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

Tuesday, November 11, 2025

Posted on November 10, 2025 by Erin Milligan-Milburn

Jonesin’ 3:50 (Erin) 3.5*: 1 | 1*: 1 [2.25 avg; 2 ratings] rate it
LAT untimed (Jenni) rate it
NYT 9:56 (Eric) 5*: 1 | 4.5*: 4 | 4*: 5 | 3.5*: 2 | 3*: 1 | 2*: 2 | 1.5*: 1 [3.66 avg; 16 ratings] rate it
The New Yorker tk (pannonica) 4.5*: 3 | 4*: 2 | 3.5*: 1 | 3*: 1 [4.00 avg; 7 ratings] rate it
Universal 6:48 (Eric) 4*: 2 | 3.5*: 2 | 2.5*: 1 [3.50 avg; 5 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 7:12 (Jim Q) 3*: 1 [3.00 avg; 1 rating] rate it

Continue reading →

Posted in Daily Puzzles | Tagged Christina Iverson, Jeff Stillman, Jonathan Raksin, Matt Jones, Scott Hogan, Shmuel Schmell | 18 Comments

WSJ Contest — Friday, November 7, 2025

Posted on November 9, 2025 by Conrad

WSJ (Contest) Grid: 20 minutes; Meta: 15 more 5*: 1 | 4.5*: 3 | 4*: 2 | 3*: 1 | 2*: 1 | 1.5*: 1 [3.67 avg; 9 ratings] rate it
Continue reading →

Posted in Contests | Tagged Matt Gaffney | 10 Comments

Muller Monthly Music Meta, November 2025

Posted on November 9, 2025 by Matt Gaffney

Muller Solving time: puz: 10ish
meta: DNF 5*: 1 | 4*: 3 | 3*: 1 | 2.5*: 2 | 2*: 2 | 1.5*: 1

[3.05 avg; 10 ratings] rate it

Well, after going 9-for-9 on the first metas of the year, I’m 0-for-2 on the last two. Got absolutely nowhere. There’s a pattern in there somewhere but I’m not seeing it. I never even got a promising lead. It took JanglerNPL almost 30 mins so I can’t feel too much shame…

I am getting the solution grid from MMMMHQ though, so posting that!

Someone tell me what the meta-answer is!!

–Matt

Posted in Contests, Daily Puzzles | 12 Comments

Fireball Contest November 6, 2025

Posted on November 9, 2025 by Conrad

Grid: untimed; Meta: 15 minutes

Continue reading →

Posted in Contests | Tagged Alex Eaton-Salners | 2 Comments

Monday, November 10, 2025

Posted on November 9, 2025 by Sophia Maymudes

BEQ 12:50 (Eric) 4.5*: 1 | 4*: 1 | 2*: 1 [3.50 avg; 3 ratings] rate it
LAT 2:01 (Stella) 3.5*: 1 | 1.5*: 1 [2.50 avg; 2 ratings] rate it
NYT 3:37 (Sophia) 4.5*: 1 | 4*: 1 | 3.5*: 6 | 3*: 2 | 2*: 2 | 1.5*: 1 [3.15 avg; 13 ratings] rate it
The New Yorker 4:47 (Amy) 5*: 1 | 4*: 1 | 3.5*: 1 | 3*: 3 [3.58 avg; 6 ratings] rate it
Universal tk (pannonica) 4*: 2 | 3*: 1 | 2.5*: 1 | 2*: 1 [3.10 avg; 5 ratings] rate it
USA Today tk (?) 2*: 1 [2.00 avg; 1 rating] rate it
WSJ 4:13 (Jim Q) rate it

Continue reading →

Posted in Daily Puzzles | Tagged Anna Shechtman, Brendan Emmett Quigley, Dylan Fugel, Michael Hobin, Zhouqin Burnikel | 18 Comments

Sunday, November 9, 2025

Posted on November 8, 2025 by Eric Hougland

LAT tk (Gareth) 4*: 1 | 3.5*: 1 | 1.5*: 1 [3.00 avg; 3 ratings] rate it
NYT 20:53 (Eric) 4.5*: 1 | 4*: 3 | 3.5*: 3 | 3*: 2 | 2.5*: 3 | 1.5*: 4 [2.91 avg; 16 ratings] rate it
USA Today tk (Darby) 3*: 1 | 1*: 1 [2.00 avg; 2 ratings] rate it
Universal (Sunday) 8:34 (Jim P) [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 4:48 (Matt G) 4.5*: 1 | 4*: 1 | 3*: 1 | 1*: 2 [2.70 avg; 5 ratings] rate it

Continue reading →

Posted in Daily Puzzles | Tagged Amie Walker, Evan Birnholz, Pam Klawitter | 18 Comments

Saturday, November 8, 2025

Posted on November 7, 2025 by Amy Reynaldo

LAT 2:41 (Stella) 4.5*: 2 | 4*: 2 | 3.5*: 1 | 1.5*: 1 [3.67 avg; 6 ratings] rate it
Newsday 28:19 (pannonica) 5*: 1 | 3.5*: 2 | 2.5*: 2 [3.40 avg; 5 ratings] rate it
NYT 6:55 (Amy) 5*: 1 | 4*: 7 | 3.5*: 1 | 3*: 3 | 2*: 2 | 1*: 1 [3.37 avg; 15 ratings] rate it
Universal tk (Matthew) 4*: 1 | 3*: 1 [3.50 avg; 2 ratings] rate it
USA Today tk (Matthew) rate it
WSJ untimed (pannonica) 1.5*: 1 [1.50 avg; 1 rating] rate it

Continue reading →

Posted in Daily Puzzles | Tagged Erik Agard, Kelly Morenus, Matthew Sewell, Mike Shenk, Ryan Judge | 31 Comments

Friday, November 7, 2025

Posted on November 6, 2025 by Amy Reynaldo

LAT untimed (pannonica) 4*: 2 | 3.5*: 2 | 2*: 1 | 1*: 1 [3.00 avg; 6 ratings] rate it
NYT 5:51 (Amy) 4.5*: 1 | 4*: 4 | 3.5*: 3 | 3*: 5 | 2*: 1 | 1.5*: 1 [3.30 avg; 15 ratings] rate it
Universal 4:57 (Jim P) 5*: 2 | 4.5*: 2 | 4*: 3 | 1.5*: 1 | 1*: 1 [3.72 avg; 9 ratings] rate it
USA Today tk (Emily) 3.5*: 1 | 3*: 1 | 1*: 1 [2.50 avg; 3 ratings] rate it

Continue reading →

Posted in Daily Puzzles | Tagged Joseph A. Gangi, Justin Werfel, Kelly Morenus | 24 Comments

Ariadne’s Crossword Library, November 2025

Posted on November 6, 2025 by Ben Chenoweth

ACL Grid: 7 mins, Meta: 15 seconds 4.5*: 1 | 4*: 2 | 1.5*: 1 [3.50 avg; 4 ratings] rate it
Continue reading →

Posted in Contests | Tagged Emma Oxford, Heather Gearan | 2 Comments

Thursday, November 6, 2025

Posted on November 5, 2025 by Eric Hougland

BEQ 9:45 (Eric) 4*: 2 | 1*: 1 [3.00 avg; 3 ratings] rate it
Fireball untimed (Jenni) 5*: 1 | 3*: 1 [4.00 avg; 2 ratings] rate it
LAT tk (Gareth) rate it
NYT 9:10 (ZDL) 4.5*: 1 | 4*: 2 | 3.5*: 6 | 3*: 1 | 2*: 4 [3.18 avg; 14 ratings] rate it
Universal 7:41 (Eric) 4.5*: 1 | 4*: 1 | 2*: 2 | 1.5*: 1 [2.80 avg; 5 ratings] rate it
USA Today 12:32 (Emily) 2.5*: 1 | 1*: 1 [1.75 avg; 2 ratings] rate it
WSJ tk (Jim Q) 4.5*: 1 | 3*: 1 | 1.5*: 1 [3.00 avg; 3 ratings] rate it

Continue reading →

Posted in Daily Puzzles | Tagged Brendan Emmett Quigley, Dan Schwartz, Dario Salvucci, Sam Brody, Will Eisenberg | 43 Comments

Tuesday, November 11, 2025

WSJ Contest — Friday, November 7, 2025

Muller Monthly Music Meta, November 2025

Fireball Contest November 6, 2025

Monday, November 10, 2025

Sunday, November 9, 2025

Saturday, November 8, 2025

Friday, November 7, 2025

Ariadne’s Crossword Library, November 2025

Thursday, November 6, 2025

Search

Blogroll

Recent Comments

Archives

Tags

Meta

For Bloggers