Day: March 27, 2025

DCL Highlights: Weeks of 2/23-3/16

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 solved that we don’t think you should miss.” Kind of like staff recommendations at a local bookstore.

Did we miss your favorites? Add them in the comments!

ClassiCanadian: S.O.S.! (2/20) by Barb Olson. Really fun theme set, given the revealer. –Matt

Jonesin’: “Put ‘Em Together” (2/20) -Matt

The New Yorker: (2/24) by Erik Agard. Great grid, great clues. -Steve

Puzzmo: “Can I get a, um, uhh–?” (2/24) Sara Cantor. An easier themeless jampacked with fill and fun. I’m on record as preferring harder themelesses, but this is my favorite puzzle of the year so far. -Matt

Bewilderingly: “What’s the Deal with Doug?” (2/24) by Will Nediger. -Matt

Los Angeles Times: (2/25) by Nate Cardin. so much theme content, so much smooth. -Matt

BEQ: “No Loose Ends” (2/27) by Brendan Emmett Quigley. Good and smooth. -Matt.

Puzzmo: “Day In, Day Out” (3/11) by Doug Peterson. Quite a breezy solve and fun bonus entries, but my favorite thing about this puzzle is the absolutely perfect apt-pair theme that makes you go “I wish I had thought of that”. -Norah

Boswords: (3/17) by Will Eisenberg. Will puts a lot of effort as a constructor and editor into the balance of fair, difficult, and puzzling, and it shows throughout in his Boswords grid. -Matt

New York Times: Acrostic (3/23) Another great acrostic from David Balton and Jane Stewart. They are masters! -Steve

Washington Post: “You Are Surrounded” (3/23) by Evan Birnholz. Astounding , tight and satisfying solve. -Steve. Rare to see a meta this smooth and accessible with multiple steps -Matt

Thursday, March 27, 2025

Ashley’s Crosswords: “Marriage Guide For Farmers” (5×5 — March 26 2025) by Ashley Wong. .jpz, .puz, .pdf, online.
Black Crossword: Mini by Juliana Pache. .pdf, online.
ClassiCanadian Crosswords: ($) Where the Action Is by Barb Olson. Subscribe at link.
Crossword Club: Daily Crossword: March 27, 2025 by Erica Hsiung Wojcik. .pdf, online.
Elliot’s Puzzles: Y Not? (Mini) by Elliot’s Puzzles. Online at Crosswordr.
Fireball: ($) “Zip It!” by Peter Gordon. Subscribe at link.
Jonesin’: Say Less by Matt Jones. .puz, .pdf, online.
M & M Crosswords: Good For Absolutely Nothing by Martina Waluk. .pdf, online.
The New Dork Times: ($) New Dork Times Puzzle: Mini 77 by Cole Rush. Subscribe at link.
Norah’s Puzzles: Put ‘Em in a Stew by Norah Sharpe. .puz, online.
Provincetown Independent: Wally and Friends by Sophia Maymudes. .pdf, .puz
Puzzmo: Holy Smoke by Neville Fogarty. Online.
Quid Pro: The GenXword Mini 3/27/25 #tbt by Andrew Anker. Online at Crosswordr.
Real Puzzling Stuff: Pedantry + Squelchy Synths (Themeless, 3/26/25) by Ryan Patrick Smith. .pdf, online.

Apple News: ($) Freestyle by Rafael Musa. News+ Subscription Required
Apple News Mini: ($) Daily Mini by Ross Trudeau. News+ Subscription Required
The Atlantic Mini: by Paolo Pasco. .pdf, online.
The Columbia Spectator: Daily Mini: 03/27/2025 by Molly Durawa. .puz, .pdf, online.
Crosshare Community: Daily Mini and Featured Puzzles.
Crossherd: Daily Mini. Online
Crossword Flow: ($) by Rafael Musa. iPad-exclusive app.
Crosswordr Community: Community Puzzle Platform.
Crosswords with Friends: Top 40 Thursday by Mike Nothnagel. App Store | Google Play
Crosswords with Friends: Midi Puzzle by Nate Cardin. App Store | Google Play
Crosswords with Friends: Mini Puzzle by Caitlin Reid. App Store | Google Play
Daily Beast: Miley Marker 9, Weds. March 26, 2025 by Matt Gaffney. .pdf, online.
The Daily Pennsylvanian: Daily Puzzle .pdf, online.
Daily POP Crosswords: by Robin Stears. App Store | Google Play, online.
The Daily Princetonian: Off The Cuff by MC McCoy. Online.
The Daily Princetonian: Hellenic Hamlet (Mini) by Ishan Ghosh. Online.
Fordham Observer: Thusday, March 27 (Mini) by Sofia Schreiber. .pdf, online.
India Mini Crossword: Daily Mini .pdf, online.
Mangesh Ghogre’s Indian Mini Crosswords: Daily Mini by Mangesh Ghogre. .pdf, online.
Merriam Webster: The Missing Letter by Matt Gaffney .pdf, online.
The Michigan Daily: The Mini. Online.
Slate: Slate Midi: Thursday, March 27, 2025 by Nancy Serrano-Wu. Online, .pdf.
Slate: Slate Mini: Thursday, March 27, 2025 by Quiara Vasquez. Online, .pdf.
Vox: by Will Nediger. .pdf, online.
Vulture 10×10: The Narcotic Puzzle by Stella Zawistowski. .pdf, online.
WashU Student Life : Paws & Go by Rena Cohen. Online.
YourPuzzleSource: Daily Puzzle (Midi) by Phil Fraas. .pdf, online.

The Boston Globe: Mini Crossword by Sowmya Ramkumar. .pdf, online.
Los Angeles Times: by Joe Rodini. Online, pdf. Free Cruciverb account for .puz.
Los Angeles Times Mini: by Elizabeth Gorski. Online.
New York Sun: ($) Warrior by David Quarfoot. Reissues from 2006.
New York Times: ($) by Brad Lively. Online, .pdf, app.
New York Times Mini: by Sam Ezersky. Online, app.
The New Yorker Mini: The Mini Crossword: Thursday, March 27, 2025 by Mollie Cowger. .pdf, online.
Newsday: 3/27/25 Not So Hot by Lin Josephson. Online .pdf
PlayFour: ($) Daily Puzzle. Online
Squared Away: ($) Daily Puzzle. Online.
The Telegraph: Cross Atlantic by John Halpern. Online.
Universal: ($) Spring Themeless Week, Puzzle 4 by Amie Walker and Amanda Rafkin. Online, pdf. .puz.
USA Today: An Average Puzzle by Matthew Luter. Online, .pdf, app.
The Wall Street Journal: Behind the Curves by Zhou Zhang & Kevin Curry. Online, .pdf. .puz.
Washington Post Daily Mini Meta: by Frank Longo. Online, .pdf.

Aries Puzzles: Aries Freestyle March 2025 by Andrew J. Ries. .pdf, .jpz
A Cleverly-Titled Logic Puzzle Blog: Wordy Wednesday 641: Foxgeryptics 20 by Grant Fikes. .pdf.
Tales From The Cryptic: Cryptic Mini #000000116: “i stan being sus” 5×7 by Bob Weisz. .pdf, online.

Financial Times: FT Crossword .pdf.
The Guardian: Cryptic crossword No 29,653 by Anto. .pdf, online.
The Hindu Cryptic: Daily Cryptic .pdf, online.
The Independent: Cryptic Crossword .pdf, online.
New Scientist: ($) Biweekly Cryptic Subscribe at link.
The Spectator: ($) Weekly Cryptic Subscribe at link.

Support Daily Crossword Links

Check out the DCL’s staff recommendations from last week’s puzzles

Other American-style links:

Reviews and Discussion at Diary of a Crossword Fiend | Boatload Puzzles/AARP | “Crosscord” Discord | Crucidrama (en español) | Cruciverbalista (en español) | Easy Crossword (Newsday Archives) | FreeDailyCrosswords | Medium Crossword (Newsday Archives) | Hard Crossword (Newsday Archives) | r/crossword | USA Today Reviews and Discussion at Off the Grid | Squares.io | XWord-Muggles Meta Calendar

Other Cryptic/Variety links:

A Frame Games | cf.kmbweb.de Links Library | CoxRathvon.com | Harper’s ($) | Lovatts | Magpie ($) | Mokelfish Links Library | MyCrossword | NPL | Panda Magazine ($) | Private Eye | PuzzleCrypt archives | Puzzling StackExchange | r/crosswords | Sydney Morning Herald ($) | The Telegraph | The Times (UK) ($), includes The Listener