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

Monday, August 11, 2025

Posted on August 10, 2025 by Sophia Maymudes

BEQ 12:23 (Eric) 4.5*: 1 | 4*: 1 | 3*: 1 [3.83 avg; 3 ratings] rate it
LAT 2:10 (Stella) 3*: 1 [3.00 avg; 1 rating] rate it
NYT 3:10 (Sophia) 4.5*: 2 | 4*: 7 | 3.5*: 1 | 3*: 1 | 2.5*: 1 | 2*: 2 [3.57 avg; 14 ratings] rate it
The New Yorker 7:05 (Amy) 4*: 3 | 3*: 1 | 2.5*: 2 | 2*: 1 | 1.5*: 2 | 1*: 1 [2.60 avg; 10 ratings] rate it
Universal untimed (pannonica) 4*: 1 | 2.5*: 2 [3.00 avg; 3 ratings] rate it
USA Today tk (?) 2.5*: 1 | 1.5*: 1 [2.00 avg; 2 ratings] rate it
WSJ 4:00 (Jim Q) rate it

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Posted in Daily Puzzles | Tagged Brendan Emmett Quigley, Brian Keller, Guilherme Gilioli, Mary Winslow, Natan Last, Rebecca Goldstein | 10 Comments

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 11, 2025

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

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