NYT crossword constructors Schlenker, Schmitt and Deshong publish November puzzles
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
Math student Aidan Deshong constructed the Nov. 6, 2026 Friday NYT crossword, with CIRCA and SIERRA MIST among the answers.
The daily Wordplay column explains the trickiest clues for solvers.
Background
The New York Times Crossword is a daily puzzle whose constructors are credited by name, and the paper's Wordplay column publishes daily hints and explanations of tricky clues. Three constructors' puzzles ran in early November 2026: Max Schlenker's Monday puzzle, Victor Schmitt's fourth Times puzzle on Tuesday, and Aidan Deshong's Friday puzzle. Deshong studies math and computer science at Harvey Mudd College and is an associate editor at Universal Crossword; his previous Friday puzzle, his Times debut, ran the week before his high school graduation.
How it unfolded
- Nov 2, 2026Max Schlenker's Monday puzzle ran, with theme entries including EMOTIONAL OUTLET, CHICKEN WIRE, TULIP BULB and STAY CURRENT and a revealer at 60A.
- Nov 3, 2026Victor Schmitt's fourth New York Times puzzle ran, with themed entries including COUNTRY BOYS, LANDLADIES and MATERIAL GIRLS.
- Nov 3, 2026Answers, hints and clues for the Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026 Mini Crossword were published.
- Nov 6, 2026Aidan Deshong's Friday puzzle ran, with answers including CIRCA, MOOS, SIERRA MIST, OPEC and BEST COAST.
Key terms
- NYT crossword
- A daily American-style crossword puzzle published in The New York Times and syndicated to many other newspapers and online.
Source: Wikipedia
Who’s saying what
- Expert
- The Wordplay columnist said the gimmick of Schmitt's puzzle clicked right away because Jordan and France are countries.
- Expert
- The columnist first misread Deshong's 1A clue [Dating around?] as aging a tree by its rings, but the answer was CIRCA.
- Expert
- The columnist eulogized SIERRA MIST as "not the most popular lemon-lime soda" but also "not the second-most popular."
- Expert
- The columnist was familiar with the program formerly called Boy Scouts of America but didn't realize it now goes by Scouts B.S.A.
Still unverified
The Wordplay columnist speculated that "BEST COAST" may elicit eye rolls from Californians the way "Hotlanta" does for Atlantans.