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New York Times, Wednesday, February 18, 2026

Author:
Victor Schmitt
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
Observation
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
43/24/20252/18/20261
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
1102000
ScrabDebutFlowFresh
1.552031.944%
Victor Schmitt

This puzzle:

Rows: 15, Columns: 16 Words: 77, Blocks: 38 Missing: {JQVXZ} Spans: 1 This is puzzle # 4 for Mr. Schmitt. Grid flow: 34.1 Wednesday freshness: 68%
Jim Horne notes:
Emojis in clues are fun. They are also risky, because different devices display them differently. A 2020 puzzle used emojis to describe ... read more
1
R
2
A
3
N
4
D
5
B
6
A
7
R
8
A
9
M
10
P
11
A
12
C
13
T
14
S
15
A
M
O
R
E
16
L
O
C
O
17
A
G
O
R
A
18
P
E
T
E
R
19
E
D
O
U
T
20
S
A
M
U
S
21
S
I
G
N
S
O
F
T
H
22
E
T
I
M
E
S
23
S
A
P
24
S
E
R
R
A
N
O
25
G
26
A
27
H
28
R
I
29
O
30
A
A
S
31
D
32
A
33
M
34
A
B
U
35
N
D
A
N
36
C
37
E
38
P
O
L
E
39
S
Y
M
B
O
L
I
C
G
40
E
41
S
42
T
U
R
E
S
43
U
S
D
A
44
S
O
R
C
E
R
E
R
S
45
P
S
I
46
H
47
U
48
T
49
E
R
R
50
S
T
Y
51
N
52
O
I
S
O
53
M
54
E
55
A
R
56
K
57
F
58
I
G
U
R
E
S
O
F
59
S
P
E
E
60
C
61
H
62
I
R
E
N
E
63
S
C
R
E
E
N
S
H
O
64
T
65
C
I
R
C
E
66
E
H
O
W
67
C
H
A
S
E
68
A
S
S
E
S
69
D
I
N
S
70
E
A
T
E
N
© 2026, The New York Times2/18/26 ( No. 27,861 )
Across
1
Genre for James Brown or Al Green, informally : RANDB
6
Biblical name for Syria : ARAM
10
International agreements : PACTS
15
"That's ___" (Dean Martin classic) : AMORE
16
Plumb mad : LOCO
17
Ancient Greek marketplace : AGORA
18
Dwindled away : PETEREDOUT
20
___ Aran, heroine of Nintendo's Metroid : SAMUS
21
🕘⏳⏰ : SIGNSOFTHETIMES
23
Gullible one : SAP
24
Pepper that's two steps above poblano on the Scoville scale : SERRANO
25
Irritated outburst : GAH
28
Carnaval city, informally : RIO
30
Smallish batteries : AAS
31
Reservoir producer : DAM
34
Bounty : ABUNDANCE
38
Favorable starting point of an auto race : POLE
39
🤙👏👋 : SYMBOLICGESTURES
43
The Farm Service Agcy. is part of it : USDA
44
Some wand wielders : SORCERERS
45
Trident-shaped letter : PSI
46
QB's call : HUT
49
Write "their" for "there," say : ERR
50
Slopping spot : STY
51
Offensively odorous : NOISOME
55
Noted wildlife refuge : ARK
57
💬🗣️🗯️ : FIGURESOFSPEECH
62
Cara of "Fame" fame : IRENE
63
Digital capture : SCREENSHOT
65
Enchantress of Greek mythology : CIRCE
66
Popular D.I.Y. website : EHOW
67
Go after : CHASE
68
Nincompoops : ASSES
69
Rackets : DINS
70
Reduced to crumbs, say : EATEN
Down
1
What a fall guy has to take, with "the" : RAP
2
Home of the Big 12's Cyclones : AMES
3
Terse denial : NOTI
4
Remains : DREGS
5
Leader of the Sharks in "West Side Story" : BERNARDO
6
Gucci of fashion : ALDO
7
Locales for some urban gardens : ROOFS
8
Like the accents in "déclassé" : ACUTE
9
Godzilla foe : MOTHRA
10
Elbows and bow ties : PASTAS
11
Once more : AGAIN
12
Best-selling home computers of the 1980s : COMMODORES
13
On the money : TRUE
14
Freshness : SASS
19
Observation : ESPIAL
22
It might be a stretch for historians : ERA
25
Fill an automobile tank ... or boost the confidence of, in slang : GASUP
26
Deep chasm : ABYSS
27
Pips : HUMDINGERS
29
Demon of Japanese folklore : ONI
32
On guard : ALERT
33
Like some buns and bedrooms : MESSY
35
Org. for Wizards and Magic : NBA
36
Includes, in a way : CCS
37
One of the "six enemies of the mind," in Hinduism : EGO
38
Big name in water filters : PUR
40
Old-fashioned word that's a homophone of 49-Across : ERE
41
Distressing encounter : SCRAPE
42
___ Howard, Oscar-nominated actor for 2005's "Hustle & Flow" : TERRENCE
46
New workmates : HIREES
47
Manipulate : USE
48
Cast : TOSSED
52
Meager measure of compassion? : OUNCE
53
Traditional rice cake snack on Japanese New Year : MOCHI
54
Actor Zac of "High School Musical" : EFRON
56
Singer with the 2009 #1 hit "Tik Tok" : KESHA
57
Acronym on a W-2 : FICA
58
Bluish-purple bloom : IRIS
59
Wraps (up) : SEWS
60
Tête-à-tête : CHAT
61
Firefighting aid : HOSE
64
X : TEN

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

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