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Use Your Words

January 18, 2026

By Rena Cohen • 140 Clues

Across Clues

1. Bit of regal headwear → DIADEM
7. Singer Horne → LENA
11. Develops alopecia → GOESBALD
19. Total → ENTIRE
20. 2022 World Series champ → ASTRO
22. College town nicknamed "A2" → ANNARBOR
23. Like the Gospel of Mark, sequentially? → AFTERMATTHEW
25. Concert lineups → SETLISTS
26. Matriarch of six of the 12 tribes of Israel → LEAH
27. Make a choice → OPT
28. Trouble → WOE
30. 1982 film whose name is a security program → TRON
31. Text that says "Congratulations! You've won a MacBook Pro," probably → SCAM
33. Prepare for a mechanic's certification exam? → REVIEWTHEENGINE
40. Pulsates → THROBS
42. Rock's Plastic ___ Band → ONO
43. Central parts of planets → CORES
44. Hairdresser's supply → DYE
45. Molecule that might be modeled with Twizzlers and gummies in biology class → DNA
46. Soft shots, in tennis → DINKS
48. Meditative chants → OMS
49. Plant used in pickling → DILL
50. H.S. exam whose highest score is 36 → ACT
53. Source of income for a website → ADSALE
55. Half of a popular social media app → TIK
57. Discontinued iPods designed to fit into watch pockets → NANOS
58. Original people to move into Cancún's peninsula? → THESETTLERSOFYUCATAN
63. Affectionate term for una madre → MAMI
64. Designation for the Louisville Bats and Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp → AAA
65. Preceder of Peacock and White in the game Clue → MRS
66. "Big" comic protagonist → NATE
67. "Don't look at me for help" ... or a phonetic hint to this puzzle's theme → SOUNDSLIKEAYOUPROBLEM
75. Dove's dwelling → COTE
76. Wii remote batteries → AAS
77. Sloth in 2002's "Ice Age" → SID
78. Sensation before a migraine, medically → AURA
79. Gets married while wearing protective gear? → UNITESINSHININGARMOR
85. Quarrels → SPATS
86. Itty-bitty → WEE
87. Japanese craft that literally translates to "tray planting" → BONSAI
88. "This Is your brain on drugs," e.g., for short → PSA
89. Best-selling romance author Jimenez → ABBY
90. One of 2,214 for Babe Ruth → RBI
92. "Shrek!" author William → STEIG
94. Common item at a checkout line, informally → MAG
96. #1 spot in London? → LOO
97. Honkers without horns → GEESE
99. It might come with a shell → OAR
100. Go over again → REREAD
103. List of restaurant offerings for kids not yet three years old? → TWOANDAHALFMENU
107. Kerfuffle → TODO
108. Oodles → GOBS
109. Someone who might issue a travel warning? → REF
110. "Roger that!" → YEP
112. Name that means "pink" in Spanish → ROSA
114. Relative of a husky → MALAMUTE
118. Wedding planner's aid? → VENUEDIAGRAM
122. "5 stars" → ILOVEDIT
123. It might raise a bunch of dough → YEAST
124. Stab of pain → TWINGE
125. Values → ASSESSES
126. Businesses offering mud masks → SPAS
127. Pulls the chain of, so to speak → TEASES

Down Clues

1. Word on either side of "or no" → DEAL
2. Overrun → INFEST
3. Add electronically, in a way → ATTACH
4. Like a really big fan → DIEHARD
5. Go wrong → ERR
6. Bad thing not to get (especially at the office?) → MEMO
7. The Cinnamon Dolce or the Blonde Vanilla, at Starbucks → LATTE
8. "Silentium ___ aureum" ("Silence is golden") → EST
9. High degree → NTH
10. "Is it time to rethink this relationship?" → AREWEOK
11. Hilarious thing → GAS
12. Like George H.W. Bush, but not George W. Bush → ONETERM
13. Starters' followers → ENTREES
14. Businesses whose employees work standing up → SALONS
15. Carry in → BRING
16. "Chiseled" features → ABS
17. Destiny in life → LOT
18. Hippocratic oath followers, for short → DRS
21. "Stop! That hurts!" → OWOW
24. Car financing figs. → APRS
29. List shortener → ETC
32. "Hidden Figures" co-star Janelle → MONAE
34. Breathable fabric used in mosquito nets → VOILE
35. ___ child → INNER
36. What a bad student might play → HOOKY
37. Menzel of Broadway → IDINA
38. Guitar string material → NYLON
39. Fish traditionally in the British dish "pie and mash" → EELS
41. What kitsch exhibits → BADTASTE
46. ___ Lama → DALAI
47. Part of a bedtime routine → STORY
49. Healthy, fiber-rich snack → DATEBAR
50. Where some bills originate → ATMS
51. Former transportation secretary Elaine → CHAO
52. Chinese competitor of Amazon → TEMU
54. Loses freshness → STALES
56. "In that case ..." → IFSO
57. Grp. that Sweden joined in 2024 → NATO
59. Vegas → SINCITY
60. Sensation → SMASH
61. Removes from the top of one's profile, as an Instagram post → UNPINS
62. Hearts or spades, but not diamonds → CARDGAME
68. ......... → DOTS
69. Classic Orson Welles protagonist → KANE
70. Ameliorates → EASES
71. Via → USING
72. Feature of undermixed batter → LUMP
73. Greek god whose name becomes a flower if you move the first letter to the end → EROS
74. Golden Globe nominee Rooney → MARA
79. "V," to a violinist → UPBOW
80. Padmé Amidala's home planet in "Star Wars" → NABOO
81. "If only!" → IWISH
82. Steel girder → IBEAM
83. Bête ___ → NOIRE
84. Images that can rip off human creators, perhaps → AIART
85. Pretzel topper → SALT
90. Trees with heart-shaped leaves → REDBUDS
91. Creature, cutesily → BEASTIE
93. Candies that crack with a crunch → TOFFEES
95. Last of the 13 original colonies to be founded → GEORGIA
97. Some lawn ornaments → GNOMES
98. Part of E.N.T. → EAR
100. Kicked oneself for → RUED
101. Prettifies → ADORNS
102. 500 mg 2x/day, e.g. → DOSAGE
104. Source of a natural sweetener → AGAVE
105. Last name shared by three actors on "Schitt's Creek" → LEVY
106. Russian denials → NYETS
111. The Panthers of the A.C.C. → PITT
113. Midwest city whose name becomes a Southwest city if you move the first letter to the end → AMES
114. Not around, informally → MIA
115. Hirt and Hirschfeld → ALS
116. Día de ___ Reyes Magos → LOS
117. They're often depicted with green skin, for short → ETS
119. Something much needed after an all-nighter → NAP
120. Today preceder → USA
121. Leave speechless → AWE