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

Thursday, December 18, 2025

Posted on December 17, 2025 by Eric Hougland

BEQ 10:25 (Eric) 3.5*: 2 | 2*: 1 [3.00 avg; 3 ratings] rate it
Fireball tk (Jenni) rate it
LAT 6:49 (Gareth) 3.5*: 2 | 1.5*: 1 [2.83 avg; 3 ratings] rate it
NYT 11:23 (ZDL) 5*: 1 | 4.5*: 1 | 4*: 7 | 3.5*: 2 | 3*: 2 | 2.5*: 2 | 2*: 1 | 1.5*: 1 [3.47 avg; 17 ratings] rate it
Universal 5:49 (Eric) 4*: 1 | 3.5*: 1 | 2.5*: 1 | 1*: 1 [2.75 avg; 4 ratings] rate it
USA Today 10:27 (Emily) rate it
WSJ untimed (Jim Q) 4.5*: 2 | 3.5*: 1 | 1.5*: 1 [3.50 avg; 4 ratings] rate it

Continue reading →

Posted in Daily Puzzles | Tagged Brendan Emmett Quigley, CJ Tan, Joseph Gangi, Mike Shenk, Rebecca Goldstein, Willa Angel Chen Miller | 17 Comments

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

Continue reading →

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
Continue reading →

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

Continue reading →

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
Continue reading →

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

Continue reading →

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

Continue reading →

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

Continue reading →

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

Continue reading →

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

Continue reading →

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

Thursday, December 18, 2025

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

Search

Blogroll

Recent Comments

Archives

Tags

Meta

For Bloggers