Wednesday Puzzle

This week brings another enjoyable crossword from Joseph Gangi, a seasoned constructor whose work continues to impress. This marks his eighth puzzle featured in The New York Times, and longtime solvers may recognize his creative touch—especially in puzzles known for their clever grid art, where black squares form unique designs. Today’s puzzle carries that same sense of fun and ingenuity.

Today’s Theme

Gangi presents six themed entries along with a revealer that ties everything together. The concept is relatively straightforward: each theme answer begins with “COM,” a pattern highlighted by the revealer “DOT” at 58-Down, clued as the element that precedes each starred entry.

Each themed answer also forms a playful phrase, such as “DOT COM BUST,” clued as a failed internet company. The consistency of the structure makes the theme accessible, even as the rest of the grid offers a bit more of a challenge.

Notable Clues

Some clues may give solvers pause. For instance, “SPARGE” (8-Across), meaning to rinse grain during brewing, may be unfamiliar to many. Another clever entry, “PATIENCE” (17-Across), plays on the idea of someone skilled at waiting, rather than serving in a restaurant.

Elsewhere, “HUA” (51-Across) references Hua Guofeng, a historical figure who succeeded Mao Zedong. The clue for “STILETTO” (60-Across) might initially mislead solvers toward “high heel,” while “METONYM” (3-Down) introduces a linguistic term describing a word that stands in for something closely associated with it.

Modern culture also makes an appearance with “PHOTO DUMPS” (9-Down), referring to uncurated Instagram posts, while “TOURNAMENT” (29-Down) cleverly uses the idea of “seeds” in a competitive, not botanical, sense.

Constructor’s Insight

According to Gangi, the structure of the puzzle was shaped by two main goals: placing the revealer “DOT” in the lower-right corner and incorporating six theme answers. Using fewer entries would have required a central answer with an odd number of letters, which didn’t align with his chosen words.

This decision led to a grid with fewer blocks and a lower word count, making it both challenging and rewarding to construct. Despite the complexity, Gangi notes that the puzzle still makes him smile — a sentiment he hopes solvers will share as they work through it.