELURECHAR
SCISSORSKICK
MOVEONCAPE
AMORTEAKORANG
LEIBOXSEATVII
INDIAEATSROLF
CROCSPINET
PAPERTRAINED
OLAFTAFTSENSE
SILLSBOWSTRING
SAMOALUAUSNUG
ESSEXELSEABS
Tue 12/20/2022
SWUNGDOHAPOPE
PATIORIOSELAL
CRACKFALLSCRACK
ATHEARTDERIVES
NRAAUTOS
SHEETSLIPSSHEET
PADSEERSERVE
RIDSREHABDOER
ERICSOHIODRS
EYEHITSRIGHTEYE
ETHANBMW
PRIMARYKEYEDUP
LINEREADINGLINE
USSREARNOVOID
METSSHEDDENTS
Wed 12/21/2022
BODELOWERHARP
AREAIRISHIDID
FIFTYPERCENTOFF
TOOOBOENOISES
ANGOLASTINT
POLSHUEAPP
FAMEMEGAMERGER
AWAREANTDENSE
ROYALFLUSHCITY
ELIDOIOUST
FEINTFWORDS
OWNERSHIFIERA
WHATSTHEBIGDEAL
LOVEOBIESEDIT
SAYSNORTHNYNY
Thu 12/22/2022
ISAACRBISLAB
WANDACOINNASA
ANGERSUNKCOSTS
STEPDINGOTERI
HALTERDEMORAC
AHITATAARTSY
DANSWABESE
TARDOEDAD
ELMURLSMEG
LOVERTRIOBRO
CARTIERALFRED
ATARINOIRROLL
SITONEOUTROSIE
KNOTACTSASICS
SIRSTHECHATS
Fri 12/23/2022
OHSOASTIRECUR
FEELSSEENEMORY
FLOATTANKTILDE
EMUFARMSHINDUS
DSLROUEONES
TISSUESAMPLE
MYMANPEELEID
YOUNGMCLASTLEG
OYSCOOPCALVE
BOTTOMDOLLAR
RENODEANARF
FIESTACANNIBAL
ERASEDANCETUNE
MIDISASTERISKS
ASSETGTOSSESH
Sat 12/24/2022
ODEONFEARBAT
YOUREONLYLONELY
SOCLOSEYETSOFAR
RAYHARDADOBE
ATLSATORIRAS
HOYLEODORMEME
ADPAGEPAPAYA
OTTAWASTENOS
OUTLETENGULF
ARSELEGSDAKAR
CSTLARAMSNMI
HARPOLATECOM
ELECTRICALPOWER
BEETHOVENSTHIRD
ESSOWESLOTSA
POW Sun 12/25/2022 Novel Thinking
BUGSSATATURDUCRAB
OTOESPLASHGOESHALT
NATESALUTEHOMEPAGES
GHOSTWRITINGAREPA
PIATELASSNSEMIS
PINKLADYFLUIDVOLUME
PRETEENTRAINEESFEN
SECONDSTORYTEDXMFAS
AGEOMAPEWPOISE
SOSAKETANJIONIONY
PRISONSENTENCES
ASSUREINPOWERETNA
CRUETPATADEBON
SIBSSTEMADDRESSBOOK
PASLOOTBAGSRIHANNA
ANIMALPRINTBARCODES
NADALFATEAMARVS
ITALOWORKINGTITLE
BUZZWORDSCIENTOBEEP
OREOATOPHAROLDEAVE
OLDSNYNYSASSYSKYE

John Martz is a cartoonist, illustrator and book designer in Toronto, Ontario, who specializes in picture books and graphic novels for kids.

This is his first published crossword. He found that constructing it was akin to composing a page of comics. "The processes share a similar choreography of boxes and words and visual design."

In the past he's created an end-of-year crossword for co-workers. This puzzle, coincidentally, grew out of last year's.

Mon 12/26/2022
BERGMAZERESTS
ODORURISULTRA
ONCEDINSMERIT
MAKEAFACEVAPE
ORALXSHAPED
APPHOPSHAT
COESWITCHGEARS
DORMTEASNAP
CHANGEHANDSTIA
EELLEIAINN
GRAMMYSSCAT
ROLOCLOCKWORK
IWONTROMAOXEN
PENINUSERLINE
ERECTMENDSNOW
Tue 12/27/2022
CABALSALMSBAA
ASLEEPBOOTEMU
STANDATEASEAID
SIDEARMDERANGE
NEAKIMLETSON
SNLAFLOAT
FADBEAGLERAPS
CHINAREOBILLY
CAPORENEGEKYD
LIVEATREC
CLOSESALAOAF
LAMENTSOVERDUE
IRADOUBLECROSS
PVCOREOSHARES
SAYRESTTOLEDO
Wed 12/28/2022
DALAIOBISPONAB
EDICTCLOTHSAVE
RASTATINATURNER
STILTNICEEARN
STEVIENICKSHIRE
URNANASTJAMES
BASSNOTESANODE
CAROLEKING
ATEATMOORESLAW
BENNETTLEAELI
READROCKANDROLL
ABBAYOLOEDENS
HALLOFFAMEAPITY
ALEROAREDMONAE
MLSERRANTSTERN
POW Thu 12/29/2022
NORPAWNSALMA
IVEELIOTADIOS
LATERALLYTEMPS
TOADTIVOIII
CIRCUSEMULATES
HOTHEADROBERT
INSLEASAID
LATESHIFT
GOLTHEMCSI
STALLSDABBLED
COLLATEDCLEANS
YUPSARIALMA
TRANSVENTILATE
HELENEASESTOY
EDSELDONEORE
Fri 12/30/2022
SOFALEGCATNAP
CHAGALLMANOWAR
ANNATTOONEBASE
DOGSHOWJUDGE
SENUEYFREE
SEMIJAMSSAUNA
ALYAORBTHINGS
LOOKTHEOTHERWAY
SIPHONJOEDAGA
ASIANEEOCTYES
SEARBATLAV
THATSFORSURE
SCROOGEISEENOW
WHAUDENNEWTOME
MAMMALDRESSES
Sat 12/31/2022
SPARSEFANBASES
WISETOIDEALIST
INKPENTOADETTE
SCREWMIRTHBEN
HEELFINEASYET
ENDMRTSHIA
DEDICATEARTE
ZIGGYSTARDUST
TIRESCRAPPED
VIDSTOYERE
BUSEDOWOWBRAN
ESEDRAINKRAFT
READLIPSKEENLY
GUMMEDUPONETON
SPYVSSPYSODOPE
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