LAT tk (Kyle) rate it
NYT 10:36 (Nate) 
[4.00 avg; 7 ratings] rate it
USA Today tk (ZEB) rate it
Universal (Sunday) tk (Jim P) rate it
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WaPo tk (Matt G) rate it
Michael Lieberman’s New York Times crossword, “Raising Capital” — Nate’s write-up
07.19.2026 Sunday New York Times Crossword
25A THANKS A [“I really, really appreciate it!”]
6D LIMA [See title]
6A LLION [-]
(In-full answer to 25A: THANKS A MILLION)
28A MAIL-IN [After-the-fact discount]
14D BERN [See title]
14A BATE [-]
(In-full answer to 28A: MAIL-IN REBATE)
69A VICTO [Britain’s most prestigious military decoration]
51D CAIRO [See title]
51A CROSS [-]
(In-full answer to 69A: VICTORIA CROSS)
71A DROO [Fantasizes about]
57D OSLO [See title]
57A OVER [-]
(In-full answer to 71A: DROOLS OVER)
73A ERECT [Block someone’s passage, say]
54D RABAT [See title]
54A RRIER [-]
(In-full answer to 73A: ERECT A BARRIER)
110A HOME [Bank offering for a property buyer]
97D ROME [See title]
97A RTGAGE [-]
(In-full answer to 110A: HOME MORTGAGE)
112A WHAT A [2000 Christina Aguilera #1 hit]
99D RIGA [See title]
99A RL WANTS [-]
(In-full answer to 112A: WHAT A GIRL WANTS)
In this Sunday’s NYT puzzle, each of the seven theme answers snakes through the grid in an across / up / across pattern, including a down entry that is a global capital city raised from the bottom up. Wow! This grid is remarkably clean, fun, and full of life, considering how much theme material populates the grid. Unsurprisingly, I was able to break into the theme by very much knowing the last theme entry, WHAT A GIRL WANTS.
Quick entry today (it’s my birthday weekend!), so I’ll leave it at that for now. How did you find the puzzle? Let us know in the comments – and have a great weekend!
Puzzle: NYT; Rating: 4.5 stars
I’m not a fan of Sunday puzzles in general or puzzles where the fill contains nonsense. Yet I really enjoyed this one. I think it was the theme density that made it chewier than usual. I did expect, given the title, that the capitals would be spelled going up instead of down. Minor distraction for me that I soon forgot
Puzzle: NYT; Rating: 4.5 stars
Best Sunday NYT in awhile. I loved the trick when I realized what was happening, and there was some good non-theme fill too (UNEARNEDRUN and NUTCRACKER were my favorites).
Puzzle: NYT; Rating: 4.5 stars
Took awhile to get the trick, then it was quick fun matching Capitals and long answers.
NYT: I guess I’m the naysayer today. I understood the theme early on – nice feat of construction, but not that much fun.
CREDIT LIMIT, GUESSTIMATE and UNEARNED RUN were nice. AND ON AND ON was kind of cute.
Puzzle: NYT; Rating: 5 stars
One of those aha (or OHO?) moments that I haven’t had in a quite a while for a Sunday NYT. I admit I was immensely frustrated for the [see title] clues at first, wondering if it’s a rebus or something else. I got a glimpse of what it may be when the crosses showed WHAT for the Christina Aguilera clue, but VICTORIA CROSS clicked everything into place when I saw CAIRO appear. Great puzzle!