Erik Agard, born in 1993, is an American crossword puzzle constructor, editor and solver. He is a two-time champion of the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, winning in 2018 and 2026, and he has served as crossword editor at USA Today and, later, Apple News Plus, while regularly contributing puzzles to the New York Times and constructing for The New Yorker. He is recognized for advancing diversity and inclusion in crossword puzzles, prioritizing constructors who are women and people of color and incorporating cultural references beyond traditional "standard knowledge" during his time as USA Today's editor; in 2013 the Washington Post named him the nation's top teen crossword puzzle solver, and he also won the 2016 Lollapuzzoola Express Division championship and holds a degree from the University of Maryland.
Facts
Career HighlightWinner of the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament in 2018 and 2026 and the 2016 Lollapuzzoola Express Division 1 Classification
Competition Category In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. Erik Agard - Wikipedia
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born 1993
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is an American crossword puzzle constructor, editor, and solver
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the winner of the 2016 Lollapuzzoola Express Division, the 2018 and 2026 American Crossword Puzzle Tournament (ACPT)
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He has been celebrated for helping to increase diversity and inclusion in crosswords: the puzzles he edited at USA Today were primarily constructed by women and people of color and contain references to media and culture that other mainstream outlets do not consider "standard knowledge".
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