NYT Crossword Answers: April 29, 2026

WEDNESDAY PUZZLE — This week, I’m delighted to have the ability to clear up one other puzzle by Joseph Gangi, a veteran builder whose work I love. This is Mr. Gangi’s eighth puzzle in The New York Times. He additionally occurs to be the creator of two puzzles that I point out typically after I speak about grid artwork, or particular designs made with the black squares of a crossword. They’re each actually enjoyable solves, very like at the moment’s grid.

Today’s Theme

Mr. Gangi provides us six theme solutions and a revealer.

I discovered the theme to be pretty easy, though the remainder of the puzzle had some powerful fill. Each theme reply begins with COM, made additional evident by the revealer DOT at 58-Down, the [Preceder of the answer to each of this puzzle’s starred clues]. Each theme reply additionally kinds a phrase, akin to DOT COM BUST at 1-Across [*Failed internet company?].

Tricky Clues

8A. SPARGE, the reply right here, was a brand new phrase to me. It does certainly imply [Rinse with water, as grain in the brewing process].

17A. [Trait for a good waiter?] doesn’t check with somebody employed in a restaurant, however slightly to somebody who is nice at ready round. The reply right here is PATIENCE.

51A. [___ Guofeng, successor to Mao Zedong] is HUA. Although he was the second premier of China, he misplaced a lot of his affect as Deng Xiaoping rose to energy in 1978.

60A. I initially crammed within the [Shoe with a “kitten” variety] as “high heel,” however the reply right here is STILETTO.

3D. A METONYM is a phrase that refers to one thing utilizing the title of one thing carefully related to it, akin to [“Wall Street,” for the U.S. financial industry]. This was one other new phrase to me.

9D. I’m barely on social media, so it took me a number of crossers to know that [Uncurated Instagram collections] are PHOTO DUMPS.

29D. A TOURNAMENT is [Where seeds might be placed]versus a backyard.

Notes Builder

The puzzle structure was pushed largely by (1) wanting the DOT revealer within the backside proper nook and (2) having six theme solutions. With shorter theme solutions, I wanted not less than 5, however in that case I would want one thing within the heart row, which would want to have an odd variety of letters. (Taking out the central sq. on this puzzle, for instance, would require an entry of 9 letters.) The entries I wished to make use of had an excellent variety of letters, so I went with six theme solutions. That resulted in a lower-word depend, lower-block depend grid, which was a enjoyable problem to fill. They nonetheless make me chuckle, so I’m glad I caught with the problem. Hoping this introduced you slightly midweek amusement.

Improve Your Crossword Solving

Work your manner via our information “How to Solve the New York Times Crossword.” It comprises a proof of a lot of the forms of clues you will note within the puzzles and a apply Mini on the finish of every part.