Scroll on for our recommendations from the last week of puzzles!
Remember that this is not an attempt to pick the “best” puzzles, and we won’t be commenting as critics. Our approach is best described as “puzzles we don’t think you should miss.” Kind of like staff recommendations at a local bookstore.
Tough as Nails: Themeless #111 (4/17) by Stella Zawistowski. From last week, but too good to let slip by. As good as any maximally-hard themeless in the last several months, if perhaps a bit trivia friendly. Every entry and corner was hard-fought and well earned. – Matt
The Modern Crossword: ($) Swap Bands (4/20) by Larry Snyder. Clever theme type that could go (too) tricky, but here is deployed in a way that is friendly for solvers of all experience levels. – Rich and Norah
The Atlantic: Themeless (4/21) by Chandi Dietmer. Such a goldmine of clever cluing and delightful long entries. One of my hardest solves this week, and I loved every second of it. – Norah
Crossword Club: (4/22) by Ada Nicolle. My midi pick of the week for its fun stacks and open architecture. -Norah
Bewilderingly Puzzles: Novel Idea (4/22) by Will Nediger. Hard to explain why this one made the list without giving it away, but let’s just say it might be a little more novel than it seems. -Norah
The New Yorker: (4/23) by Erik Agard. Love seeing 45A in a puzzle, and those clues for 60A and 32D are perfection. – Norah
Universal: Permanent Record (4/24) by Daniel Bodily. Love when a theme is pretty disruptive to the solve, but all the affected areas are still pretty smooth. Great payoff in the revealer here. – Matt
Los Angeles Times: (4/24) by Alex Rosen & Brad Wilber. I found the payoff without the revealer, and got a nice chuckle out of it. – Matt
Los Angeles Times: (4/25) by Sarah Sinclair and Kelsey Dixon. In a double LAT debut, a super-fresh theme in a very fun and smooth puzzle packed with modern references. – Matt and Norah