BEQ tk(Eric) rate it
LAT tk (Stella) rate it
NYT 3:40 (Sophia) 
[3.63 avg; 4 ratings] rate it
The New Yorker tk (Amy) rate it
Universal tk (pannonica) rate it
USA Today tk (?) rate it
WSJ tk (Jim Q) rate it
Victoria Fernandez Grande’s New York Times Crossword — Sophia’s Recap
Theme: TRIPLE JUMP – the three theme answers all end with a synonym for “jump”
New York Times, 06 22 2026, By Victoria Fernandez Grande
- 17a [Wave of antigovernment protests in the early 2010s] – ARAB SPRING
- 23a [Heading back to where one lives] – HOMEWARD BOUND
- 51a [Repository of seeds from all corners of the globe, informally] – DOOMSDAY VAULT
- 62a [Track-and-field event with a sandpit … or a hint to the ends of 17-, 23- and 51-Across] – TRIPLE JUMP
This is a very solid Monday puzzle that will help introduce the “common ending synonym” theme style to newer solvers. None of the four theme answers, including TRIPLE JUMP , have ever been in the NYT before, which is great to see! I liked how all of “vault”, “Spring”, and “bound” were used as nouns rather than verbs as well. I was unfamiliar with DOOMSDAY VAULT – it’s a real place in the Svalbard archipelago that stores seeds in gene banks to help preserve the global food supply in the case of disaster. That’s really cool, and I’m always excited to learn something new in the Monday puzzle!
Since there are only four theme answers there is a lot of space in the grid for other interesting answers. I particularly liked MOVIE SET, SHORT FUSE, TV APPS, and FRAT HOUSE (although I had “frat party” first). I also like the KEG sitting just a short way from the FRAT HOUSE, it felt on-theme. The constructor in me wishes that the center of the puzzle was a little more open without the unbroken black-square diagonal through it, but that’s a reasonable trade-off for good fill overall.
Happy Monday all!
Puzzle: NYT; Rating: 3.5 stars
NYT. Very nice Monday puzzle with clever but gettable cluing and terrific fill. I don’t, like many Monday solvers, do the puzzle “downs only”, but I have to believe the NE corner today would be very difficult in that mode given the options for each clue. I accept the direction that “jump” provides a synonym for the three revealers but the emphasis on “track and field event” made me think that the answers would be “hop, step (or skip for people my age) and jump.” 3.5
Puzzle: NYT; Rating: 4.5 stars
i thought it was an outstanding Monday. It had more texture, more originality than the usual Monday puzzle. The first three theme answers were wonderful individually, and the reveal tied them together beautifully.
HOMEWARD BOUND always reminds me of Simon and Garfunkel. During my early days in the US, home felt very far away. This song still reminds me to be grateful that I was able to make a home here.