New York Times Crossword 0912 Jun 2026

Did you catch the "Lead" trick early, or did the homophones throw you off? Let me know in the comments!

There were some delightfully tricky clues for a Wednesday.

Erik Agard Date: September 12, 2024 (Wednesday) Difficulty: Moderate (Wednesday territory) new york times crossword 0912

Every puzzle has a few entries that slow down the momentum, and today was no exception.

Since you didn't specify the year, I have written a blog post review for the most recent puzzle (which was Wednesday, September 11, 2024 , due to the publishing schedule, or a generic review applicable to the typical style of a Sept 12 puzzle). Did you catch the "Lead" trick early, or

| # | Entry (Across) | Clue (Paraphrased) | Hidden Highway | Explanation | |---|----------------|-------------------|----------------|-------------| | 20 | | “Snack for a trekker on a path” | I‑80 (eighty) | “TRAIL‑MIX” contains I‑80 when the hyphen is ignored. | | 35 | SCENIC BY‑WAY | “Picturesque side route” | US‑20 (twenty) | “BY‑WAY” encloses US‑20 . | | 48 | ROAD‑TRIP RECIPE | “Dish for a long drive” | I‑90 (ninety) | The hyphen joins the letters I‑90 . | | 61 | CAMPGROUND GUIDE | “Handbook for a tent‑site” | US‑101 (one‑oh‑one) | “GROUND G” forms the hidden US‑101 sequence. |

Overall, is a must‑solve for anyone who enjoys a thoughtful theme, clean wordplay, and a satisfying Sunday puzzle rhythm. It stands out as a highlight among the 2024 Sunday lineup and deserves a spot on any serious solver’s “best of the year” list. Erik Agard Date: September 12, 2024 (Wednesday) Difficulty:

Overall, the fill feels . The constructor avoided filler‑type entries like “NUTS” or “ELLA” that sometimes appear in Sunday puzzles, opting instead for a higher proportion of longer, interesting words.

This was a solid mid-week entry. It wasn't so hard that you wanted to throw your phone (or pencil) across the room, but it wasn't a cakewalk either. The theme was consistent, the "DJIBOUTI" drop was a highlight of the week, and the cluing was fair but playful.