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Defector

Maitreyi Anantharaman

Taylor Swift performs onstage during "Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour" at Estadio Olimpico Nilton Santos on November 17, 2023 in Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro.

Crosswords

The Crossword, Oct. 7: Pile Your Plate High

Chris Paul #3 of the Golden State Warriors reacts to referee Scott Foster #48 during the first half of the NBA game against the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center on November 22, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona.

The Crossword, Sept. 30: Who Do You Think You Are? We Am (Themeless)

Nathan Chen of Team United States reacts during the Men Single Skating Free Skating on day six of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at Capital Indoor Stadium on February 10, 2022 in Beijing, China.

The Crossword, Sept. 23: Peach Turnover

Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors reacts after being ejected for a flagrant foul during the second half of the NBA game against the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center on December 12, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns defeated the Warriors 119-116.

The Crossword, Sept. 16: I’ve Got Your Number

Lionel Messi #10 of Inter Miami CF controls the ball against Jakob Glesnes during the Leagues Cup 2023 semifinals match at Subaru Park on August 15, 2023 in Chester, Pennsylvania.

The Crossword, Sept. 9: Ope

Justin Jefferson #18 of the Minnesota Vikings celebrates after scoring a touchdown during an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers at U.S. Bank Stadium on September 24, 2023 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The Crossword, Sept. 2: Them’s Fighting Words

Corey Seager tags out Jose Ramirez as he attempts to steal second base

The Crossword, Aug. 26: Cut To The Chase (Themeless)

Travis Kelce #87 of the Kansas City Chiefs catches a pass against the San Francisco 49ers in overtime during Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium on February 11, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Crossword, Aug. 19: Quad Extensions

Victor Wembanyama of Team France in action during Men's Gold Medal game between Team France and Team United States on day fifteen of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Bercy Arena on August 10, 2024 in Paris, France.

The Crossword, Aug. 12: Jumping Through Hoops

Rebeca Andrade of Team Brazil looks on prior to the Artistic Gymnastics Women's Floor Exercise Final on day ten of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Bercy Arena on August 05, 2024 in Paris, France.

The Crossword, Aug. 5: Round And Round

A visitor views the preview of "Magritte and Contemporary Art: The Treachery of Images" at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), 15 November 2006 in California.

The Crossword, July 29: Collector’s Edition (Themeless)

Beyoncé performs onstage during the "RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR" at MetLife Stadium on July 29, 2023 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The Crossword, July 22: Light My Fire

England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford reacts after conceding their side's first goal of the game to Spain's Nico Williams (not pictured) during the UEFA Euro 2024 final match at the Olympiastadion, Berlin.

The Crossword, July 15: False Wingers

Brady Tkachuk #7 of the Senators steps into the steps into the penalty box during the second period of the game against the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena on January 31, 2024 in Detroit, Michigan.

The Crossword, July 8: Going, Going, Gone

Katie Ledecky wins the Women's 1500 Meter Freestyle during the U.S. Olympic Swimming Team Trials on June 19, 2024 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, IN.

The Crossword, July 1: Crosstown Rivals

Pitcher NiJaree Canady #24 of the Stanford Cardinals winds up for a pitch to the Texas Longhorns in the first inning during the 2024 NCAA Women's College World Series at OGE Energy Field at Devon Park on June 3, 2024 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Texas won 1-0 to advance to the finals.

The Crossword, June 24: Nine Lives (Themeless)

Rihanna performs during the halftime show of Super Bowl LVII between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on February 12, 2023.

The Crossword, June 17: You’re Out

Iga Swiatek of Poland in action against Jasmine Paolini of Italy (not seen) during the Women's Singles Final match on day fourteen of the 2024 French Open at Roland Garros Complex in Paris, France on June 8, 2024.

The Crossword, June 10: What’s The Deal?

Ha-Seong Kim #7 of the San Diego Padres bunts during the sixth inning against the New York Yankees at Petco Park on May 26, 2024 in San Diego, California

The Crossword, June 3: Tight Ends

Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills passes against Alex Highsmith

The Crossword, May 27: The Young And The Restless (Themeless)

Magnus Carlsen (NOR),Sanan Sjugirov (RUS) during the FIDE Chess World Rapid Blitz 2021 in Warsaw, Poland, on December 29, 2021.

The Crossword, May 20: Refresher Course

Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever dribbles the ball during the game against the Dallas Wings during the WNBA Preseason Game on May 3, 2024 at the College Park Center in Arlington, Texas.

The Crossword, May 13: Tossed Salad And Scrambled Eggs

German-Kurdish opera singer-soprano Pervin Chakar performs during a concert.

The Crossword, May 6: Cinderella Tails

Runner participates during the 2023 TCS New York City Marathon on November 05, 2023 in New York City.

The Crossword, April 29: The 1,203 Club (Themeless)

Hoang&#8211;Kim Vu is the co-editor of the Defector Crossword. His puzzles have appeared in multiple venues, including the New York Times, L.A. Times, and USA Today.

Hoang-Kim Vu

Three competitors take part in the ACPT final