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New York Times, Friday, February 27, 2026

Author:
Caroline Hand
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
Midwest city dubbed the "Little Apple"
TotalDebut
12/27/2026
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
0000010
ScrabDebutFlowFresh
1.40451.570%
Caroline Hand

This puzzle:

Rows: 15, Columns: 15 Words: 70, Blocks: 27 Missing: {JVXZ} Spans: 6, (2 triple stacks) This is the debut puzzle for Ms. Hand. Grid flow: 51.5 Friday freshness: 33%
Jim Horne notes:

My dictionary defines audacious as "debuting on a Friday with two triple-stacks."

1
S
2
A
3
C
4
A
5
G
6
A
7
W
8
E
9
A
10
D
11
O
12
L
13
L
14
A
15
R
16
A
M
E
R
I
C
A
N
P
A
L
E
A
L
E
17
D
I
S
T
R
E
S
S
E
D
D
E
N
I
M
18
D
R
A
F
T
S
19
U
R
S
A
20
K
E
Y
21
R
U
H
22
T
I
C
23
S
24
W
A
N
25
R
26
E
E
L
27
R
O
T
U
28
N
D
A
29
O
R
A
30
D
A
R
E
31
A
I
R
32
B
33
A
34
G
35
K
I
N
36
D
E
S
T
37
T
A
R
T
A
R
E
38
U
N
S
E
A
T
39
A
I
N
T
40
S
G
T
41
B
R
A
42
I
S
E
S
43
T
S
O
S
44
M
45
R
I
S
46
Q
T
S
47
C
U
L
48
P
A
O
49
A
50
S
T
O
51
D
A
R
I
52
U
53
S
54
R
U
N
55
I
N
T
E
R
56
F
E
R
E
N
C
E
57
A
N
A
S
T
A
S
I
A
S
T
E
E
L
E
58
M
A
N
H
A
T
T
A
N
K
A
N
S
A
S
© 2026, The New York Times2/27/26 ( No. 27,870 )
Across
1
Coinage of the early 2000s? : SACAGAWEADOLLAR
16
Sierra Nevada product : AMERICANPALEALE
17
Jeans material for a worn-out look : DISTRESSEDDENIM
18
Email folder : DRAFTS
19
Bear up? : URSA
20
Most important part : KEY
21
"___-roh!" (cry from Astro on "The Jetsons") : RUH
22
Jerk : TIC
23
Bird that Zeus disguised himself as in a much-told Greek myth : SWAN
25
Traditional folk dance : REEL
27
Pantheon feature : ROTUNDA
29
Rita on "The Masked Singer" : ORA
30
Challenge : DARE
31
Car requirement beginning in 1998 : AIRBAG
35
"___ regards ..." (letter sign-off) : KINDEST
37
Raw, in a way : TARTARE
38
Remove from office : UNSEAT
39
"It ___ easy" : AINT
40
N.Y.P.D. rank: Abbr. : SGT
41
Prepares, as coq au vin : BRAISES
43
Chinese menu possessive : TSOS
44
Steps in diagnosing A.C.L. injuries, perhaps : MRIS
46
Carton amts. : QTS
47
___-de-sac : CUL
48
Kung ___ chicken : PAO
49
Concerning : ASTO
51
___ the Great, king of ancient Persia : DARIUS
54
Create a distraction, so to speak : RUNINTERFERENCE
57
Heroine in the "Fifty Shades of Grey" books : ANASTASIASTEELE
58
Midwest city dubbed the "Little Apple" : MANHATTANKANSAS
Down
1
Travel safety grp. at school : SADD
2
Arabic male name meaning "prince" : AMIR
3
Delivery methods? : CESAREANS
4
Slick, say : ARTFUL
5
Tailor's measurement : GIRTH
6
Three-time W.N.B.A. champs of the 2020s : ACES
7
Happened : WAS
8
Adjoining, in a way : ENSUITE
9
Illuminating point : APERCU
10
Soda brand since 1937 : DADS
11
Antediluvian : OLDASDIRT
12
Second-most-common surname in Korea, after Kim : LEE
13
Sri ___ : LANKA
14
World traveler? : ALIEN
15
Big name in Cognac : REMY
22
Suit material? : TORT
24
Blemish : WART
25
Modern streaming device : ROKU
26
You can find her in this clue (hidden!) : ERIN
27
Like Snoop Dogg, faith-wise, when he changed his name to Snoop Lion : RASTA
28
Flatbread choices : NAANS
30
Start of a child's letter : DEARSANTA
32
Funk music features : BASSLINES
33
Carrier of the Golden Fleece : ARGO
34
Picks up : GETS
36
Actress Mazar : DEBI
37
Hitches : TIES
39
Neighborhood in New York City where Zohran Mamdani lived before being elected the city's mayor : ASTORIA
42
Brightness measurement of a sort : IQTEST
43
Serving piece : TUREEN
44
Hawaiian for "mountain" : MAUNA
45
Saoirse of 2019's "Little Women" : RONAN
47
Magna ___ : CARTA
48
Carriage in Coventry : PRAM
50
"Right away!" : STAT
51
Secretary, for example : DESK
52
Where Jackie Robinson played four(!) college sports, in brief : UCLA
53
Accompanies (to) : SEES
55
Standoff's conclusion? : ISH
56
Blow air on : FAN

Answer summary:
4 unique to this puzzle, 1 unique to Modern Era but used previously.

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