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Good to the Last Drop

New York Times, Sunday, February 15, 2026

Author:
Michael Lieberman and Rebecca Goldstein
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
96-Across : Photo-editing technique used to create a smooth transition
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
343/1/20212/15/20266
SunMonTueWedThuFriSatVariety
66413239
CircleScrabDebutFlowFresh
31.6116436.946%
Michael Lieberman
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
2512/2/20212/15/202613
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
7324522
RebusCircleScrabDebutFlowFresh
241.6414537.543%
Rebecca Goldstein

This puzzle:

Rows: 21, Columns: 22 Words: 147, Blocks: 78 Missing: {JQVZ} Spans: 1 This is puzzle # 34 for Mr. Lieberman. This is puzzle # 25 for Ms. Goldstein. Grid flow: 44.8 Sunday freshness: 49%
Will Shortz notes:
Michael Lieberman, of Washington, D.C., is an attorney at Fairmark Partners, an antitrust firm. Rebecca Goldstein, of Albany, Calif., is a research scientist at Merck, developing cancer ... read more
Jim Horne notes:
Answers that turn corners in the grid is old hat by now, but 73-Across is superb justification. Michael Lieberman also has this weekend's Variety Puzzle. It's a Puns and Anagrams, and it has ... read more
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© 2026, The New York Times2/15/26 ( No. 27,858 )
Across
1
Do a little too well? : CHAR
5
Tops : LIDS
9
Resident of Ayrshire or Lanarkshire : SCOT
13
No time at all : AFLASH
19
Discouraged action : NONO
20
Mouthy? : ORAL
21
"What a relief!" : PHEW
22
Brought (out) : TROTTED
24
Completely destroy with a blast : BLOWTOSMITHEREENS
27
Gaia, by another name : MOTHEREARTH
28
Something typically taken every 10 years : CENSUS
29
Doodled : DREW
30
Certain bridge positions : EASTS
32
Segment of a timeline, perhaps : ERA
33
The moon's "maria" : SEAS
36
Circa : AROUND
38
"Rhoda" actress Valerie : HARPER
40
Version of a textbook designed for instruction : TEACHEREDITION
44
Salon substance : MOUSSE
45
Muppet who loves pigeons : BERT
46
"My life is over" : IMRUINED
47
Sharpness : WITS
48
Sarcastic response to a show-off : LAHDIDAH
52
Walked gingerly : LIMPED
53
Product with Pro, Air and Mini varieties : IPAD
55
Conical shelter : TEEPEE
57
Use salt instead of sugar while baking, say : ERR
58
Skewered Indonesian dish : SATAY
60
___ Winter, basketball coach who famously innovated the "triangle offense" : TEX
61
Had a brain fart : BLANKED
66
Top-left PC key : ESC
69
Like some simple repair jobs, in brief : DIY
70
Grilled South American fare : AREPA
72
Smoothed (out) : IRONED
73
"Things are only going to get worse" ... or a hint to answering the seven italicized clues in this puzzle : ITSALLDOWNHILLFROMHERE
78
Science-and-nature magazine, familiarly : NATGEO
79
Muckety-muck : NABOB
80
Frequently, poetically : OFT
81
Fair-hiring inits. : EOE
82
Chemical element whose use led to the first known law against poisoning : ARSENIC
84
Herman ___ (potato chip entrepreneur) : LAY
85
More sardonic : WRIER
87
Rest area? : BED
90
Speeds of slow-moving traffic : CRAWLS
92
"It's ___ real" : BEEN
93
Delicate, as beauty : ETHEREAL
96
Photo-editing technique used to create a smooth transition : FEATHEREDGE
100
Wear (out) : TIRE
102
Middle-of-the-night woe : INSOMNIA
104
Duchess of ___ (noted Spanish title) : ALBA
105
Made younger-looking in an editing studio, say : DEAGED
107
Reality TV franchise created by Tyra Banks : TOPMODEL
108
Philosophy symbolized by yin and yang : TAOISM
111
Ruby lookalike : GARNET
112
Throw, in modern slang : YEET
113
Fort Collins sch. : CSU
114
Calls to task? : PAGES
116
Company behind the machine used to make Slurpees : ICEE
118
Kind of paper in a lab : LITMUS
123
In back : ATTHEREAR
125
"Wait, are we done?" : ISTHATALLTHEREIS
129
Queen of the fairies : TITANIA
130
Dueling weapon : EPEE
131
Skin softener : ALOE
132
Fruit also known as a "uniq" : UGLI
133
Largest bird in North America : CONDOR
134
X-ray units : RADS
135
Immodest : LEWD
136
"You can't make me!," e.g. : SASS
Down
1
"The Exchange" airer : CNBC
2
Flaw in an argument : HOLE
3
Unknown author, for short : ANON
4
Squabbles : ROWS
5
Unresolved parts of a plot : LOOSEENDS
6
Org. to which you might provide your bank account info : IRS
7
Renewable energy structure : DAM
8
Lost traction : SLID
9
Globelike shape : SPHEROID
10
Dress down : CHEWOUT
11
Poetic contraction : OER
12
Many middle schoolers : TWEENS
13
Ones pressed for cash? : ATMS
14
Top of a latte : FROTH
15
Mucho : LOTSA
16
M.L.B. team that once went by OAK on scoreboards : ATH
17
In hot water? : STEEPED
18
Fashion designer Carolina : HERRERA
23
Shortage : DEARTH
25
Behind : TUSHIE
26
Certain public transit network : TRAMWAY
31
Singer whose "Hello" was the fastest video ever to reach 1 billion views on YouTube : ADELE
34
"People ___ Strange" (the Doors song) : ARE
35
Conduct inciting an insurrection : SEDITION
37
World's first billion-dollar corporation : USSTEEL
39
Sac fly result : RBI
40
Game piece in Rummikub : TILE
41
Royal title : EMIR
42
Where jet-setters may rub elbows : ARMRESTS
43
Chalice : CUP
49
P.D. alert : APB
50
Prefix meaning "sun" : HELIO
51
"Heavens to Betsy!" : DEARME
54
Subscription-only website feature : PAYWALL
56
Look into : EXPLORE
59
Contribute : ADD
60
Chicago paper, informally : TRIB
62
N.Y.C. neighborhood that's home to the Grey Art Museum : NOHO
63
Lower-body exercise : KNEEBEND
64
Occupational suffix : EER
65
J.F.K. predecessor : DDE
67
Aromatic herb : SAGE
68
Hold tightly : CLENCH
70
Mariner's greeting : AHOY
71
Natural attraction : AFFINITY
73
Two peas ___ pod : INA
74
Pitch : TAR
75
French wine region : LOIRE
76
LeBron James or Nikola Jokic : NBASTAR
77
Delivery person's assignment: Abbr. : RTE
83
"Wheels" : CAR
85
Beverage infused with THC : WEEDTEA
86
Fixed, as a "m-i-t-s-a-k-e" : RESPELLED
88
County in western New York : ERIE
89
Deck out? : DEAL
91
Shoe with a thick sole : WEDGE
92
Part of an equestrian's ensemble : BREECHES
94
Small songbird : TOMTIT
95
Benefit plan option, in brief : HMO
96
Wealthy sort : FATCAT
97
Stretchy : ELASTIC
98
"Next on my list" : ABOUTTO
99
___ chi : TAI
101
Lit up, in a way : IGNITED
103
___ Valley (San Francisco neighborhood) : NOE
106
Less challenging : EASIER
109
Shell out : SPEND
110
Video game character aptly celebrated on Mar. 10 : MARIO
115
Bicyclist's setting : GEAR
117
Latin list ender : ETAL
119
Lead-in to a conclusion : THUS
120
___ Millions (multistate lottery) : MEGA
121
Some addresses : URLS
122
Dos + cuatro : SEIS
124
China's largest ethnic group : HAN
126
Wellness resort offering : SPA
127
Horn contents at a Viking feast : ALE
128
Depressed : LOW

Answer summary:
8 unique to this puzzle.

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