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New York Times, Monday, February 16, 2026

Author:
Ian Livengood
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
"Makes no difference to me"
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
564/12/20102/16/20264
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
618667112
RebusCircleScrabDebutFlowFresh
371.6429834.546%
Ian Livengood

This puzzle:

Rows: 15, Columns: 15 Words: 78, Blocks: 37 Missing: {JKQ} This is puzzle # 56 for Mr. Livengood. Grid flow: 37.6 Monday freshness: 75%
Jim Horne notes:

ID goes "either way" because it's either at the beginning or the end of each theme answer. The central one has both.

1
C
2
L
3
A
4
S
5
P
6
B
7
O
8
D
9
A
10
M
11
E
12
N
13
L
I
L
L
E
14
D
E
V
O
15
V
A
M
P
16
O
G
L
E
D
17
R
A
I
D
18
O
D
O
R
19
T
H
E
W
I
20
Z
A
R
D
O
21
F
I
D
22
S
T
Y
23
G
O
T
H
24
B
A
D
A
25
S
26
S
27
B
R
O
28
U
29
N
I
X
30
S
H
E
31
A
32
D
33
F
E
E
34
I
G
O
R
35
C
H
I
C
36
B
O
I
S
E
37
I
D
38
I
D
39
T
H
E
F
T
40
H
U
N
T
41
N
E
42
A
R
43
R
U
S
T
S
44
O
L
E
45
S
C
A
N
46
M
A
G
47
R
A
W
48
B
A
R
49
T
50
I
E
D
51
D
52
E
53
M
54
I
D
G
O
55
E
I
T
H
E
56
R
W
A
Y
57
A
58
N
N
A
59
W
A
G
E
60
G
E
E
S
E
61
O
B
E
Y
62
D
R
U
M
63
A
D
L
E
R
64
L
A
S
S
65
S
P
A
66
P
O
L
L
S
© 2026, The New York Times2/16/26 ( No. 27,859 )
Across
1
Necklace fastener : CLASP
6
Physique, slangily : BOD
9
"___ to that!" : AMEN
13
Textile city NNE of Paris : LILLE
14
New wave band with the hit "Whip It" : DEVO
15
Improvise, in jazz : VAMP
16
Stared rudely : OGLED
17
Late-night kitchen visit, e.g. : RAID
18
Stench : ODOR
19
Longtime comic strip set in a medieval kingdom : THEWIZARDOFID
22
Home for pigs : STY
23
Teen wearing heavy eyeliner, maybe : GOTH
24
Really, really cool : BADASS
27
"My dude!" : BRO
28
Computer operating system developed by Bell Labs : UNIX
30
___-Hulk : SHE
31
Charge for airing a commercial : ADFEE
34
Fictional lab assistant with a hunchback : IGOR
35
Stylish : CHIC
36
Capital of the Gem State, in a mailing address : BOISEID
38
Possible cybercrime, informally : IDTHEFT
40
M.I.T. Mystery ___ (annual puzzle competition) : HUNT
41
Close by : NEAR
43
Corrosion signs : RUSTS
44
Stadium cheer : OLE
45
Glance through : SCAN
46
Reader's Digest or Golf Digest, in brief : MAG
47
Where clams are served : RAWBAR
49
Knotted (up) : TIED
51
Rep.'s counterpart : DEM
54
"Makes no difference to me" : IDGOEITHERWAY
57
Actress Kendrick : ANNA
59
Hourly pay rate : WAGE
60
Flock that honks : GEESE
61
Follow directions : OBEY
62
Conga, for one : DRUM
63
Chicago's ___ Planetarium : ADLER
64
Scottish girl : LASS
65
Place to get a rubdown : SPA
66
Voting spots : POLLS
Down
1
Thickens, as cream : CLOTS
2
Not heavy : LIGHT
3
Narrow way between city buildings : ALLEY
4
Whole bunch : SLEW
5
Horse's ancestral line : PEDIGREE
6
Hearty embrace : BEARHUG
7
Roman poet who wrote "Metamorphoses" : OVID
8
Dull-witted sort : DODOBIRD
9
Eschew : AVOID
10
Frantic scrambles : MADDASHES
11
Rock subgenre with confessional lyrics : EMO
12
"All Things Considered" airer : NPR
14
"Fiddlesticks!" : DRAT
20
D.C.'s National ___ : ZOO
21
Kind of number on an old business card : FAX
25
Change gears : SHIFT
26
Religious offshoots : SECTS
27
Top-tier : BEST
29
Pinot ___ : NOIR
31
Give 0 stars in a review, say : ABHOR
32
One giving support during childbirth : DOULA
33
High-quality reds and whites : FINEWINES
34
Something to noodle on : IDEA
35
Drink very quickly : CHUG
37
Glitterati : INCROWDS
39
Shortfall of exports vis-à-vis imports : TRADEGAP
42
One of the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean : ANTIGUA
45
Droop : SAG
46
"It's just OK" : MEH
48
Occasions for blowing out candles on cakes, informally : BDAYS
50
Agenda bullet point : ITEM
51
Linger (on), as a topic : DWELL
52
Art supporter : EASEL
53
Mike who voiced Shrek in "Shrek" : MYERS
55
Wyatt at the O.K. Corral : EARP
56
Make over : REDO
57
Early leader in instant messaging : AOL
58
Org. for the Raptors, but not the Blue Jays : NBA

Answer summary:
4 unique to this puzzle.

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