Crossword Fiend | Reviewing the best crosswords in newspapers and on the Web

Wednesday, December 17, 2025

Posted on December 16, 2025 by Eric Hougland

AV Club 7:21 (Amy) 5*: 1 | 4*: 1 | 3*: 2 | 2*: 1 | 1.5*: 1 | 1*: 1 [2.79 avg; 7 ratings] rate it
LAT 3:24 (Gareth) 5*: 1 | 4.5*: 1 | 4*: 2 | 3.5*: 1 | 3*: 1 | 2*: 1 [3.71 avg; 7 ratings] rate it
NYT 5:58 (Amy) 5*: 2 | 4*: 2 | 3.5*: 1 | 3*: 4 | 2.5*: 1 | 1.5*: 1 | 1*: 1 [3.21 avg; 12 ratings] rate it
The New Yorker tk (Kyle) rate it
Universal untimed (pannonica) 4*: 3 | 1.5*: 1 [3.38 avg; 4 ratings] rate it
USA Today 9:19 (Emily) 3*: 1 | 1.5*: 1 [2.25 avg; 2 ratings] rate it
WSJ 6:44 (Eric) 4*: 1 | 3*: 1 | 2*: 1 [3.00 avg; 3 ratings] rate it

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Posted in Daily Puzzles | Tagged Adam Shapiro, Doug Peterson, Gary Larson, Max Schlenker, Mike Graczyk, Zhouqin Burnikel | 18 Comments

MGWCC #915

Posted on December 16, 2025 by joon

MGWCC crossword 2:39
meta 1ish 5*: 2 | 4*: 2 | 3.5*: 1 [4.30 avg; 5 ratings] rate it
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Posted in Contests | Tagged Paul Coulter | 7 Comments

Tuesday, December 16, 2025

Posted on December 15, 2025 by Erin Milligan-Milburn

Jonesin’ 6:44 (Erin) 1.5*: 1 [1.50 avg; 1 rating] rate it
LAT untimed (Jenni) 3*: 1 | 1.5*: 1 [2.25 avg; 2 ratings] rate it
NYT 6:30 (Eric) 4.5*: 1 | 4*: 6 | 3.5*: 1 | 3*: 3 | 2.5*: 2 | 2*: 1 [3.43 avg; 14 ratings] rate it
The New Yorker not available? (pannonica) rate it
Universal 5:54 (Eric) 4*: 1 | 3.5*: 2 | 2*: 2 [3.00 avg; 5 ratings] rate it
USA Today tk (Sophia) 2.5*: 1 [2.50 avg; 1 rating] rate it
Xword Nation tk (Ade) rate it
WSJ untimed (Jim Q) 5*: 1 | 4*: 1 | 2*: 1 [3.67 avg; 3 ratings] rate it

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Posted in Daily Puzzles | Tagged Emily Biegas, Jason Reich, Karen Steinberg, Matt Jones, Sala Wanetick, Shannon Rapp, Will Eisenberg | 24 Comments

WSJ Contest — Friday, December 12, 2025

Posted on December 14, 2025 by Conrad

WSJ (Contest) Grid: 20 minutes; Meta: an hour 5*: 4 | 4.5*: 2 | 4*: 2 | 3.5*: 1 | 3*: 1 [4.35 avg; 10 ratings] rate it
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Posted in Contests | Tagged Mike Shenk | 9 Comments

Monday, December 15, 2025

Posted on December 14, 2025 by Amy Reynaldo

BEQ 11:08 (Eric) 4.5*: 1 | 4*: 1 | 2*: 1 [3.50 avg; 3 ratings] rate it
LAT 1:47 (Stella) 3*: 1 | 2*: 1 [2.50 avg; 2 ratings] rate it
NYT 3:05 (Amy) 4.5*: 2 | 4*: 3 | 3.5*: 1 | 3*: 1 | 2.5*: 3 | 2*: 2 [3.25 avg; 12 ratings] rate it
The New Yorker 5:10 (Amy) 5*: 5 | 4.5*: 4 | 4*: 3 | 3.5*: 1 | 3*: 1 [4.39 avg; 14 ratings] rate it
Universal untimed (pannonica) 4*: 1 | 3*: 1 | 2.5*: 1 [3.17 avg; 3 ratings] rate it
USA Today tk (?) rate it
WSJ untimed (Jim Q) 5*: 1 | 1*: 1 [3.00 avg; 2 ratings] rate it

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Posted in Daily Puzzles | Tagged Andrea Carla Michaels, Brendan Emmett Quigley, Doug Peterson, Jeff Jerome, Kevin Christian, Mollie Cowger, Tarun Krishnamurthy | 27 Comments

Sunday, December 14, 2025

Posted on December 13, 2025 by Eric Hougland

LAT tk (Gareth) 3.5*: 1 | 1.5*: 1 [2.50 avg; 2 ratings] rate it
NYT 11:47 (Eric) 4.5*: 2 | 4*: 2 | 3.5*: 3 | 3*: 3 | 2.5*: 1 | 2*: 4 | 1.5*: 1 | 1*: 1 [2.91 avg; 17 ratings] rate it
USA Today tk (Darby) rate it
Universal (Sunday) 10:35 (Jim P) 4.5*: 1 | 4*: 1 | 3*: 1 | 2*: 1 [3.38 avg; 4 ratings] rate it
Universal tk (Norah) 4*: 3 | 3.5*: 1 | 1*: 1 [3.30 avg; 5 ratings] rate it
WaPo 5:48 (Matt G) 4.5*: 1 | 4*: 1 | 3.5*: 1 | 1*: 1 [3.25 avg; 4 ratings] rate it

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Posted in Daily Puzzles | Tagged Evan Birnholz, John Kugelman, Zachary Edward-Brown, Zhouqin Burnikel | 15 Comments

Saturday, December 13, 2025

Posted on December 12, 2025 by Eric Hougland

LAT 19:32 (Eric) 4.5*: 1 | 4*: 1 | 3.5*: 1 | 3*: 1 | 2*: 4 | 1.5*: 1 [2.72 avg; 9 ratings] rate it
Newsday 27:58 (pannonica) 5*: 3 | 4*: 2 | 2*: 1 [4.17 avg; 6 ratings] rate it
NYT 6:37 (Amy) 5*: 2 | 4.5*: 3 | 4*: 5 | 3.5*: 4 | 3*: 1 | 2*: 1 | 1.5*: 1 [3.76 avg; 17 ratings] rate it
Universal tk (Matthew) 3.5*: 2 | 3*: 1 [3.33 avg; 3 ratings] rate it
USA Today tk (Matthew) 2.5*: 1 [2.50 avg; 1 rating] rate it
WSJ untimed (pannonica) 3.5*: 2 [3.50 avg; 2 ratings] rate it

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Posted in Daily Puzzles | Tagged Desirée Penner, Gene Louise De Vera, Jeff Sinnock, Matthew Sewell, Stella Zawistowski | 41 Comments

Friday, December 12, 2025

Posted on December 11, 2025 by Amy Reynaldo

LAT untimed (pannonica) 5*: 1 | 4.5*: 2 | 4*: 1 | 3.5*: 1 | 1.5*: 1 [3.83 avg; 6 ratings] rate it
NYT 5:04 (Amy) 5*: 1 | 4.5*: 2 | 4*: 5 | 3.5*: 2 | 3*: 4 | 1.5*: 1 [3.63 avg; 15 ratings] rate it
Universal 6:06 (Jim P) 5*: 1 | 4.5*: 1 | 4*: 3 | 2*: 1 [3.92 avg; 6 ratings] rate it
USA Today tk (Emily) rate it

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Posted in Daily Puzzles | Tagged Adrian Johnson, Harit Raghunathan, Jess Rucks, Joah Macosko, Rich Feely | 11 Comments

Thursday, December 11, 2025

Posted on December 10, 2025 by Eric Hougland

BEQ 6:33 (Eric) 3.5*: 2 | 2*: 1 [3.00 avg; 3 ratings] rate it
Fireball untimed (Jenni) 4.5*: 2 | 4*: 2 [4.25 avg; 4 ratings] rate it
LAT tk (Gareth) rate it
NYT 6:14 (ZDL) 4*: 3 | 3.5*: 2 | 3*: 3 | 2.5*: 2 | 1.5*: 3 [2.88 avg; 13 ratings] rate it
Universal 4:21 (Eric) 3.5*: 2 | 1.5*: 1 [2.83 avg; 3 ratings] rate it
USA Today 8:57 (Emily) 2.5*: 1 [2.50 avg; 1 rating] rate it
WSJ (about 12:00) (Jim Q) 4*: 1 | 2.5*: 1 | 2*: 1 [2.83 avg; 3 ratings] rate it

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Posted in Daily Puzzles | Tagged Brendan Emmett Quigley, Freddie Cheng, Joe Deeney, Katja Brinck, Kevin Curry, Shannon Rapp, Zachary Edward-Brown | 18 Comments

Wednesday, December 10, 2025

Posted on December 9, 2025 by Eric Hougland

AV Club 6:55 (Amy) 4*: 1 | 3.5*: 1 | 1.5*: 2 | 1*: 1 [2.30 avg; 5 ratings] rate it
LAT 5:35 (Gareth) [2.17 avg; 3 ratings] rate it
NYT untimed (Amy) 5*: 1 | 4.5*: 3 | 4*: 3 | 3.5*: 2 | 2.5*: 3 | 2*: 1 [3.62 avg; 13 ratings] rate it
The New Yorker 3:12 (Kyle) 5*: 1 | 4.5*: 4 | 4*: 2 [4.43 avg; 7 ratings] rate it
Universal untimed (pannonica) 4*: 2 | 3*: 1 | 1.5*: 1 [3.13 avg; 4 ratings] rate it
USA Today 6:50 (Emily) rate it
WSJ 7:08 (Eric) 4.5*: 1 | 4*: 1 | 3*: 1 | 2*: 1 [3.38 avg; 4 ratings] rate it

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Posted in Daily Puzzles | Tagged Andrea Carla Michaels, CJ Tan, Kareem Ayas, Karen Lurie, Patrick Berry, Peggy Sue Marlin, Peter Gwinn, Prasanna Keshava | 21 Comments

Wednesday, December 17, 2025

MGWCC #915

Tuesday, December 16, 2025

WSJ Contest — Friday, December 12, 2025

Monday, December 15, 2025

Sunday, December 14, 2025

Saturday, December 13, 2025

Friday, December 12, 2025

Thursday, December 11, 2025

Wednesday, December 10, 2025

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