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

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

MGWCC #914

Posted on December 9, 2025 by joon

MGWCC crossword 2:35
meta –1 4*: 1 | 3.5*: 1 | 2.5*: 1 [3.33 avg; 3 ratings] rate it
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Posted in Contests | Tagged Matt Gaffney | 2 Comments

Tuesday, December 9, 2025

Posted on December 8, 2025 by Erin Milligan-Milburn

Jonesin’ 5:05 (Erin) rate it
LAT untimed (Jenni) 3*: 3 [3.00 avg; 3 ratings] rate it
NYT 6:24 (Eric) 5*: 1 | 4.5*: 1 | 4*: 2 | 3.5*: 1 | 3*: 4 | 2.5*: 2 [3.45 avg; 11 ratings] rate it
The New Yorker untimed (pannonica) 4.5*: 2 | 4*: 5 | 3.5*: 1 | 2*: 1 [3.83 avg; 9 ratings] rate it
Universal 5:04 (Eric) 4*: 4 | 2*: 1 | 1.5*: 1 [3.25 avg; 6 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) 3.5*: 1 | 3*: 1 | 2*: 1 | 1.5*: 1 [2.50 avg; 4 ratings] rate it

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Posted in Daily Puzzles | Tagged Adam Levav, Doug Peterson, Erik Agard, Kate Hawkins, Matt Jones, Stephanie Lesser | 22 Comments

WSJ Contest — Friday, December 5, 2025

Posted on December 7, 2025 by Conrad

WSJ (Contest) Grid: 25 minutes; Meta: slept on it 4*: 1 | 3.5*: 1 | 3*: 2 | 2.5*: 3 | 1.5*: 1 [2.81 avg; 8 ratings] rate it
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Posted in Contests | Tagged Matt Gaffney | 14 Comments

Muller Monthly Music Meta, December 2025

Posted on December 7, 2025 by Matt Gaffney

Muller Solving time: puz: 11ish
meta: DNF 5*: 1 | 3*: 2 | 2*: 1 | 1.5*: 1

[2.90 avg; 5 ratings] rate it

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Posted in Contests | Tagged Andrew White, Mack Meller, Muller Monthly Music Meta, Pete Muller | 17 Comments

Monday, December 8, 2025

Posted on December 7, 2025 by Sophia Maymudes

BEQ 11:23 (Eric) 4.5*: 1 | 4*: 1 | 2*: 1 [3.50 avg; 3 ratings] rate it
LAT 2:11 (Stella) 3*: 1 | 1*: 1 [2.00 avg; 2 ratings] rate it
NYT 3:35 (Sophia) 4*: 1 | 3.5*: 2 | 3*: 5 | 2.5*: 1 [3.17 avg; 9 ratings] rate it
The New Yorker 5:06 (Amy) 5*: 2 | 4.5*: 1 | 4*: 2 | 3*: 1 | 2*: 2 | 1.5*: 1 [3.44 avg; 9 ratings] rate it
Universal untimed (pannonica) 4*: 1 | 3.5*: 1 | 3*: 1 | 2.5*: 1 | 1.5*: 1 [2.90 avg; 5 ratings] rate it
USA Today tk (?) 4*: 1 | 1*: 1 [2.50 avg; 2 ratings] rate it
WSJ untimed (Jim Q) rate it

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Posted in Daily Puzzles | Tagged Brendan Emmett Quigley, Brian Gubin, Dan Kammann, Jake Halperin, Kathy Lowden, Natan Last, Zhouqin Burnikel | 12 Comments

Sunday, December 7, 2025

Posted on December 6, 2025 by Eric Hougland

LAT tk (Gareth) 2.5*: 1 | 1.5*: 1 [2.00 avg; 2 ratings] rate it
NYT 11:34(Eric) 5*: 3 | 4*: 6 | 3.5*: 2 | 3*: 3 | 2.5*: 2 [3.75 avg; 16 ratings] rate it
USA Today tk (Darby) rate it
Universal (Sunday) 9-something (Jim P) 3*: 1 | 2*: 1 [2.50 avg; 2 ratings] rate it
Universal tk (Norah) 4*: 1 | 2.5*: 1 | 2*: 1 [2.83 avg; 3 ratings] rate it
WaPo 3:54 (Matt G) 5*: 3 | 4*: 3 | 1*: 1 [4.00 avg; 7 ratings] rate it

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Posted in Daily Puzzles | Tagged CJ Tan, Evan Birnholz, Kate Jensen | 19 Comments

Ariadne’s Crossword Library, December 2025

Posted on December 6, 2025 by Ben Chenoweth

ACL Grid: 12 mins, Meta: 10 seconds 4.5*: 1 | 4*: 3 | 2*: 1 | 1.5*: 1 [3.33 avg; 6 ratings] rate it
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Posted in Contests | Tagged Emma Oxford | 2 Comments

Saturday, December 6, 2025

Posted on December 5, 2025 by Amy Reynaldo

LAT 3:19 (Stella) 4*: 1 | 3.5*: 2 | 2*: 2 [3.00 avg; 5 ratings] rate it
Newsday 23:30 (pannonica) 5*: 1 | 4.5*: 2 | 4*: 2 | 3.5*: 1 | 1.5*: 1 [3.86 avg; 7 ratings] rate it
NYT 7:06 (Amy) 5*: 3 | 4.5*: 4 | 4*: 6 | 3.5*: 2 | 3*: 4 | 1*: 1 [3.85 avg; 20 ratings] rate it
Universal tk (Matthew) 4.5*: 1 | 3.5*: 1 [4.00 avg; 2 ratings] rate it
USA Today tk (Matthew) 4*: 1 | 1*: 1 [2.50 avg; 2 ratings] rate it
WSJ tk (???) 4*: 1 | 2*: 1 | 1*: 1 [2.33 avg; 3 ratings] rate it

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Posted in Daily Puzzles | Tagged Anna Stiga, Emily Biegas, Marshal Herrmann, Stanley Newman | 50 Comments

Friday, December 5, 2025

Posted on December 4, 2025 by Amy Reynaldo

LAT untimed (pannonica) 4*: 1 | 3*: 1 | 2.5*: 1 | 1.5*: 1 | 1*: 2 [2.17 avg; 6 ratings] rate it
NYT 5:19 (Amy) 4.5*: 2 | 4*: 6 | 3.5*: 2 | 3*: 2 | 2.5*: 1 | 2*: 1 [3.61 avg; 14 ratings] rate it
Universal 4:21 (Jim P) 3.5*: 1 | 2.5*: 2 [2.83 avg; 3 ratings] rate it
USA Today tk (Emily) rate it

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Posted in Daily Puzzles | Tagged Brian Callahan, CJ Tan, James McCarron, Taylor Johnson | 17 Comments

Wednesday, December 10, 2025

MGWCC #914

Tuesday, December 9, 2025

WSJ Contest — Friday, December 5, 2025

Muller Monthly Music Meta, December 2025

Monday, December 8, 2025

Sunday, December 7, 2025

Ariadne’s Crossword Library, December 2025

Saturday, December 6, 2025

Friday, December 5, 2025

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