Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Dial Down

There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's puzzle before reading further! Dial Down

Constructor: Janice Luttrell

Editor: Jared Goudsmit

What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle

APOLO (10A: Speed skater Ohno) APOLO Ohno is a retired speed skater. When he was 14 years old, he became the youngest U.S. national champion in short track speed skating. He represented the United States at the 2002, 2006, and 2010 Winter Olympics, winning a total of four medals – two gold, two silver, and four bronze. APOLO Ohno was inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame in 2017.

Random Thoughts & Interesting Things

TINA (32A: "I Don't Wanna Fight" singer Turner) The song "I Don't Wanna Fight" is part of the soundtrack for the 1993 biographical movie about TINA Turner's life, What's Love Got to Do with It.

TICKLISH (40A: Sensitive to touch, like Elmo) I enjoyed the Elmo hint here, a reference to the Tickle Me Elmo toy that was immensely popular in 1996. I remember the Tickle Me Elmo fad, and am always surprised to be reminded of just how much time has passed since it first appeared on the market (29 years!).

EL NINO (2D: Weather phenomenon with a Spanish name) EL NIÑO is a weather pattern associated with warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. The weather phenomenon associated with cooler-than-average sea surface temperatures is referred to as La Niña. Both EL NIÑO and La Niña can have global impacts on weather.

CONNECTICUT SUN (3D: WNBA team that the Mohegan Tribe purchased in 2003) The CONNECTICUT SUN are a professional basketball team that was established as part of the WNBA's expansion in 1999. The team was originally established as the Orlando Miracle. In 2003, the Mohegan Tribe purchased the team, and moved it to the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CONNECTICUT, renaming the team the CONNECTICUT SUN.

REI (5D: _ecreational _quipment _nc.) In this fill-in-the-blank clue, each blank stands for one letter. Filling in the letters REI gives us Recreational Equipment Inc., the outdoor gear and camping equipment retailer. REI was founded in 1938 in Seattle, Washington.

CERAMIC (19D: Made of fired clay) When I think of CERAMICs, I generally think of pottery pieces such as mugs, plates, vases, etc. The word CERAMIC, however, is a bit broader than that, and refers to any product made from clay (or other nonmetallic materials) fired at a high temperature. This includes bricks, which I generally don't think of as CERAMIC. I enjoy learning about words! (I thought I'd mention that just in case you haven't noticed.)

KIRK (25D: "Star Trek" captain James T. ___) The fictional James Tiberius KIRK was born in Riverside, Iowa, just 13 miles south of where I live. Or rather, he will be...his birthday is March 22, 2233. James T. Kirk will attend the (also fictional) Starfleet Academy and eventually become the captain of Star Trek's USS Enterprise.

DES (31D: ___ Moines Art Center (Iowa museum)) The DES Moines Art Center, as its name suggests, is located in DES Moines, the capital of Iowa. In addition to the artwork housed inside the building, the DES Moines Art Museum also includes an outdoor sculpture garden, the Pappajohn Sculpture Park. I found this fun photo from seven years ago when I visited the DES Moines Art Museum with my mom and my sister. My mom is helping my sister imitate the figures in the Keith Haring sculpture.

EARP (34D: Wyatt or Wynonna) Wyatt EARP (1848-1929) was a lawmen who worked in several places in the American West, including Dodge City, Kansas; Deadwood, South Dakota; and Tombstone, Arizona. It was in Tombstone, Arizona where Wyatt EARP, his brothers James and Virgil, and the gunfighter Doc Holliday were involved in the infamous gunfight at the O.K. Corral.Wynona EARP(2016-2024) is a supernatural Western TV series that premiered in 2015. The title character, played by Melanie Scrofano, is the great-great-granddaughter of Wyatt EARP. On the show, Wynona EARP battles the reincarnated outlaws that Wyatt EARP killed.

LANG (57D: Singer k.d.) Pop and country artist k.d. LANGhas won four Grammy Awards, including one for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album in 2003 with Tony Bennett, for their album,A Wonderful World. In addition to her Grammys, k.d. LANG has won eight Juno Awards, honors presented by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.

A couple of other clues I especially enjoyed:

EARLY BIRD (16A: Animal who catches the worm, they say)

NONSENSE (33A: "Balderdash!")

Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis

CONNECTICUT SUN (3D: WNBA team that the Mohegan Tribe purchased in 2003)

PAIN IN THE BUTT (11D: Source of annoyance)

PICKING UP SPEED (12D: Gathering momentum)

DIAL DOWN: The bottom (DOWNmost) word of each vertical theme answer can be paired with the word DIAL, giving us SUNDIAL, BUTT-DIAL, and SPEED DIAL.

The word DOWN immediately alerted me that the theme material would most likely be found at the bottom of the grid, and that the theme answers would probably be vertical. Both of those guesses turned out to be correct. Uncovering PAIN IN THE BUTT, which leads to BUTT-DIAL made me chuckle. According to Merriam Webster, the first known use of the word BUTT-DIAL (a modern phenomenon that accompanied the widespread use of mobile phones) was around 2005. Thank you, Janice, for this enjoyable puzzle.

For more on USA TODAY’s Crossword Puzzles

USA TODAY’s Daily Crossword Puzzles

Sudoku & Crossword Puzzle Answers

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Crossword Blog & Answers for June 29, 2025 by Sally Hoelscher