Logan

I loved the theme of today’s puzzle! I’m a new solver on a 7-day streak and am amazed by how much joy working the daily crossword puzzles bring me. I hope this becomes a daily habit that I continue for the rest of my life. I’m also so grateful for the puzzle tips and to get to interact with all of you through the comments. I hope everyone has a happy and healthy New Year!

This puzzle was beautifully constructed, and I enjoyed the clever theme. I think of a completed puzzle and its clues as a work of art. Congratulations to Mallory and Zhou! I hope we continue to see more women and other underrepresented people in crossword construction.

This was my first time doing a rebus crossword puzzle, and it was so much fun! What a great way to kick off 2026. Congrats to Topher Booth for an excellent puzzle, and have a happy retirement Deb!

I respect all the creativity and skill that went into constructing this puzzle! If I ever try my hand at puzzle construction, this is one I’d want to study. As a newer solver, I found it very challenging to complete and needed a lot of help. Even so, it motivates me to keep building my solving skills and general knowledge so that puzzles like this will one day feel more fun than daunting.

I hope everyone is having a good weekend! It took me a while to understand the wordplay in LIKE LIKED, but it was so rewarding when I got it. I figured out quite a few of the answers on my own and enjoyed looking up the rest. I appreciate how every crossword puzzle is a friendly invitation to learn something new, like a little Urdu. 🙂

Attempting to complete this puzzle made me feel like I have no idea how the wordplay works. The only musical answer I managed to solve was ROSETTA STONE. Everything else went straight over my head. I just started doing NYT crosswords (I’m on a four-day streak), and this one was a very discouraging and frustrating experience. That said, I’m glad others enjoyed it. I will keep trying!

Have a lovely 21st birthday, Ms. Baik! I had fun completing the puzzle and loved the theme. 13-down tripped me up for a while—I was so sure it was “get away.” I wish you a long and happy career constructing puzzles! 🙂

I enjoyed this puzzle and the football theme! It was a nice way to ease into the week, and I learned some new words (effete and filial).

This puzzle was very challenging for me. I enjoyed learning new terms like MEET CUTE and TRASH PANDA. Also, LURID may become one of my new favorite words. Thanks, Greg and Glenn!

Bravo, Joseph Gangi! Thanks for the creative construction and lovely theme. I recently learned that Sondheim was both a ludologist and a cruciverbalist, making your puzzle a wonderfully fitting tribute to his legacy. I tip my hat to you!