Upper School Science Department Chair and Chemistry Teacher Nate Cardin wrote The New York Times’ Daily Crossword for Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026. Cardin has written crossword puzzles for nearly a decade, and several of his puzzles have been featured in The New York Times.
Cardin said his former middle school math teacher sparked his interested in creating crossword puzzles. Reflecting on his growth as a crossword maker, Cardin said testing himself while creating puzzles has helps him grow as a puzzle maker.
“It was challenging at first, but I found that I really enjoyed making puzzles as a creative outlet, so I got hooked,” Cardin said. “I used to be okay including suboptimal words and Crosswordese in my puzzles, but now I hold myself to a higher standard of trying to only include words in my puzzles that the average person would recognize. I’ve also placed more of a premium on joyful words in the puzzles and fun themes that will hopefully bring joy to the solver’s day.”
The puzzle making process typically starts with a theme, consisting of four to six words or phrases that have something interesting in common. Next, the grid is built around that set of words. The grid is then filled and the clues are written last. Cardin said that it is important to sit with the crossword’s theme before making it into a puzzle.
“Some of my best crosswords have come from theme ideas that have sat half-baked for years before I could finally make it work in a way that felt satisfying,” Cardin said. “I’ve learned that, as with any creative outlet, sometimes you have to ride the waves of creative spark and lull. Coming up with a strong crossword idea is like waiting for a butterfly to land on your shoulder, and then not scaring it away when it does land. Patience and trust in the process are key.”
Along with his own growth as a writer, Cardin said the broader evolution of crossword constructors and editors have become more diverse, emphasizing that diversity can be reflected in the puzzles themselves.
“For the longest time, editors assumed that the average crossword solver would be an older white man, but there has been an explosion of new constructors in the past decade who know that the solver base is much more diverse, so it’s the responsibility of crossword constructors and editors to reflect that diversity in the words and people they include in their puzzles,” Cardin said.
Cardin said crossword puzzles have maintained their importance as a small but meaningful addition to many people’s days.
“Crosswords are a wonderful distraction, and many people like to challenge themselves to see what they can accomplish,” Cardin said. “Crosswords are still viewed as something that ‘smart’ people do, so being able to solve a crossword makes you ‘smart.’”
