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New York Times, Thursday, February 19, 2026

Author:
John Ewbank
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
Courting disaster, slangily
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
1112/30/20212/19/20262
SunMonTueWedThuFriSatVariety
23102102
RebusCircleScrabDebutFlowFresh
121.574531.530%
John Ewbank

This puzzle:

Rows: 15, Columns: 16 Words: 79, Blocks: 44 Spans: 2 This is puzzle # 11 for Mr. Ewbank. Grid flow: 36.8 Thursday freshness: 29%
1
J
2
E
3
T
4
T
5
T
6
R
7
I
8
B
9
E
10
S
11
P
12
E
13
C
14
A
T
O
M
15
H
A
V
I
N
16
G
17
L
A
M
A
18
C
R
U
I
19
S
I
N
F
O
R
A
20
B
R
U
I
SIN
21
K
E
G
22
A
R
K
23
S
I
L
L
24
P
R
O
25
H
26
I
S
S
27
C
L
O
28
S
E
S
29
S
30
I
N
G
SIN
T
31
H
32
E
33
S
H
O
W
E
R
34
S
T
U
N
G
35
A
L
I
36
N
S
A
37
N
O
T
E
38
W
H
I
R
39
R
S
40
B
41
A
42
N
43
A
44
O
45
U
R
46
T
E
E
47
P
E
C
O
S
48
B
U
S
I
49
N
E
S
SIN
50
S
I
D
E
R
S
51
L
O
S
E
T
O
52
T
E
S
S
53
B
E
N
54
M
E
G
55
A
56
O
R
C
57
H
58
O
59
P
60
L
E
S
61
S
E
R
O
F
62
T
W
O
E
63
V
I
L
S
64
I
C
A
N
65
S
O
A
K
E
D
66
E
G
G
S
67
P
H
I
L
68
D
R
O
N
E
69
T
H
A
T
© 2026, The New York Times2/19/26 ( No. 27,862 )
Across
1
Punk rocker Joan : JETT
5
Choctaw or Chickasaw : TRIBE
10
Design detail : SPEC
14
"Up and ___!" (catchphrase for a physicist) : ATOM
15
In possession of : HAVING
17
Tibetan title : LAMA
18
Courting disaster, slangily : CRUISINFORABRUISIN
21
Fraternity party order : KEG
22
Symbol of protection : ARK
23
Part of a window above the apron : SILL
24
One-half of a golf partnership, perhaps : PRO
25
Sound of disapproval : HISS
27
Concludes : CLOSES
29
Uses a shampoo bottle as a microphone, perhaps : SINGSINTHESHOWER
34
Swindled : STUNG
35
Boxing champ Laila : ALI
36
Subject of the Edward Snowden leaks, in brief : NSA
37
Jot down : NOTE
38
Makes a noise like an electric fan : WHIRRS
40
Australian actor Eric : BANA
44
"___ Father ..." : OUR
46
Concert souvenir : TEE
47
River to the Rio Grande : PECOS
48
They may have knowledge of corporate secrets : BUSINESSINSIDERS
51
Be defeated by : LOSETO
52
"___ of the D'Urbervilles" : TESS
53
Big name in London : BEN
54
Big beginning? : MEGA
56
Servant of Sauron in "The Lord of the Rings" : ORC
57
Short flight : HOP
60
Better choice, given the options ... or the circled squares vis-à-vis the shaded ones? : LESSEROFTWOEVILS
64
Volunteer's words : ICAN
65
Completely immersed, perhaps : SOAKED
66
Some colorful plastic items in the seasonal aisle in the spring : EGGS
67
Noted Punxsutawney resident : PHIL
68
Source of some aerial shots : DRONE
69
"Take ___!" : THAT
Down
1
Part of a royal flush : JACK
2
Raison d'___ : ETRE
3
Metaphor for a challenging puzzle : TOUGHNUT
4
"Eww ... just eww" : TMI
5
Want very much, with "for" : THIRST
6
Major, e.g. : RANK
7
Reproductive option, for short : IVF
8
Some paragraphs in playbills : BIOS
9
Improve : ENRICH
10
High-end camera, for short : SLR
11
Penniless one : PAUPER
12
Mideast leaders : EMIRS
13
Spot to play baccarat : CASINO
16
Gas units : GALLONS
19
Talking back to : SASSING
20
Is really bad, in slang : BLOWS
26
Formed from molten lava : IGNEOUS
28
Sunken treasure sites : SEABEDS
29
You can request a new one on religious grounds if it contains "666": Abbr. : SSN
30
"What was ___ think?" : ITO
31
"Yeah, right!" : HAH
32
Ruling class : ELITE
33
Fathers : SIRES
38
Dickens and Dickinson : WRITERS
39
Varnish ingredient : RESIN
41
Card game clarification : ACESHIGH
42
Neither's partner : NOR
43
Buffoon : ASS
45
"I'm at your disposal" : USEME
47
Bishop, e.g. : PIECE
48
Japanese word that's sometimes translated as "planted in a pot" : BONSAI
49
Commentator's call after a missed field goal : NOGOOD
50
Took steps : STRODE
51
Medieval cure-all : LEECH
53
Radar operator's concern : BLIP
55
Over yonder : AFAR
56
Wilson of the Frat Pack : OWEN
58
Actress Kurylenko : OLGA
59
"Over here!" : PSST
61
Sketch show with Colin Jost, in brief : SNL
62
Fight-ending letters : TKO
63
Screen, as a candidate : VET

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

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