Alert! Alert! – The New York Times

Lead

On Jan. 24, 2026, the New York Times published a Sunday crossword by contributor Mark MacLachlan that centers on computer error messages and system alerts. The puzzle, introduced by Will Shortz, uses seven long theme entries placed at 23-, 43-, 51-, 70-, 91-, 98- and 122-Across and relies on a parsing trick tied to alarm-style phrasing. Solvers praised the conceit for its cleverness and for the little thematic flourishes scattered across the grid. The result is a playful, digitally themed Sunday puzzle that balances technical humor with approachable cluing.

Key Takeaways

• The puzzle was published Jan. 24, 2026 as the Times Sunday crossword and constructed by Mark MacLachlan, dean of science at the University of British Columbia.
• There are seven themed long entries at 23-, 43-, 51-, 70-, 91-, 98- and 122-Across, each clued with an italicized, alarm-like phrase that requires special parsing.
• Notable theme answers include RUNTIME ERROR at 43-Across, VIRUS DETECTED at 51-Across, WINDOWS UPDATE FAILED at 70-Across, and STACK OVERFLOW at 91-Across.
• The theme lacks a single revealer; instead the title Alert Alert and the parsing convention guide the solve, increasing reliance on crossing letters.
• Reviewers noted small touches throughout the grid that wink at computing culture, making the puzzle enjoyable for both crossword and tech-savvy solvers.

Background

Mark MacLachlan is a chemist and the dean of science at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, and he has contributed puzzles to the Times before. His scientific work on iridescent materials that mimic beetle shells is distinct from his puzzle construction, but both reflect attention to structure and pattern. Will Shortz, who edits the Times crossword, provided the print introduction and noted MacLachlan as an experienced constructor and long-time fan.

Crossword constructors sometimes adopt topical frames to unify long entries; computer terminology and error messages have surfaced occasionally in puzzles but are less common as the central conceit. The Times Sunday puzzle is a high-visibility venue where constructors often attempt ambitious themes that reward solvers with a striking aha moment. In this grid the trick depends on parsing an italicized phrase and mapping it to a familiar system alert, which raises the solve difficulty while keeping the humor intact.

Main Event

The puzzle deploys seven long themers whose clues are italicized phrases that must be read and parsed in a specific way to yield a familiar alert or error message. Early in the solve the compiler noticed 43-Across clued as an impossible marathon claim, which parses to RUNTIME ERROR, a conventional computer message when a program fails at execution. That solve provided momentum to decrypt other similarly clued entries.

At 51-Across the clue references an audible cough and leads to VIRUS DETECTED, a phrase that doubles as a literal health concern and a cheeky software-style alert within the puzzle. The grid continues this pattern at 70-Across with WINDOWS UPDATE FAILED, a phrase many users will recognize from desktop software experiences. These entries pair everyday language with jargon so that surface reading is human but the answer reads like a system notification.

91-Across yields STACK OVERFLOW, a term that is both a runtime error when a program exhausts available memory and the name of a prominent technical forum. The constructor tucked additional small answers and clue touches throughout the grid that echo computing culture, giving the broader theme a consistent tone and multiple satisfying connections for solvers who notice them.

Analysis & Implications

The constructor chose computer alerts as a theme that can play for both specialists and casual solvers because many error phrases have entered general parlance. That crossover explains the puzzle s broad appeal: solvers can enjoy the surface humor while informed solvers appreciate the technical double meanings. By avoiding a single revealer, the puzzle nudges solvers to rely on crossings and to enjoy incremental recognition as entries fall into place.

From an editorial standpoint, this theme is low-risk but high-reward. Using familiar alerts reduces the chance of obscurity while allowing for inventive cluing. It also demonstrates a balance between accessibility and craft: the themed entries are long and prominent, so the constructor needed to ensure fill quality around them, which the grid successfully accomplishes.

Culturally, the puzzle highlights how technical language has diffused into everyday speech, with phrases like virus detected and stack overflow now carrying both literal and metaphorical weight. That diffusion allows constructors to mine tech terms for humor without alienating nontechnical solvers, although some crossings still demand precision or niche vocabulary.

Comparison & Data

The table shows four of the seven themed slots and their resolved answers; the full set also includes long entries at 23-, 98- and 122-Across that adhere to the same parsing device. Presenting the answers side by side clarifies how the constructor used familiar system alerts as the thematic backbone. This layout also illustrates the constructor s careful balancing of long entries to avoid isolating any section of the grid.

Reactions & Quotes

Across social channels early reactions mixed appreciation for the cleverness with notes about difficulty when crossings are needed to reveal the parsing. Commenters praised the constructor s ability to make a technical theme feel playful rather than esoteric.

It s a delight when a theme makes you smile and then makes you think, and this one did both.

Experienced crossword solver

Editorial perspective emphasized the constructor s credentials and the puzzle s craft. The print introduction by Will Shortz framed MacLachlan s background and previous contributions, lending institutional context to the puzzle.

Mark MacLachlan s background in science and prior work for the Times made him a natural fit for a technically flavored theme.

Will Shortz, Times puzzle editor

Some solvers noted particular pleasure at seeing entries that double as brand or website names, which created an extra layer of recognition beyond the alert meaning.

Seeing STACK OVERFLOW in the grid felt like a wink to coders and to anyone who has hit that wall during a tough solve.

Community poster

Unconfirmed

• The exact sample size and demographics of any beta testers for the puzzle were not disclosed and thus remain unconfirmed.
• No official statement details whether the constructor coordinated specific computing references with Times editors prior to publication.
• Audience reception metrics, such as total solves or online share counts for this puzzle, have not been publicly released.

Bottom Line

MacLachlan s Sunday puzzle published Jan. 24, 2026 succeeds by marrying a clear, repeatable trick with accessible long answers drawn from computing culture. The absence of a single revealer increases the solve s interactive quality, since solvers rely on crosses and incremental pattern recognition to decode the theme. For constructors and editors, the grid demonstrates how topical language can be repurposed for wordplay without sacrificing fairness or fill quality.

Readers should note the puzzle rewards both surface reading and technical familiarity, so it can be enjoyed on multiple levels. Observers interested in theme design can study this grid as an example of how consistent framing and small thematic echoes across shorter entries create a cohesive and entertaining solve.

Sources

• The New York Times – news article and puzzle page