🧩 Puzzle Details
The New York Times crossword for Wednesday, October 29, 2025, was constructed by John Donegan and edited by Will Shortz.
The puzzle carries a witty Dracula-themed title — “A Puzzle with Bite.”
This mid-week crossword showcases clever themed wordplay, featuring four everyday phrases reimagined as Dracula-inspired puns.
🧠 Theme and Concept
Donegan’s brilliance lies in twisting ordinary expressions into vampire-related jokes without losing their familiar tone.
Each theme answer connects to Dracula through clever puns rather than direct references to vampires.
These clues keep solvers guessing — not by obscurity, but by creativity.
📘 Complete Clues and Answers
Below is the full list of clues and answers from this Wednesday’s puzzle:
| Direction | Number | Clue | Answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Across | 1A | The “R” of REM | RAPID |
| Across | 6A | States | SAYS |
| Across | 10A | Little devil | IMP |
| Across | 13A | Bring down | ABASE |
| Across | 14A | Milkshake ingredient that might get stuck in a straw | OREO |
| Across | 15A | Whatever | MEH |
| Across | 16A | Dracula’s preferred way to eat wings? | RIGHT OFF THE BAT |
| Across | 19A | “When u coming?” | ETA |
| Across | 20A | Jocular suffix for “most” | EST |
| Across | 21A | First aid stinger | IODINE |
| Across | 22A | Cell centers | NUCLEI |
| Across | 25A | Sebastian the ___, mascot of the Miami Hurricanes | IBIS |
| Across | 26A | Whatever | MEH |
| Across | 30A | Clickable pic | ICON |
| Across | 31A | Eldest Corleone brother | SONNY |
| Across | 32A | Felt something on your head? | FEDOR |
| Across | 35A | Food fight projectile | APEA |
| Across | 36A | Speedway sponsor | STP |
| Across | 39A | Some unidentified visitors, for short | ETS |
| Across | 40A | Wrap (up) | END |
| Across | 42A | Well-rounded figure? | SPHERE |
| Across | 44A | Showed sudden interest, in a way | SATU |
| Across | 46A | Cry of victory | IWIN |
| Across | 47A | When Dracula doesn’t feel seen? | UPON REFLECTION |
| Across | 52A | Lead-in to second | NANO |
| Across | 53A | Like Satan, in the Bible | FALLEN |
| Across | 54A | Knob on an electric guitar | TREBLE |
| Across | 57A | A.F.L.-___ | CIO |
| Across | 58A | Despicable Me antihero | GRU |
| Across | 61A | Get ready to attack Dracula and his pals? | RAISE THE STAKES |
| Across | 64A | Like some jobs | ODD |
| Across | 65A | Well-used pencil, say | STUB |
| Across | 66A | Rains hard? | HAILS |
| Across | 67A | Anti-traffic org. | DEA |
| Across | 68A | Sport whose athletes wear topknots | SUMO |
| Across | 69A | Mythical luster? | SATYR |
Down clues include standard crossword fill such as RAGS, GODS, POISE, IDES, INRO, ELATION, and others — supporting the theme entries cleanly and fairly.
🧠 Theme Answers Breakdown
Here’s how each Dracula-themed entry works:
| Theme Entry | Clue | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| RIGHT OFF THE BAT | Dracula’s preferred way to eat wings? | The familiar phrase means “immediately,” but here it doubles as a bat-themed pun on Dracula’s dining habits. |
| LIGHT ON HIS FEET | What makes Dracula frantically hop around? | Normally describes agility, but here it jokes about Dracula’s reaction to sunlight. |
| UPON REFLECTION | When Dracula doesn’t feel seen? | A wordplay twist — since vampires have no reflection, Dracula literally isn’t seen “upon reflection.” |
| RAISE THE STAKES | Get ready to attack Dracula and his pals? | Perfect double meaning — increasing risk while also hinting at vampire-slaying wooden stakes. |
📊 Puzzle Statistics
| Metric | Detail |
|---|---|
| Difficulty rating (Scrabble scale) | 1.58 |
| Freshness rating | 17% |
| Unique answers | 3 |
| Theme entries | 4 |
| Puzzle editor | Will Shortz |
| Constructor | John Donegan |
This puzzle balances clever humor and moderate difficulty, making it a model example of a solid Wednesday crossword.
👤 Constructor Background
John Donegan, a regular contributor to The New York Times Crossword, is known for creating balanced, witty, and accessible puzzles.
His Dracula-themed crossword shows a deep understanding of wordplay and timing — making humor land without losing solving flow.
Edited by Will Shortz, the puzzle maintains the paper’s trademark polish and standard of fairness.
🧩 Why This Puzzle Works
What sets this crossword apart is its balance between humor and solvability.
Donegan managed to keep every theme entry as a real, everyday phrase, yet recast it through Dracula’s world — a trick that delights without confusing.
The grid fill is clean, the crosses fair, and the theme execution tight — everything a solver expects from a top-tier NYT Wednesday puzzle.
It’s playful, well-built, and full of bite — just like its title promises.
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