Here are the Letter Boxed January 02, 2026 Answers from New York Times Games. Our solutions and answers are 100% valid and accurate. We suggest trying to solve the game on your own before using the help of our website.
Sides of this Letter Box are:
LREVTSYOPHIZ
The answers are:
SLIVOVITZZEPHYR
SLIVOVITZ ⇄ ZEPHYRS
ZEPHYRS ⇆ SLIVOVITZ
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PHOTOLYZES—SHRIVE
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LOVEYS—SHPRITZʷ
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ʷ Wiktionary
PHOSPHOROLYSES—SHVITZ
Also
Photolyzes – Shrive
Photolyzes – Shrives
PROTOLYSIS – SHVITZES
Would never have gotten the OA. Never heard of SLIVOVITZ. I think it’s lucky I won today, because I don’t think I would’ve managed to come up with a two-word solution if SHVITZING hadn’t been part of a solution not too long ago.
I think Sam was drinking some Slivovitz when he came up with this puzzle. Thankfully, I found Protolyzes-Shrive. Shrive was also a new word for me borne out of not being able to use the L for shrivel. Thought I was on to something with Plotzes, Spritzes, and Shvitzes but couldn’t find the pairs for them that others did. Happy to be done with it. 2/2 on the year!
Is Sam a guy or a girl? I swear, by looking at the little photo on the LB page I always thought that was a woman!
Sam Ezersky – Wikipedia
Sam Ezersky is the Digital Puzzles Editor for The New York Times, overseeing games like Spelling Bee and editing the daily Letter Boxed, a word-chain game where players connect letters from the sides of a square. He’s a puzzle enthusiast who started young, published his own crosswords in the Times, and is known for his analytical approach to these popular digital games.
PHOTOLYZES – SEVIR is accepted.
Photolyzes shrive
OA slivovitz zephyr or zephyrs slivovitz
ZEPHYRS SLIVOVITZ
Same, but only because I worked in a liquor store a long time ago and somehow remembered SLIVOVITZ being a Czechoslovakian plum brandy (I think). Figured the OA would probably contain SCHVITZ(ES) (again!) or ZEPHYR(S) since IZ was out.
Photolyzes – Shrives
PHOTOLYZES – SHRIVE
PHOTOLYZES SHRIVE
And
PHOSPHORYLYSIS SHVITZES
OA but I had to play around with the spelling of slivovitz. I have heard of it being used in Eastern European desserts but never used it.
OA in 5 minutes
I got PHOTOLYZES-SHRIVE after wasting time with PHOSPHORITE, SPRITZ, SHVITZ, etc. I got ZEPHYR quickly but I’ve never heard of STIVOVITZ. I’m not much of a drinker.
PHOTOLYZES-SHRIVE