Sporting Shine
September 1, 2026 · 12×11 · Hard
Field full of coders
Under the skin
Test match sport
Football's forward
Seed pressed for oil
While cooking dinner
Keeps watch at night
Ctrl+Y move
Kind and sugary
Dazzling reputation
Broke, or clingy
Everyday utility
Elastic rebound
Grade-A dimwit
Ref's sharp call
Brothel's manager
Twist and dunk
Utter scoundrel
Acorn's parent tree
Builder's cuppa
No more curfews
Skill-building piece
Soak in gradually
RNA triplet unit
Beatles' drummer
… and fro
Nutty brown eyes
Office workhorse
Cleaned-out fish
Ugh, how gross
Martial hall
Manor's noble owner
Ruler's domain
She raised you
Sky light, or celeb
Perfume's cousin
Sigh of relief
Where pandas nap
Sprinter's cue
Sweatpants, on a run
Forest floor fungus
Quaint pub-sign look
Sporting Shine — Solution
September 1, 2026 · 12×11 · Hard
Field full of coders
T
Under the skin
Test match sport
F
Football's forward
Seed pressed for oil
While cooking dinner
A
Keeps watch at night
G
Ctrl+Y move
Kind and sugary
R
Dazzling reputation
E
C
L
A
T
Broke, or clingy
S
Everyday utility
Elastic rebound
U
S
E
Grade-A dimwit
Ref's sharp call
C
R
E
T
I
N
Brothel's manager
B
A
W
D
W
H
I
S
T
L
E
Twist and dunk
Utter scoundrel
O
R
E
O
Acorn's parent tree
Builder's cuppa
No more curfews
C
H
A
Skill-building piece
E
T
U
D
E
Soak in gradually
O
A
K
RNA triplet unit
Beatles' drummer
C
O
D
O
N
… and fro
Nutty brown eyes
T
O
Office workhorse
Cleaned-out fish
D
E
S
K
Ugh, how gross
Martial hall
Y
E
C
H
Manor's noble owner
S
G
U
T
T
E
D
Ruler's domain
She raised you
R
E
A
L
M
Sky light, or celeb
L
Perfume's cousin
Sigh of relief
A
R
O
M
A
Where pandas nap
Sprinter's cue
Z
O
O
S
T
A
R
Sweatpants, on a run
J
O
G
G
E
R
S
Forest floor fungus
S
H
R
O
O
M
Quaint pub-sign look
O
L
D
E
Sporting Shine — The notes
September 1, 2026 · 12×11 · Hard
- TECHField full of codersShort for technology, used loosely for the whole industry of software, gadgets, and startups.
- FLESHUnder the skinThe soft tissue of a body, beneath the skin and over the bone, also used for a fruit's pulp.
- CRICKETTest match sportA bat-and-ball sport popular in the UK, India, and Australia, played with wickets and overs. Also an insect that chirps.
- ATTACKERFootball's forwardIn sports like soccer or hockey, the player whose job is to score, the opposite of a defender.
- TILSeed pressed for oilAn old or regional name for the sesame plant, whose seeds are pressed for oil, especially in South Asia.
- ASWhile cooking dinnerA conjunction meaning 'while' or 'because', also used to mean 'in the role of' or 'to the same degree'.
- GUARDKeeps watch at nightSomeone who protects a person or place, a palace guard, a bodyguard, a prison guard.
- REDOCtrl+Y moveTo do something again, often after undoing it, Ctrl+Y (or Cmd+Shift+Z) is the usual shortcut.
- SWEETKind and sugaryTasting of sugar, like candy, also used to describe a kind or pleasant person.
- ECLATDazzling reputationBrilliant, showy success or distinction, from French, literally meaning a burst or flash.
- NEEDYBroke, or clingyLacking basic necessities, or, in a different sense, emotionally clingy and always wanting attention.
- USEEveryday utilityThe act of putting something to a purpose, its everyday utility or function.
- BOUNCEElastic reboundTo spring back after hitting a surface, a ball's bounce, or someone's energetic personality.
- CRETINGrade-A dimwitAn insulting word for a very stupid person. Historically it named a medical condition; today it's just an insult.
- WHISTLERef's sharp callA shrill sound made by blowing through pursed lips or a small instrument, a referee's tool to start or stop play.
- BAWDBrothel's managerAn old-fashioned word for a woman who runs a brothel, common in Elizabethan literature, including Shakespeare.
- OREOTwist and dunkThe famous black-and-white sandwich cookie, known for being twisted apart and dunked in milk.
- TOERAGUtter scoundrelBritish slang for a despicable, worthless person, originally a rag wrapped around the foot in old boots.
- OAKAcorn's parent treeA large, sturdy tree known for its acorns and strong wood, often used in furniture and barrels.
- CHABuilder's cuppaBritish slang for tea, especially working-class 'builder's tea', strong, milky, and simple.
- ADULTSNo more curfewsPeople who are fully grown, typically 18 or older, with the responsibilities (and freedoms) that come with it.
- ETUDESkill-building pieceA short musical composition designed to build a specific technical skill, French for 'study'.
- OSMOSESoak in graduallyTo absorb something gradually, often without conscious effort, literally, the movement of molecules through a membrane.
- CODONRNA triplet unitA sequence of three nucleotides in DNA or RNA that codes for a specific amino acid.
- STARRBeatles' drummerRingo Starr, drummer of The Beatles, known for his steady beat and later solo career.
- TO… and froA preposition showing direction or destination, as in the idiom 'to and fro', meaning back and forth.
- HAZELNutty brown eyesA light brown color, often used to describe eyes, also the name of a small nut-bearing tree.
- DESKOffice workhorseA piece of furniture with a flat surface for writing or working, usually found in offices and schools.
- GUTTEDCleaned-out fishHaving had the internal organs removed, like a fish before cooking, also British slang for deeply disappointed.
- YECHUgh, how grossAn interjection expressing disgust, a variant spelling of 'yuck' or 'ugh'.
- DOJOMartial hallA hall or space used for practicing Japanese martial arts like judo or karate.
- LORDManor's noble ownerA nobleman who owns land or holds a title, in Britain, also a form of address for peers.
- REALMRuler's domainA kingdom, or more broadly, any sphere or domain of activity or interest.
- MOMShe raised youAn informal, affectionate word for one's mother.
- STARSky light, or celebA glowing ball of gas in the night sky, also used for a celebrated performer or a five-pointed shape.
- AROMAPerfume's cousinA pleasant, distinctive smell, often associated with food or drink.
- AHSigh of reliefAn interjection expressing realization, relief, surprise, or delight, depending on tone.
- ZOOWhere pandas napA park where wild animals are kept for public viewing, informally, any chaotic, crowded place.
- GOSprinter's cueTo move or travel, also a signal to start, and the name of an ancient board game from East Asia.
- JOGGERSSweatpants, on a runLoose-fitting sweatpants with elastic cuffs, originally designed for running.
- SHROOMForest floor fungusInformal short form of 'mushroom', a fungus that grows in forests and fields.
- OLDEQuaint pub-sign lookAn archaic spelling of 'old', often used decoratively on shop and pub signs to suggest tradition.