NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Banking annoyance associated with the 20s?

7 “Ah, got it now!” 13 Concerns for

manufacturers 15 Sara who wrote the “Pretty Little Liars” books 16 2024, e.g.

18 Tiny social

climber

19 Play ground? 20 ___ group 21 Evidence of

crying 23 Rocked, so to

speak

26 Part of a choir 27 Preschool recital 31 Pentagon figures 33 Regulation

followers, in brief 34 Symbol of purity

or spirituality 35 Like some brains

and pool balls 37 Treat often eaten with a small wooden spoon 38 Institution of 40+ years that has many notable alums

39 Annual mecca for sci-fi and fantasy fans 43 Setting for a Twins or White Sox game: Abbr. 44 Personal

number?

45 Cry after a

motion

46 Kit ___ 47 Withdraw (from) 49 Just plain silly 50 Honors held by only one U.S. president and one U.K. prime minister 51 Celebratory greeting for 16-Across 54 Bull-like

56 Apple Pay, e.g. 59 Bit of sportswear 60 Pasta shaped like wagon wheels

61 Legit

62 Learning

opportunity

DOWN

1 “Game of Thrones” character whose name means “noble” in Sanskrit

2 Many a camp

counselor 3 Exam for a docto-be

4 Way out

5 Grilled corn-onthe-cob dish, in Mexican cuisine 6 Red-and-green

headwear

7 “This can’t be

good” 8 Olympian Strug or Walsh Jennings

9 Sierra Nevada or Lagunitas offering 10 Long-running

account 11 Carrier of a bow

and arrow

12 ___ Mode, character in “The Incredibles” 14 House speaker’s

place

15 Scrapes 17 Lacks, informally 21 Material for deck

chairs 22 “Canvas” for

digital art? 23 Capital with an airport named after Chopin 24 Common gift during Chinese Spring Festival 25 Some local sports associations, informally 28 Home to the Crazy Horse Memorial

29 Man with a

Manx, say 30 Sister brand of

Miracle-Gro 32 One of two in a

tournament 34 Grant temporary

custody?

36 ___ clothing 37 Badly off-base? 40 One born between the mid-1960s and 1980 41 Smoothie berry 42 Discuss

something (with) 48 Woman’s name that becomes a direction when its fourth letter is changed 50 Loses color 52 Puma rival 53 Actress

Blanchett 54 “Ba-a-a-ad!” 55 “Is that ___?” 57 “Telephone Line”

band, in brief 58 Half a score