NY Times Crossword

June 30, 2026

John Liber (1-4)

 

The answers to the first seven clues will have something in common that is hinted at by the last clue. 

 

1. What King Midas had

2. Opulent ones were once called picture palaces 

3. Sure source of income, often used derogatorily 

4. Reckless motorist in The Wind and The Willows

5. Home of 7 X 8 = 56 

6. Sign on a freeway on-ramp 

7 Idle period while waiting for something else to happen 

8. Remarks void of meaning and a phonetic hint to the clue answers

 

Answer to Clue 8:

EMPTY WORDS 

 

Answers to Clues 1-7:

 

1. Magic touch

2. Movie theaters

3. Meal ticket

4. Mr. Toad 

5. Multiplication table 

6. Merging traffic

7. Marking time  - - - MT words  

COMPOUND LINKS XXX

Fill in the blanks with a compound word or two-word phrase so that the first two words and the last two words make up other compound words or two-word phrases.

Ex: FARM ________ NAME

Ans: farm HANDMAIDEN name

 

1. OUT ________ LINE

2. TIN ________ TONE 

3. CRY ________ NECK 

4. DOWN ________ BALL 

5. HOUSE ________ CODE 

6. HONEY ________ POETIC

7. SQUARE ________ TRAVEL 

8. ELECTRICAL ________ SMITH 

 

Answers:

 

1. outRUN ON line

2. tin EARRING tone

3. cryBABY BOTTLEneck

4. downSIDEKICKball

5. houseTOP SECRET code

6. honeyBEESWAX poetic

7. square MEALTIME travel

8. electrical GRIDLOCKsmith   

SYNONYM/ANAGRAM CCXXIX

The two words on each line can bed anagrammed into one - beginning with the given letter. The meanings of the anagrams are given below the clues.

1. DATE + DICE = D

2. PART + TRIO = P

3. COIN + RIFT = F

4. FLAT + ROMP = P

5. CODE + NEAT = A

6. DIAL + ROAR = R

7. BAIL + RAVE = V

8. FOYER + SPIN = P

9. NICHE + TAUT = A 

10. NOMAD + TRAY = M

 

Meanings of the anagrams:

1. Totally commit

2. Formal picture

3. Resistance

4. Statement of beliefs

5. Joke

6. Historic transport

7. Changeable

8. Embody

9. Real

10. Required

 

Answers:

 

1. DEDICATE

2. PORTRAIT

3. FRICTION

4. PLATFORM

5. ANECDOTE  

6. RAILROAD

7. VARIABLE

8. PERSONIFY

9. AUTHENTIC

10. MANDATORY  

  

GAMES/World of Puzzles

June, 2026

Scott Erdman 

 

The same change can be made to each word below to get a new one. What is the change, and what are the new words?

 

QUEEN

QUEER

QUELL

QUEST

QUILL 

QUAIL 

QUALM

QUARTER 

QUARREL 

 

Answer:

 

Replace the QU in each word with the letter B:

 

BEEN

BEER

BELL

BEST

BILL

BAIL

BALM 

BARTER 

BARREL  

GAMES/World of Puzzles

June, 2026

Todd Kreisman

 

A part of each word below is associated with the same group. What is the group?

 

1. Stallion

2. Bullet

3. Rampart

4. Searcher

5. Fisherman 

 

Answer:
 

The signs of the zodiac:

1. stalLION (Leo)

2. BULLet (Taurus)

3. RAMpart (Aries)

4. seARCHER (Sagittarius)

5. FISHerman (Pisces)  

MISSING LINKS CCXXXII

Each group below shares a Missing Link - that is, its members have something in common, obvious or not. For example, RIVERS, NOSES, & VIOLINS can all have BRIDGES.

1. Air..........Hot..........Snail 

2. Page..........Front..........Free 

3. Brush..........Bed...........Port

4. Goal..........Guide..........Post

5. Dark..........Clothes.........Saw 

6. Rush...........Zero..........Happy 

7. Work..........Spirit..........Player

8. Mobile..........Pilot..........Graph

9. Forest..........Hunter..........Moss

10. Station..........Lunch..........Couple 

 

Answers:

 

1. Mail

2. Home

3. Air

4. Field

5. Horse

6. Hour

7. Team

8. Words that can be preceded by AUTO

9. Shades of green

10. Power 

 

Credit:
8: Joe Marangell 

DROP A LETTER - GET A NEW WORD CXLIII

GAMES/World of Puzzles

June, 2026

FAMILY REUNIONS

Bob Stigger

 

Drop one letter from each word and re-arrange the remaining letters to get nine related words.

 

1. REIGN

2. PLUTO 

3. ERSATZ

4. MISLED

5. NERVES

6. ARGYLE

7. CLOWNS 

8. LEGWORK

9. GERMANIC  

 

HINTS:

First letters of the new words:

1. G

2. P

3. S

4. S

5. S

6. G

7. S

8. G

9. G  

 

Answers: 

 

1. GRIN

2. POUT

3. STARE

4. SMILE

5. SNEER

6. GLARE

7. SCOWL

8. GLOWER

9. GRIMACE - - - Facial expressions