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No matter how tempting—not to mention, satisfying—picking at and popping a pimple may be, don’t do it. According to Wilson, “popping acne lesions has more potential to spread bacteria when forcefully erupted.” Instead, she suggests applying topical treatments with salicylic acid or charcoal meant to reduce inflammation and kill bacteria.When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site.

Exfoliation should be—if it’s not already—a regular part of your skincare routine. That’s because the benefits of exfoliating are many, including clearing current blackheads and preventing future ones from forming, notes Wilson. “Look for alpha-hydroxy acids such as glycolic acid or lactic acid, or enzymes such as papaya or rice enzymes,” she advises. These types of exfoliators are gentler than scrubs (more on that below).If there ever were an ideal time to extract acne away, it would be right after showering. That’s because post-shower, you’re skin is at its softest. This can also be achieved using an alternative method: “For gentle at-home blackhead removal, you can invest in a small facial steamer to help soften the skin,” proposes Wilson. Then, if you happen to see blackheads coming to the skin’s surface, wrap your fingers in tissue and wiggle out any excess congestion.

Chemical exfoliators tend to be more gentle on the skin than physical exfoliators, but if you’re set on using the latter, can we at least suggest that it not be a scrub? “Harsh scrubs will slough off surface skin cells, but they cannot work deep into the pores to remove blackheads,” explains Wilson. And if you have acne-prone skin, scrubs can even spread the bacteria, which will only serve to exacerbate acne, she adds. The solution? Use an exfoliating cloth or brush instead.

Fox L, Csongradi C, Aucamp M, du Plessis J, Gerber M. Treatment Modalities for Acne. Molecules. 2016 Aug 13;21(8):1063. doi: 10.3390/molecules21081063. For instance, improper use of an extraction tool can damage the skin (think: scarring, bruising, and capillary damage), she explains. And not only that, but it may also drive bacteria deeper into the skin, causing a breakout to become even worse. Thornfeldt notes, “Misuse of the device itself, using a device with a poorly designed structure, and deep rupturing of the lesion, which induces a severe inflammatory response,” as three reasons why damage typically occurs from using extraction tools at home. The thing is, even if you think you can remove a whitehead’s contents without a hitch, it’s easier said than done. “A major difficulty is the proper alignment of the device to the skin contour and shape,” comments Thornfeldt. For best results, he recommends having extractions performed in-office by your dermatologist, cosmetic physician, or esthetician. If you can’t get to your skincare professional right away, don’t reach for an extraction tool just yet. Wilson suggests trying these four preventive measures and alternative treatments instead:

Acne extraction tools (a.k.a. comedone extractors) treat comedonal acne, a common and non-inflammatory type of acne, by removing blemishes. They typically consist of a small metal rod with a hook or loop at the end that is used to extract whiteheads (closed comedones) and blackheads via gentle squeezing, tweezing, or piercing.A dermatologist can help rid your skin of blackheads. “There are in-office treatments that can help diminish the appearance of pores,” Suozzi points out. These include nonablative resurfacing (aka laser treatments) such as Fraxel laser or\n Clear + Brilliant laser or microneedling. Prices vary and can range from a few hundred dollars to $1,500 or more, dermatologists say. While some people are happy with the results of a single treatment, others may need multiple sessions to achieve\n desired results.Suozzi recommends fighting the urge to pop any pimples. “If you squeeze your blackheads, you can cause the follicle to rupture and induce the formation of an inflammatory lesion, or cyst,” she says. In other words, you can transform your blackhead into a much more serious skin condition. Keep in mind that the closer a blackhead is to the surface of your skin, the safer it is to squeeze.

To keep blackheads at bay, Suozzi recommends topical or oral retinoids, including prescription medications like tretinoin or Retin-A. “Recently, a prescription strength retinoid, called adapalene or Differin, became available over the counter for\n the treatment of comedonal acne,” she says. “In cases of more severe comedonal acne, patients may require treatment with oral retinoids, such as isotretinoin, or Accutane.” Saedi adds that chemical exfoliants can also be effective,\n but she isn’t in favor of scrubs because they can cause irritation.Suozzi recommends fighting the urge to pop any pimples. “If you squeeze your blackheads, you can cause the follicle to rupture and induce the formation of an inflammatory lesion, or cyst,” she says. In other words, you can transform your blackhead\n into a much more serious skin condition. Keep in mind that the closer a blackhead is to the surface of your skin, the safer it is to squeeze.

“The best treatment is prevention,” says Suozzi. Enlist the help of a few effective ingredients — for example retinoids, double-taskers that will not only help treat the skin condition but also prevent new blackheads from forming. Or, make an appointment with your dermatologist for a professional treatment. “Enlarged pores can also be present in individuals with severe sun damage,” Suozzi says. ”A decrease in the collagen support of the dermis surrounding the hair follicle can make the ostia (small openings) appear larger and more dilated. An extreme example of this is in the condition Favre-Racouchot, in which patients have large blackheads in areas of sun damaged skin, particularly around the eyes,” she says. To keep blackheads at bay, Suozzi recommends topical or oral retinoids, including prescription medications like tretinoin or Retin-A. “Recently, a prescription strength retinoid, called adapalene or Differin, became available over the counter for the treatment of comedonal acne,” she says. “In cases of more severe comedonal acne, patients may require treatment with oral retinoids, such as isotretinoin, or Accutane.” Saedi adds that chemical exfoliants can also be effective, but she isn’t in favor of scrubs because they can cause irritation.

Tech that promises to suck sebum from pores may sound appealing, but these products may do more harm than good, Suozzi says. “This suction can be harmful to delicate facial skin and can induce telangiectasias, or ‘broken blood vessels’ to appear, particularly on and around the nose,” Suozzi explains.She notes that when you start retinoid treatment, comedones may worsen as cell turnover increases against a clogged opening, causing further dilatation. “However, with continued treatment, the plugged ostia begin to improve, and with skin turnover promoted, they are less likely to become blocked in the future,” she says. It can be tempting to slough away all your dead skin in instant gratification via the help of an exfoliating scrub. While chemical exfoliators (like AHAs) can be helpful, Saedi suggests avoiding over-exfoliating with a granule scrub as you may have been taught to do as a teen, when you manually scrubbed granules into your skin until it was red. “Harsh scrubs can strip your natural oils and create more oil,” she points out. Dermatologists in general recommend exfoliating up to three times per week, depending on the product you are using and your skin type. Kathleen Cook Suozzi, MD, the director of the aesthetic dermatology program at Yale Medicine and an assistant professor of dermatology at\n Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut, reveals that blackheads have a medical term: comedones. “Comedones are the early stage of acne formation,” the doctor explains. “When the follicle becomes more and more dilated,\n it can rupture and spill its contents out into the surrounding skin layer, called the dermis, and this can trigger an inflammatory response.” This manifests on the skin as an inflammatory papule — more commonly referred to as a pimple\n — a much greater evil than a blackhead.

Kathleen Cook Suozzi, MD, the director of the aesthetic dermatology program at Yale Medicine and an assistant professor of dermatology at Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut, reveals that blackheads have a medical term: comedones. “Comedones are the early stage of acne formation,” the doctor explains. “When the follicle becomes more and more dilated, it can rupture and spill its contents out into the surrounding skin layer, called the dermis, and this can trigger an inflammatory response.” This manifests on the skin as an inflammatory papule — more commonly referred to as a pimple — a much greater evil than a blackhead.Alpha hydroxy acids, such as glycolic acid and lactic acid, are helpful as well, says Saedi, but she maintains that salicylic acid is better for helping unclog pores. Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Resurfacing Night Serum ($90, Sephora.com) and Sunday Riley Good Genes Glycolic Acid Treatment ($48, SundayRiley.com)\n are two highly rated AHAs on the web. Acne-prone individuals are most susceptible to blackheads, but there is a genetic predisposition as well, explains Saedi. Dr. Suozzi says, “Hormonal influences also play a role, stimulating the production of sebum (skin oil).” Retinoids, which are available by prescription (such as Retin-A) and over-the-counter (Differin) are a reliable method for ridding the skin of blackheads. “Retinoids work by promoting skin turnover and decreasing the ‘stickiness’ of\n the skin cells to prevent blockage of the follicular ostia,” Suozzi explains.

Not only will a retinoid help improve acne, but it’s great for anti-aging and skin regeneration as well. A study published in March 2016 in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology found that in only four weeks of using a retinol (a lower-concentration retinoid), subjects experienced an increase in collagen production and epidermal thickness, and in 12 weeks “significant reduction in facial wrinkles.” Saedi suggests trying an OTC product like Differin ($12.88, Amazon.com) first, but if it isn’t helping, “then see a doctor for prescription strength.” A wealth of research suggests salicylic acid helps treat acne. That includes a small double-blind and controlled study, which found that\n using a 2 percent salicylic acid wash for two weeks led to a reduction in acne lesions in 30 people. “Blackheads are caused by a buildup of sebum, oil, dead skin cells and possibly C. acnes (the bacteria that causes acne) that are stuck in the hair follicle,” says Nazanin Saedi, MD, the director of Jefferson Laser Surgery and Cosmetic Dermatology Center, who is based in Philadelphia. “When these substances oxidize in the air, the opening turns black,” says Dr. Saedi.

Not only will a retinoid help improve acne, but it’s great for anti-aging and skin regeneration as well. A study published in March 2016 in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology found that in only four weeks of using a retinol (a lower-concentration retinoid), subjects experienced an increase in collagen production and epidermal thickness, and in 12 weeks “significant reduction in facial wrinkles.” Saedi suggests\n trying an OTC product like Differin ($12.88, Amazon.com) first, but if it isn’t helping, “then see a doctor for prescription\n strength.”

Alpha hydroxy acids, such as glycolic acid and lactic acid, are helpful as well, says Saedi, but she maintains that salicylic acid is better for helping unclog pores. Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Resurfacing Night Serum ($90, Sephora.com) and Sunday Riley Good Genes Glycolic Acid Treatment ($48, SundayRiley.com) are two highly rated AHAs on the web.If you are willing to invest a little more money for a more potent, multitasking product, Suozzi recommends Skinceuticals Blemish + Age Defense ($92, Dermstore.com) a combination of 2 percent dioic acid with an optimal alpha and beta hydroxy acid formulation that will not only help with acne, because it reduces sebum, but also has anti-aging properties. Additionally, she is a fan of DCL Multi Action Penta Peel pads ($65, Dermstore.com), a highly concentrated peel or chemical exfoliant. “The best treatment is prevention,” says Suozzi. Enlist the help of a few effective ingredients — for example retinoids, double-taskers that will not only help treat the skin condition but also prevent new blackheads from forming. Or,\n make an appointment with your dermatologist for a professional treatment. She notes that when you start retinoid treatment, comedones may worsen as cell turnover increases against a clogged opening, causing further dilatation. “However, with continued treatment, the plugged ostia begin to improve, and with skin turnover\n promoted, they are less likely to become blocked in the future,” she says.Saedi recommends two thrifty but effective drugstore products with salicylic acid: Neutrogena Pink Grapefruit Oil Free Acne Wash ($7.97, Amazon.com)\n and Neutrogena Gel Cleanser Acne Proofing ($8.29, Amazon.com).

One go-to ingredient for eliminating blackheads is salicylic acid, a beta hydroxy acid that increases cell turnover and unclogs pores, says Saedi. Suozzi adds that the acne treatment can help dry active acne lesions because it is a mild chemical irritant.

One go-to ingredient for eliminating blackheads is salicylic acid, a beta hydroxy acid that increases cell turnover and unclogs pores,\n says Saedi. Suozzi adds that the acne treatment can help dry active acne lesions because it is a mild chemical irritant.

“Blackheads are caused by a buildup of sebum, oil, dead skin cells and possibly C. acnes (the bacteria that causes acne) that are stuck in the hair follicle,” says Nazanin Saedi, MD, the director of Jefferson Laser Surgery and Cosmetic\n Dermatology Center, who is based in Philadelphia. “When these substances oxidize in the air, the opening turns black,\” says Dr. Saedi.

Tech that promises to suck sebum from pores may sound appealing, but these products may do more harm than good, Suozzi says. “This suction can be harmful to delicate facial skin and can induce telangiectasias, or ‘broken blood vessels’\n to appear, particularly on and around the nose,” Suozzi explains.Saedi recommends two thrifty but effective drugstore products with salicylic acid: Neutrogena Pink Grapefruit Oil Free Acne Wash ($7.97, Amazon.com) and Neutrogena Gel Cleanser Acne Proofing ($8.29, Amazon.com).

The best defence against blackheads or other congestion is good skincare. Use products that slough away dead skin cells and dirt, such as AHAs, BHAs and retinol, avoid those that contain comedogenic ingredients, such as shea butter, and be sure to double cleanse with a flannel every night, especially if you wear make-up.Tweezerman is a brand we trust for quality and precision in its tweezers, and its blackhead extractor meets those standards too. This is definitely one for large, stubborn blackheads – you don’t want to be using this on simple congestion or on spots. You place the rounded base of the tweezers on either side of the blackhead, push down gently until it emerges, and then roll round to the more precise ends and pinch the tweezers closed to lift it out. It’s incredibly satisfying. Again, make sure to clean with alcohol before and after use. First, let’s be clear what we mean when we say blackheads. These are those dark little dots you get on your skin (they could be on your face or your body) that are caused when pores get clogged with oil, dead skin and dirt. This is the simplest, cheapest and also safest form of extractor tool; plus it’s a more hygienic step up from using your fingers. Just select the end that sits most neatly over the top of the blackhead (or spot) and gently push down; we find that a little wiggle helps too.It’s best to attempt extractions when your pores are naturally more open, which happens with heat: try it after a run or a shower, or simply put a towel over your head and hold your face close to a bowl of hot water for a few minutes.

The safest way to remove blackheads is to have a facial that includes extractions done by a professional; bad DIY extraction can lead to scarring. However, when it’s not possible to get to a salon (hello, Covid) or if you’re just too much of a compulsive picker to wait, there are tools available to help you do it as safely as possible.

It didn’t get all our blackheads out; some required so much pressure they’d leave a mark on the skin from the tool – we suggest you leave those ones where they are. If congested pores are your main concern, it will easily deal with them. Make sure to clean the tool in alcohol before and after each session.Of course, the cheapest way to do your own extractions is simply to wrap a piece of tissue around the fingertips of your index fingers and press out the congestion manually. But if you want a higher tech, more hygienic method, we’ve found the tools for you.

The best way to extract blackheads or congestion is to go to a qualified aesthetician, but for the times when you can’t or you’re simply too much of a compulsive picker to resist, The Body Shop’s blackhead remover is an easy, classic and affordable extraction tool. It may be a little wincy, but it works. It’s important to move the nozzle over taught skin in upwards motions, not to go over the same spot multiple times and to start using the gentlest setting, otherwise it could cause bruising. The gunk in the nozzle at the end is both gross and fascinating. The top of this is essentially a flat metal spatula that you sweep across skin, applying firm pressure, to push gunk out of your pores. It vibrates very quickly (it makes a slightly alarming buzzing noise when you press it against your skin), which, as with Sarah Chapman’s pro pore refiner (£128, Lookfantastic.com), is supposed to help open the pores and loosen what’s trapped in them.

We were quite intimidated by this the first time we used it, but it’s not as scary as it sounds. It’s essentially a little hoover for your pores, much like happens in a HydraFacial. It works in three stages: the first is heat, the second is ultrasonic vibrations and the third is suction. You simply massage the flat, bottom end of the tool over damp skin in the congested areas for the first two settings (the device buzzes when your time is up on each to tell you to move on to the next stage) to warm skin and open pores, ready for extraction, then attach the nozzle to the other end and you’re ready to go.You can trust our independent reviews. We may earn commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections, which are formed from real-world testing and expert advice. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

Considering how soft they feel on the skin, they’re quite effective exfoliators – our skin was baby soft afterwards – and you can definitely see some grime on the balls. But to really get to those stubborn blackheads, we like them best used dry on a fingertip of each hand for a more hygienic way (and less prone to tearing than a tissue) to squeeze manually.After extractions, we recommend removing any remaining dirt with an acid-based exfoliating toner, and then following up with a hydrating serum (such as one using hyaluronic acid) and an oil; this last step may sound counterintuitive, but it actually helps regulate your skin’s own oil production. They’re different from sebaceous filaments, which are the structures that allow sebum to move to the surface of your skin, and can become clogged if you’re producing too much sebum; these look yellow or white when extracted. Once or twice a week, you can also work in a pore strip or mask—but try not to go overboard, or you may over-strip your skin. For acne, you can also use hydrocolloid patches, which provide a similar—if not as instantaneous—satisfying result to pore vacuums, without risking the redness or irritation.If you’ve watched the accompanying YouTube videos, you probably saw that some users saw redness instantly. “Pore vacuums are generally safe to use, but be sure to use appropriate settings depending on your skin,” Reszko says. In other words, cranking the vacuum up to the highest setting won’t necessarily extract more blackheads—but it may just leave you with your first hickey since high school.

Your first priority should be a good cleanser, whether you make a pore vacuum part of your weekly routine or not. “I always strongly urge my patients to use a daily cleanser that is tailored to their skin type, and to incorporate an exfoliating toner that contains AHAs and BHAs,” explains Reszko. “AHAs like glycolic and lactic acid remove the superficial pore congestion, and BHAs like salicylic acid penetrate deeper into the pores and efficiently dissolve oil buildup.”

Before using the pore vacuum, you’ll want to gently steam your skin either with a warm, damp towel or in the shower. (Although pores don’t technically open, this step helps loosen the sebum.) Then, place the pore vacuum on an area of the skin with congested pores—the nose, for example—starting on the lowest setting.Unlike topical skincare products that exfoliate or dissolve the sebum, dead skin, dirt, and other impurities, pore vacuums use suction to physically extract the gunk before your eyes. (If you want to see one in action, the YouTube videos in this story are up close and personal but not overly graphic )

“Pore vacuums certainly can be an effective tool in helping to regularly clear pore congestion, however they’re not essential component to a skincare routine,” Reszko says. But, because pores will naturally clog again, she adds that they are “a temporary solution that should be used occasionally in conjunction with a proper skin care routine.” (More on that below.)

We provide the likeliest answers for every crossword clue. Undoubtedly, there may be other solutions for Blackhead remover. If you discover one of these, please send it to us, and we’ll add it to our database of clues and answers, so others can benefit from your research.

We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page..While searching our database we found 1 possible solution for the: Blackhead remover crossword clue. This crossword clue was last seen on March 5 2023 New York Times Crossword puzzle. The solution we have for Blackhead remover has a total of 12 letters.

Dr. Cynthia Cobb is a nurse practitioner specializing in women’s health, aesthetics and cosmetics, and skin care. Dr. Cobb is a faculty member at Walden University and University of Louisiana, and she is also the founder and owner of the medical spa Allure Enhancement Center.Removing a blackhead yourself with a comedone extractor is no safer than any other way of doing it yourself. It’s safest to have an aesthetician do it for you.

When you try to force a blockage out of a pore, you’re risking skin damage and infection. But unlike popping other kinds of pimples, blackheads are open pores, which makes them less risky to pop.Oil blockages in your pores turn black when they’re exposed to oxygen — that’s how they get their color in the first place. Most blackheads are close enough to the skin’s surface to attempt safe removal. Before removing a blackhead, spend some time in a warm shower or bath. Steam can help your pores relax, and the clog in your pore will start to loosen on its own. For stubborn blackheads, consider see an aesthetician or a dermatologist for an extraction. Some aestheticians offer extraction-only facials that last about 30 minutes.Unless you’re blessed with genetically perfect skin that’s never been exposed to grime and oil, chances are you’ve had a close encounter with a blackhead or two.

Kathryn Watson is a freelance writer who has covered health and wellness from a consumer perspective for over 8 years. She is particularly interested in highlighting patient perspectives from people living with chronic conditions. An NYC ex-pat, Kathryn lives with her husband and three young children in the lower Hudson Valley, where she is always in search of the unexpected inside the mundane. More of her writing can be found at SELF, Healthline, and Allure, as well as on her website.If you’re sure you’re dealing with a blocked hair follicle, and you’re convinced you can’t avoid popping it, there are safer ways to go about it. This article will cover how to pop a blackhead safely.

If oil buildup is indeed the issue at hand, you risk damaging your skin if you try to pop a blockage that isn’t there. Popping a blackhead that’s really just oil buildup won’t solve anything, as the oil will typically come right back.Be aware that most blackheads are caused by overproduction of natural oils in your skin. Even if you find a product that helps you remove blackheads, they’ll keep coming back unless you address the underlying cause.After you remove a blackhead, your pore will appear smaller. That’s because the dirt and oil have been removed. Swipe a toner, such as witch hazel, over the area to kill any bacteria you may have spread and to condition your pores.Being proactive about blackhead prevention and skin care can help you avoid having to try to extract blackheads yourself. Consider these ways to treat and prevent blackheads.

Scott Frothingham is a copywriter, content developer, author, and publisher. He has written hundreds of articles for Healthline and has a talent for communicating complex issues in an easy to understand way. When he’s away from the computer keyboard, Scott — if not traveling internationally — can be found reading mystery novels and biographies or in the kitchen working on recipes for a new cookbook.Tools called comedone extractors can be used to remove blackheads. These tools are typically made of stainless steel and have a small circle at the end. You’ll need some practice with comedone extractors to remove blackheads easily. The themer set in the published puzzle is the same one from 2018 — I later thought of MAS (TERKEY) but it didn’t fit, and never found something workable for “chicken” (maybe someone reading this will discover one!). At this point, I was cooking with gas, you could say, and was able to get past a sticking point at 89-Across, “Landmark at the entrance to Narnia,” for which I could only picture a “wardrobe.” The actual answer — LAMPPOST — is iconic, but my mind needed the context of the theme to resurrect my old memories of C.S. Lewis’s series. Those first three letters, then, are LAM (which made me think of an old segment on “The Colbert Report,” which is completely irrelevant but quite funny).SUNDAY PUZZLE — John-Clark Levin, of Ojai, Calif., is a Ph.D. student at Cambridge University, studying how governments can better anticipate the effects of artificial intelligence. In his spare time, he does stage magic and stand-up comedy. With a partner, he once held the Guinness World Record for the “longest continuous handshake,” over 15 hours, which — according to the crossword’s introduction in print — is longer than it took him to construct this puzzle. This is Mr. Levin’s second crossword for The Times, after a 2020 collaboration with Jeff Chen.

I dedicate this puzzle to my late father, Michael Levin, who passed away after it was completed. Over the past couple of years, he couldn’t solve on paper due to vision problems, but was still able to complete puzzles just from hearing the clues and visualizing the whole puzzle mentally. Incredible!

My first complete entry was 38-Across: “Blackhead remover” solves to PORE CLEANSER. Those first five letters are shaded, which is mystifying until you read the entry aloud to yourself; when I did that, an idea sprouted in my mind.

My second complete entry provided ample, er, fertilizer for that little seedling. 62-Across, “Part of many a weight-loss ad,” solves to BEFORE PICTURE. BEF and POREC don’t look like much, but when pronounced as they are in their entries, you can practically hear the thundering herds: BEF is “beef,” of course, and POREC is “pork.”

44D. This clue delivered one of the best “aha!” moments in my solve today. I thought of a mixologist first, obviously, and then a general caretaker, and then a sweet emotion — all before I thought of currency: “Paris bar tender?” solves to EUROS.

This idea first came to me during a brainstorming session with Jeff Chen back in 2018. We were tossing around concepts for puzzles to collaborate on, but the phonetic substitutions here struck Jeff as “[p]robably a bit too out there.” Fifteen months later, I was flying home to California from England just as Covid hit. Probably somewhere over Canada, I finished my work, but still had plenty of laptop battery. So I dusted off the old idea and had a draft grid by the time LAX came into view. Life got in the way, and it was another couple of years before I could polish it up and send it to The Times.The puzzle’s revealer, at 102-Across, refers to the homophonic trick in the theme. “Vegetarian options … or what the shaded letters in this puzzle are, phonetically,” are MEAT SUBSTITUTES.21D. As a bit of a hoarder of digital files, I do this all time, but drew a blank when I saw it explained in words. The “Command for creating a revised draft” is simply SAVE AS.Each of the theme entries has a number of shaded squares at its start, which is where you’ll find the gist of the puzzle. The theme clues themselves are straightforward, but none of them are terribly easy — I relied at first on a lot of crossing letters before I was able to use the theme to help me with the solve.

I moved pretty quickly through the puzzle, bumping back and forth between Across and Down. Some favourite fill includes GOOD DOG, WIGGLE ROOM, and DOO-WOP. I appreciated how much longer fill this grid has; it doesn’t feel like there were many three letter answers since they were spread through the puzzle, for the most part. It’s also nifty that AGAIN made it into the puzzle and its title.I have two quite distinct takeaways from this puzzle. The first was how quickly I flew through it, almost getting personal best Sunday time without even trying! I’m guessing many folks will also find the grid and its clues to be super accessible relative to other Sunday NYT grids.Elsewhere we have fun long fill in DEAD SPOT, EUPHORIA, ESCALADE, HARD TOPS, and LA LAKER. I’ve heard of blue moons and blood moons, but not so much RED MOONS.

DANNON OIKOS and MONO NO AWARE were tricky for me in this puzzle, though I liked the variety in them. I learned that MONO NO AWARE is a Japanese phrase that refers to the awareness of impermanence, an apt descriptor for cherry blossoms, which only bloom for a very short while. It was definitely a fun fact for me. I also liked that we got both DOWN ON ONE KNEE and 19a [“Groom-to-groom promise”] VOW, even if I first had I DO here.

Other nice entries include SOME 9A [“___ pig” (“Charlotte’s Web” message)], FOCUS 1D [“Keep your eye on the ball!”], and ESPY 12D [Award such as Best Female Athlete with a Disability] Yeah. I was going to compare it to a puzzle with a meta rather than a theme. The next morning I did catch on, that we’re supposed not to pronounce the shaded letters, but rather to attend to the shaded part of the pronunciation of the whole phrase. Of course, punning themes are always subjective, and what is clever to one person is a groaner to another. Can’t be helped. But this one just felt like a bit nothing.One positive with this puzzle is that it felt current in a way that many Sunday NYT puzzles often don’t, with clues referencing modern experiences or culture (Fortnite, Drake, AIR DROP, etc.). That and the sweet sweet quick solve time!

I interpreted the title as Move “-ing” In. But maybe it could have been “Moving In On” or something like that. Also, regarding whether the original phrases have an “in” sound, kind of like the debate regarding the NYT, I think the last syllable of those words have a schwa pronunciation, not a short “i” pronunciation as in the word “in.”A couple of the theme answers — GO TO A RESTAURANT and PORE CLEANSER — don’t work for me. There’s too much of a break between the first syllable and the second.

I hadn’t realized that Colbert’s book title is four state abbrevs in a row. And I certainly didn’t notice that the subtitle is spelled out in the beginnings of the clues. If there was a hint to look for that I didn’t see it.WAPO: Matthew, I’m so impressed that you found Evan’s Easter egg for the second part of the book title. I never spot those clues-contain-a-message features; when I learn that they are present, sometimes I can go back and see peculiar or awkward phrasing in the clues that should have alerted me, but I don’t even see that in Evan’s clues. The only thing I can suppose would have prompted you to look for and find this feature is that you know so well how Evan operates that you figure that the rest of the title just has to be there somewhere.My other takeaway was, unfortunately, that this puzzle’s theme was not for me. The revealer was a bit of a shrug (I was waiting for some kind of pun or other clever transformation) and, for how few letters of each themer were meat-soundalike related, the themers themselves largely felt boring. GO TO A RESTAURANT can’t be the most interesting phrase to have starting letters that kind of sound like “goat,” can it? Also, I’m still struggling to pronounce the second themer as “pork lenser.”NYT: I know meat substitutes often have altered or punny names, but these are just lazy. It feels like a themeless puzzle that someone later tried to jam a theme into.

I figured out pretty quickly that there were letters hiding in the black squares, but it wasn’t until I read Matthew’s write-up that I realized they were postal codes. (By the time I reached 47D, I had enough of COLBERT that I could fill in the rest without really reading that clue beyond “satirical book.”)I wouldn’t quite call it a schwa. MW11C gives it as a short i, which sounds right and I was willing to take as kinda sorta close enough, but I agree I’m being a bit lenient. But try to repeat to yourself half a dozen times quickly first BIF-fore and then beef-fore, and they do start to blend a bit, no doubt because there are limits to how clearly we can maintain the distinction in rapid speech, not because of a regional difference.

WaPo: It took me forever to figure out what was going on. I thought the ‘bad’ squares were rebuses but cramming two letters into them didn’t make sense.Colbert’s 2007 book is titled I AM AMERICA. I will pass on typing out every affected answer, but you can see in the solution grid how the five state abbreviations; IA, MA, ME, RI, and CA fit into black squares to make adjacent entries match their clues. Of course, everything in the grid is a valid crossword entry before the state abbreviations come into play, because Evan wouldn’t settle for less. I don’t think the title, “Moving In”, does a good job explaining what the puzzle theme is doing. Which was just fine, because there are more than enough examples here to catch on. Basically, phrases with an “IN” sound it spelt with an ON are changed to “ING”. The fact they are sound rather than letter substitutions gives the theme more pizzazz: I agree with you on BEFORE — the first syllable for me is a schwa, not the same as in beef. (I have an accent too, but I don’t think it’s relevant here).Aline Dias is a Boise-based editor, writer, and fitness fanatic. She has a black belt in Shotokan Karate and has been a NASM-certified personal trainer and AFAA group fitness instructor with a special spot in her heart for indoor cycling. But Aline’s roots are in writing, with her BA in Professional Writing from York College of Pennsylvania. When Aline isn’t writing or editing, you’ll likely find her immersed in a YA novel or out hiking with her dog. You can learn more about her on LinkedIn.

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