Saturdays’ NYT crosswords are notorious for their difficult clues, and today’s puzzle exactly proves this idea. It shares a common element with yesterday’s grid: masterful wordplay designed to misdirect you. While today’s puzzle is themeless, it presents several clues that play a significant role in shaping your weekend!
Let’s start with section 49-Across: “Where one might hope to find good deals on the internet?” At first, you may think of online shopping platforms like Amazon. But you should keep in mind that it is Saturday and you have to beware of wordplays. The answer is ONLINECASINOS (Online Casinos). By deals, the constructors refer to decks of cards. Smart, huh?
Section 48-Across can be spooky: “Scene for a skeleton crew?” Imagine some guys with skeleton masks and dark robe. Then some kids ask you for candies. In this setting, the answer is clearly a HALLOWEENPARTY (Halloween Party).
Section 18-Across is a clue with funny answer: Child support? Hypothetically, you may want to answer with some official organization like UNICEF. However, you are way off from the real answer; it is really simple and its simplicity is the most difficult part. The answer is SECURITYBLANKET (Security Blanket) which supports a child in cold weather. Sometimes, the answer is so easy that we can’t reach it!
Let me talk about two clues which are closely related to my favorite sport and super-hero movie franchise, respectively. Section 17-Across is about a tennis player whose playstyle is always a masterclass for me: ___ Ivanovic, former #1-ranked female tennis player.
ANA Ivanovic was famous because of her powerful forehands; her hands’ movement was impressive and shone on the court. Note that she is one of the “30 Legends of Women’s Tennis.”
You may also like: NYT Crossword Analysis (Jan 21, 2026): Similarities and Differences!
Section 42-Across’s clue is: Penultimate film in a series of 23. AVENGERSENDGAME (Avengers Endgame) concludes the main saga with one of the most epic scenes in the history of superhero movies. If you haven’t watched it yet (though I suspect that is impossible), please listen to me and watch the fate of the Avengers’ heroes. It is, as they say, inevitable.
Saturday puzzles are designed to be “inevitable” head-scratchers! Which misdirection was your favorite today? Did the Security Blanket wrap you up, or did the Online Casinos take your lunch money? Let’s discuss in the comments!
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