Puzzle Notes

Dear friends,

Quiara Vasquez brings us a tough puzzle this week, at 4.5/5 difficulty, titled "Closing Numbers." Good luck with this offering, which is fun all the way through.

Quiara Vasquez is one of the editors at AVCX Classic. The best editor at AVCX Classic, it's said. (More and more people are saying it!) She also edits the daily crossword offerings at Slate Magazine, and operates a games-and-puzzles-themed newsletter called Quite Vexing. Her next project? Reading every Jennifer Egan novel, so she can write an EGAN clue that isn't about A Visit from the fucking Goon Squad.

And a plug! The third annual Midwest Crossword Puzzle Tournament will be held in Chicago and online on October 3, 2026. Here's this year's line-up of Midwest constructors: Zachary Edward-Brown, Emily Biegas and Sala Wanetick, Rena Cohen, Mike Graczyk, Kate Jensen, and Jess Rucks. While the in-person tournament is sold out, you can register to solve online, volunteer to help at the event, or purchase the puzzles to solve on your own later. More information at midwestgridfest.com

And last as well as absolutely least, we made a mistake! A clue in last week's puzzle identified SMU as being in Forth Worth, whereas it is, in fact, in Dallas, Texas. We apologize as deeply as we can to all of our solvers, including but not limited to you Texans. You deserve accurate SMU clues and in this instance we let you down. As ever, please blame me (Ben) in my capacity as editor rather than the constructors! Yrs,
Ben and the expanded AVCX crew


avxwords.com // @avcx.bsky.social' // @lilavcx.bsky.social' // @avcxtrivia.bsky.social'

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