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

Wednesday, December 3, 2025

Posted on December 2, 2025 by Amy Reynaldo

AV Club 5:22 (Amy) 4.5*: 2 | 4*: 1 | 3*: 1 [4.00 avg; 4 ratings] rate it
LAT tk (Gareth) rate it
NYT 3:52 (Amy) 4.5*: 1 | 4*: 1 | 3.5*: 3 | 3*: 3 | 2.5*: 2 | 2*: 1 | 1*: 1 [3.00 avg; 12 ratings] rate it
The New Yorker tk (Kyle) 4.5*: 3 | 4*: 2 | 3*: 1 [4.08 avg; 6 ratings] rate it
Universal untimed (pannonica) 5*: 1 | 4.5*: 1 | 3.5*: 1 | 3*: 1 | 2.5*: 1 | 1.5*: 1 [3.33 avg; 6 ratings] rate it
USA Today 7:46 (Emily) rate it
WSJ 6:57 (Eric) 4*: 2 | 2.5*: 1 | 2*: 1 [3.13 avg; 4 ratings] rate it

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Posted in Daily Puzzles | Tagged Amie Walker, Derek Ruttan, Prasanna Keshava, Victor Barocas, Zhouqin Burnikel | 13 Comments

MGWCC #913 — “Lost!” by Ben Chenoweth

Posted on December 2, 2025 by Matt Gaffney

MGWCC crossword 2:59
meta ~~DNF~~ 3 days rate it
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Posted in Daily Puzzles | Tagged Ben Chenoweth, mgwcc | 10 Comments

Tuesday, December 2, 2025

Posted on December 1, 2025 by Erin Milligan-Milburn

Jonesin’ 5:21 (Erin) 5*: 1 | 1*: 1 [3.00 avg; 2 ratings] rate it
LAT untimed (Jenni) 3*: 1 | 1.5*: 1 [2.25 avg; 2 ratings] rate it
NYT 8:41 (Eric) 5*: 1 | 4.5*: 2 | 4*: 1 | 3.5*: 2 | 3*: 1 | 2.5*: 2 | 2*: 3 [3.25 avg; 12 ratings] rate it
The New Yorker untimed (pannonica) 4.5*: 1 | 4*: 7 | 1.5*: 1 [3.78 avg; 9 ratings] rate it
Universal 5:41 (Eric) 4.5*: 1 | 4*: 1 | 3.5*: 1 | 1.5*: 1 [3.38 avg; 4 ratings] rate it
USA Today tk (Sophia) 4.5*: 1 | 1*: 1 [2.75 avg; 2 ratings] rate it
Xword Nation tk (Ade) rate it
WSJ 4:15 (Jim Q) 1.5*: 2 [1.50 avg; 2 ratings] rate it

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Posted in Daily Puzzles | Tagged Adam Simpson, Jonathan Baude, Kathy Lowden, Matt Jones, Norman M. Aaronson, Wyna Liu | 16 Comments

WSJ Contest — Friday, November 28, 2025

Posted on November 30, 2025 by Conrad

WSJ (Contest) Grid: 15 minutes; Meta: 15 more 5*: 3 | 4.5*: 6 | 3*: 1 [4.50 avg; 10 ratings] rate it
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Posted in Contests | Tagged Mike Shenk | 10 Comments

Monday, December 1, 2025

Posted on November 30, 2025 by Sophia Maymudes

BEQ 12:19 (Eric) 4*: 1 [4.00 avg; 1 rating] rate it
LAT 1:46 (Stella) 3.5*: 1 | 2*: 1 [2.75 avg; 2 ratings] rate it
NYT 3:26 (Sophia) 4*: 1 | 3.5*: 2 | 3*: 1 | 2.5*: 2 | 2*: 1 [3.00 avg; 7 ratings] rate it
The New Yorker 9:12 (Amy) 3.5*: 1 | 2.5*: 1 | 2*: 3 | 1.5*: 2 | 1*: 3 [1.80 avg; 10 ratings] rate it
Universal untimed (pannonica) 4.5*: 1 | 4*: 2 | 3.5*: 1 | 3*: 1 [3.80 avg; 5 ratings] rate it
USA Today tk (?) 4.5*: 1 | 1*: 1 [2.75 avg; 2 ratings] rate it
WSJ 4:00 (Jim Q) 5*: 1 | 2*: 1 [3.50 avg; 2 ratings] rate it

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Posted in Daily Puzzles | Tagged Brad Lively, Brendan Emmett Quigley, Brooke Husic, Drew Schmenner, Hannah Binney, Katherine Simonson | 11 Comments

Sunday, November 30, 2025

Posted on November 29, 2025 by Jim Q

LAT tk (Gareth) 3*: 1 | 2*: 1 [2.50 avg; 2 ratings] rate it
NYT 18:58 (Jim Q) 4.5*: 5 | 4*: 8 | 3.5*: 2 | 3*: 1 | 2.5*: 2 | 2*: 4 | 1.5*: 1 | 1*: 2 [3.24 avg; 25 ratings] rate it
USA Today tk (Darby) rate it
Universal (Sunday) 12:24 (Jim P) 4*: 1 [4.00 avg; 1 rating] rate it
Universal tk (Norah) [2.50 avg; 2 ratings] rate it
WaPo 6:15 (Matt G) 5*: 2 | 4.5*: 1 | 1*: 1 [3.88 avg; 4 ratings] rate it

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Posted in Daily Puzzles | Tagged Evan Birnholz, Hannah Slovut-Einertson, Natan Last | 19 Comments

Saturday, November 29, 2025

Posted on November 28, 2025 by Eric Hougland

LAT 2:45 (Stella) 4*: 2 | 2.5*: 1 | 2*: 1 | 1.5*: 1 [2.80 avg; 5 ratings] rate it
Newsday 12:38 (Amy) 5*: 3 | 4.5*: 1 | 3.5*: 1 | 2*: 1 [4.17 avg; 6 ratings] rate it
NYT 5:20 (Amy) 5*: 2 | 4.5*: 2 | 4*: 6 | 3.5*: 2 | 3*: 2 [4.00 avg; 14 ratings] rate it
Universal tk (Matthew) 3.5*: 1 | 2.5*: 2 | 1.5*: 1 [2.50 avg; 4 ratings] rate it
USA Today tk (Matthew) 5*: 1 | 4.5*: 1 | 1*: 1 [3.50 avg; 3 ratings] rate it
WSJ 19:54 (Eric) 3.5*: 1 | 1.5*: 1 [2.50 avg; 2 ratings] rate it

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Posted in Daily Puzzles | Tagged Adrian Johnson, Alan Arbesfeld, Joe Marangell, Matthew Sewell | 27 Comments

Friday, November 28, 2025

Posted on November 27, 2025 by Amy Reynaldo

LAT 4:05 (Amy) 4*: 1 | 3.5*: 2 | 2.5*: 1 | 1.5*: 1 | 1*: 1 [2.67 avg; 6 ratings] rate it
NYT 5:27 (Amy) 5*: 1 | 4.5*: 2 | 4*: 2 | 3.5*: 3 | 3*: 2 | 2.5*: 2 | 2*: 3 | 1.5*: 1 | 1*: 1 [3.06 avg; 17 ratings] rate it
Universal 3:58 (Jim P) 4*: 1 | 2*: 1 [3.00 avg; 2 ratings] rate it
USA Today tk (Emily) 3*: 1 [3.00 avg; 1 rating] rate it

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Posted in Daily Puzzles | Tagged Jacob McDermott, Sean Ziebarth, Wendy L. Brandes | 12 Comments

Thursday, November 27, 2025

Posted on November 26, 2025 by Eric Hougland

BEQ 7:48+ (Eric) 4*: 1 | 1.5*: 2 [2.33 avg; 3 ratings] rate it
Fireball untimed (Jenni) rate it
LAT 5:25 (Gareth) 4*: 1 | 2.5*: 1 | 2*: 1 | 1.5*: 1 [2.50 avg; 4 ratings] rate it
NYT 8:43 (ZDL) 5*: 2 | 4.5*: 1 | 4*: 6 | 3.5*: 1 | 3*: 4 | 2*: 2 | 1*: 1 [3.47 avg; 17 ratings] rate it
Universal 5:50 (Eric) 5*: 1 | 4*: 2 | 1.5*: 1 [3.63 avg; 4 ratings] rate it
USA Today 8:14 (Emily) 4*: 1 | 1*: 1 [2.50 avg; 2 ratings] rate it

Note: There’s no Wall Street Journal puzzle today because of the Thanksgiving holiday. Please eat and drink responsibly.

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Posted in Daily Puzzles | Tagged Alexander Liebeskind, Brendan Emmett Quigley, MaryEllen Uthlaut, Olivia Mitra Framke, Zhouqin Burnikel | 19 Comments

Wednesday, November 26, 2025

Posted on November 25, 2025 by Eric Hougland

AV Club 5:46 (Amy) 4*: 3 | 3.5*: 1 | 2*: 1 [3.50 avg; 5 ratings] rate it
LAT 5:34 (Gareth) 3*: 1 | 2*: 1 [2.50 avg; 2 ratings] rate it
NYT 3:56 (Amy) 4.5*: 3 | 4*: 2 | 3.5*: 3 | 3*: 1 | 2.5*: 1 | 1.5*: 1 [3.55 avg; 11 ratings] rate it
The New Yorker 5:38 (one-handed typing, with one error) (Kyle) 4*: 3 | 3.5*: 2 [3.80 avg; 5 ratings] rate it
Universal untimed (pannonica) 4.5*: 1 | 3.5*: 1 | 1.5*: 1 [3.17 avg; 3 ratings] rate it
USA Today 7:06 (Emily) 5*: 1 | 4*: 1 | 3*: 1 | 2.5*: 1 | 2*: 1 | 1*: 1 [2.92 avg; 6 ratings] rate it
WSJ 9:53 (Eric) 3*: 1 | 2*: 1 | 1*: 3 [1.60 avg; 5 ratings] rate it

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Posted in Daily Puzzles | Tagged Dan Zarin, Daniel Hrynick, Joe Rodini, John McClung, Mike Shenk, Rafael Musa, Robyn Weintraub | 13 Comments

Wednesday, December 3, 2025

MGWCC #913 — “Lost!” by Ben Chenoweth

Tuesday, December 2, 2025

WSJ Contest — Friday, November 28, 2025

Monday, December 1, 2025

Sunday, November 30, 2025

Saturday, November 29, 2025

Friday, November 28, 2025

Thursday, November 27, 2025

Wednesday, November 26, 2025

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