Special Gameplay: Times Past
This puzzle celebrates 175 years of The New York Times.
Gameplay
September 18, 2026
A photo collage with imagery related to The New York Times over a crossword.
Julee Victoria René/The New York Times

Solve the Special Crossword

By Jonathan Knight

Jonathan Knight has run the Games team since 2020.

The New York Times regularly publishes special crosswords for subscribers. The puzzles are designed to have the difficulty of an early-week grid and to use the theme throughout. The title of this puzzle celebrates 175 years of The Times. It was constructed by Sam Ezersky and Anna Kaufman.

I’m honored to introduce this 175th anniversary special crossword. It’s a delicious puzzle that celebrates quotes and headlines pulled from the paper’s history. And it is a reminder that the New York Times Crossword has always had intergenerational appeal. How else would our children learn about 1920s baseball heroes? How would parents know which Pokémon has a “catlike appearance”? At NYT Games, we endeavor to keep that age-inclusive social experience alive: the learning moment, the joy of the solve, the thrill of sharing with our family and friends. The collective understanding of the world that brings us together through wit, cleverness and relevance.

In a way, The Times, a 175-year-old institution, is like a mother to all the NYT Games. Its celebrated Sunday crossword — our oldest game at a spry 84 — first ran a little under a century after the paper’s founding, and just two months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. And what did this child learn from its parents? Well, our team has learned that our puzzles, then and now, are meant to bring a moment of joy and relaxation while the sometimes difficult news cycle swirls around us. But also that we do not just make games here. We are as connected to the core values and mission of the paper as the paper is to the news. We craft the very best and most relevant human-made puzzles, in keeping with both the times and The Times.

And this special crossword is no exception. If you’re a New Yorker, an Italian or a South Dakotan, you’ll see yourself in this puzzle. If you’re a nerd like me, you’ll find a delightful walk through the history of electronics. And whether you remember a time without ZIP codes, or are learning about how your parents may have lived, the Crossword will forever be that generational glue that we all need. From NYT Games: Happy 175th anniversary, Gray Lady. You’ll always be Mom to us.

Solve the Puzzle.

PLAY TODAY’S GAMES

Wordle

Wordle →

Connections

Connections →

Strands

Strands →

Spelling Bee

Spelling Bee →

Crossword

Crossword →

Mini

Mini →

Try This Clue

113-Across: In 1877: One early use suggested by Alexander Graham Bell for his telephone, whose “possibilities may be enlarged upon indefinitely”

113-Across, nine letters.

How are we doing?
We’d love your feedback on this newsletter. Please email thoughts and suggestions to crosswordeditors@nytimes.com.

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The answer to the clue is GOSSIPING.

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