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

Sunday, August 10, 2025

Posted on August 9, 2025 by Eric Hougland

LAT tk (Gareth) 4*: 2 | 1*: 1 [3.00 avg; 3 ratings] rate it
NYT 15:09 (Eric) 5*: 4 | 4.5*: 2 | 4*: 4 | 3.5*: 4 | 3*: 3 | 2*: 2 | 1.5*: 1 [3.68 avg; 20 ratings] rate it
USA Today tk (Darby) 3*: 1 | 1*: 1 [2.00 avg; 2 ratings] rate it
Universal (Sunday) 8:33 (Jim P) 4*: 2 | 2*: 1 [3.33 avg; 3 ratings] rate it
Universal tk (Norah) 4*: 2 | 3.5*: 1 | 2.5*: 1 [3.50 avg; 4 ratings] rate it
WaPo 5:34 (Matt G) 4.5*: 3 | 4*: 1 | 3*: 1 | 1.5*: 2 [3.36 avg; 7 ratings] rate it

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Posted in Daily Puzzles | Tagged Adam Wagner, Chandi Deitmer, Evan Birnholz, Zhouqin Burnikel | 31 Comments

Ariadne’s Crossword Library, August 2025

Posted on August 9, 2025 by Ben Chenoweth

ACL Grid: 10 mins, Meta: DNF 4.5*: 2 | 4*: 2 | 3*: 1 | 1.5*: 1 [3.58 avg; 6 ratings] rate it
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Posted in Daily Puzzles | Tagged Emma Oxford | 5 Comments

Saturday, August 9, 2025

Posted on August 8, 2025 by Amy Reynaldo

LAT 3:36 (Stella) 4*: 1 | 3.5*: 1 | 3*: 1 | 2*: 1 | 1.5*: 1 | 1*: 1 [2.50 avg; 6 ratings] rate it
Newsday 16:08 (pannonica) 4.5*: 2 | 4*: 2 | 1.5*: 1 [3.70 avg; 5 ratings] rate it
NYT 5:35 (Amy) 5*: 1 | 4.5*: 2 | 4*: 6 | 3.5*: 2 | 3*: 3 | 1*: 1 [3.67 avg; 15 ratings] rate it
Universal tk (Matthew) 4*: 1 | 3.5*: 1 | 2.5*: 1 [3.33 avg; 3 ratings] rate it
USA Today tk (Matthew) 4*: 1 [4.00 avg; 1 rating] rate it
WSJ untimed (pannonica) 2*: 1 [2.00 avg; 1 rating] rate it

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Posted in Daily Puzzles | Tagged Aidan Deshong, Akshay Seetharam, Amy Ensz, David Karp, Gary Larson, Matthew Sewell | 37 Comments

Friday, August 8, 2025

Posted on August 7, 2025 by Amy Reynaldo

LAT untimed (pannonica) 4.5*: 1 | 4*: 3 | 1*: 1 [3.50 avg; 5 ratings] rate it
NYT 5:50 (Amy) 5*: 1 | 4.5*: 4 | 4*: 4 | 3.5*: 1 [4.25 avg; 10 ratings] rate it
Universal tk (Jim P) 4.5*: 2 | 4*: 2 | 1.5*: 1 [3.70 avg; 5 ratings] rate it
USA Today tk (Emily) rate it

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Posted in Daily Puzzles | Tagged Jess Rucks, Matthew Stock, Rafael Musa | 25 Comments

Thursday, August 7, 2025

Posted on August 6, 2025 by Eric Hougland

BEQ 6:50 (Eric) 4*: 1 | 3.5*: 1 | 1.5*: 1 [3.00 avg; 3 ratings] rate it
LAT 5:16 (Gareth) rate it
NYT 10:53 (ZDL) 5*: 1 | 4.5*: 3 | 4*: 2 | 3.5*: 1 | 3*: 1 | 2.5*: 3 | 2*: 4 | 1.5*: 1 [3.13 avg; 16 ratings] rate it
Universal 5:00-something (Eric) 4.5*: 1 | 4*: 2 | 1.5*: 1 [3.50 avg; 4 ratings] rate it
USA Today 10:09 (Emily) 5*: 2 | 2.5*: 1 | 1*: 1 [3.38 avg; 4 ratings] rate it
WSJ 13:02 (Jim Q) 4*: 1 | 3.5*: 1 | 2.5*: 2 [3.13 avg; 4 ratings] rate it

The Fireball is on vacation until September.

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Posted in Daily Puzzles | Tagged Ben Zimmer, Brendan Emmett Quigley, Joe Marangell, Rich Proulx, Simeon Seigel | 33 Comments

Wednesday, August 6, 2025

Posted on August 5, 2025 by Eric Hougland

AV Club 7:18 (Amy) 4*: 1 | 2*: 2 | 1.5*: 1 [2.38 avg; 4 ratings] rate it
LAT 4:03 (Gareth) 4*: 1 | 1*: 1 [2.50 avg; 2 ratings] rate it
NYT 5:54 (Eric) 5*: 1 | 4.5*: 2 | 4*: 2 | 3.5*: 2 | 3*: 4 | 2.5*: 1 | 2*: 1 [3.50 avg; 13 ratings] rate it
The New Yorker tk (Kyle) 5*: 1 | 4*: 1 | 2*: 1 [3.67 avg; 3 ratings] rate it
Universal untimed (pannonica) 4*: 1 | 3.5*: 1 | 3*: 1 [3.50 avg; 3 ratings] rate it
USA Today 7:35 (Emily) 5*: 1 | 1*: 1 [3.00 avg; 2 ratings] rate it
WSJ 7:04 (Eric) 3.5*: 1 | 3*: 2 | 2.5*: 1 [3.00 avg; 4 ratings] rate it

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Posted in Daily Puzzles | Tagged Chandi Deitmer, Claire Rimkus, Dennis McCartney, Hanh Huynh, Lynn Lempel, Paolo Pasco, Zachary Edward-Brown | 30 Comments

MGWCC #896

Posted on August 5, 2025 by joon

MGWCC crossword 2:35
meta 0:10 4*: 1 | 3.5*: 2 | 2*: 1 [3.25 avg; 4 ratings] rate it
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Posted in Contests | Tagged Matt Gaffney | 9 Comments

Tuesday, August 5, 2025

Posted on August 4, 2025 by Erin Milligan-Milburn

Jonesin’ 4:56 (Erin) 4*: 1 [4.00 avg; 1 rating] rate it
LAT untimed (Jenni) 2*: 1 | 1*: 1 [1.50 avg; 2 ratings] rate it
NYT 5:12 (Eric) 4.5*: 1 | 4*: 3 | 3.5*: 4 | 3*: 1 | 1.5*: 1 [3.50 avg; 10 ratings] rate it
The New Yorker untimed (pannonica) 4.5*: 1 | 4*: 3 | 3*: 1 | 1.5*: 1 [3.50 avg; 6 ratings] rate it
Universal 5:36 (Eric) 4*: 3 | 2*: 2 [3.20 avg; 5 ratings] rate it
USA Today tk (Sophia) 2.5*: 1 | 1.5*: 1 [2.00 avg; 2 ratings] rate it
Xword Nation tk (Ade) rate it
WSJ untimed (Jim) 3.5*: 1 | 3*: 1 [3.25 avg; 2 ratings] rate it

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Posted in Daily Puzzles | Tagged Amy Ensz, Erik Agard, Gary Larson, Marc Goldstein, Matt Jones, Robbie Cottom, Tarun Krishnamurthy | 21 Comments

WSJ Contest — Friday, August 1, 2025

Posted on August 3, 2025 by Conrad

WSJ (Contest) Grid: 20 minutes; Meta: a day 5*: 11 | 4.5*: 2 | 4*: 1 | 3.5*: 1 [4.77 avg; 15 ratings] rate it
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Posted in Contests | Tagged Patrick Berry | 11 Comments

Monday, August 4, 2025

Posted on August 3, 2025 by Sophia Maymudes

BEQ 19:31 (Eric) 4*: 1 | 3.5*: 1 | 2*: 1 [3.17 avg; 3 ratings] rate it
LAT 1:54 (Stella) 3.5*: 1 | 1.5*: 1 [2.50 avg; 2 ratings] rate it
NYT 3:41 (Sophia) 4*: 1 | 3.5*: 2 | 3*: 2 | 2.5*: 3 | 2*: 7 | 1.5*: 1 | 1*: 2 [2.33 avg; 18 ratings] rate it
The New Yorker 5:28 (Amy) 5*: 2 | 4*: 1 | 3*: 2 | 2*: 2 | 1*: 2 [2.89 avg; 9 ratings] rate it
Universal untimed (pannonica) 3.5*: 1 | 2.5*: 1 | 1.5*: 1 [2.50 avg; 3 ratings] rate it
USA Today tk (?) [2.00 avg; 2 ratings] rate it
WSJ untimed (Jim Q) 3.5*: 2 | 2*: 1 [3.00 avg; 3 ratings] rate it

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Posted in Daily Puzzles | Tagged Anna Shechtman, Brendan Emmett Quigley, Noelle Griskey, Patti Varol, Paul Leistra, Zhouqin Burnikel | 20 Comments

Sunday, August 10, 2025

Ariadne’s Crossword Library, August 2025

Saturday, August 9, 2025

Friday, August 8, 2025

Thursday, August 7, 2025

Wednesday, August 6, 2025

MGWCC #896

Tuesday, August 5, 2025

WSJ Contest — Friday, August 1, 2025

Monday, August 4, 2025

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