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New York Times, Tuesday, February 3, 2026

Author:
Nate Cardin
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
Burger chain with custard-based drinks
TotalDebutLatest
77/26/20182/3/2026
SunMonTueWedThuFriSatVariety
01401001
RebusCircleScrabDebutFlowFresh
111.662425.126%
Nate Cardin

This puzzle:

Rows: 15, Columns: 16 Words: 81, Blocks: 38 Missing: {JZ} This is puzzle # 7 for Mr. Cardin. Grid flow: 44.4 Tuesday freshness: 68%
Jim Horne notes:

The circled squares reveal the names of famous singers ELVIS in 18-Across, KESHA in 12-Down, T-PAIN in 38-Across, and ADELE in 30-Down — voices inside the longer entries.

1
N
2
A
3
S
4
C
5
A
6
R
7
T
8
O
9
T
10
E
11
S
12
S
13
A
14
T
15
I
Q
U
O
T
E
16
W
H
A
M
O
17
H
B
O
18
T
U
N
N
E
L
19
V
I
S
I
O
N
20
A
L
L
21
E
A
S
T
22
I
A
G
O
23
T
A
24
S
K
E
D
25
O
26
V
E
N
S
27
H
I
T
M
E
28
T
29
V
30
G
U
I
D
E
31
B
E
C
A
U
S
32
E
33
B
A
R
R
E
34
S
O
L
O
35
T
H
A
36
T
37
S
P
A
38
W
39
E
40
T
P
A
I
N
41
T
42
A
G
E
43
P
E
D
44
I
45
Y
E
A
R
46
U
47
N
C
L
E
48
S
E
C
49
R
E
C
Y
50
S
51
T
R
O
K
E
S
52
L
E
A
S
H
53
B
U
R
N
T
54
S
55
P
E
E
D
O
56
F
I
R
E
57
H
58
A
59
H
60
A
61
M
A
V
62
I
N
63
S
I
D
E
V
64
O
I
C
E
S
65
O
N
E
66
S
M
I
L
E
67
O
W
N
E
R
S
68
G
E
L
69
H
E
X
E
S
70
R
E
G
R
E
T
© 2026, The New York Times2/3/26 ( No. 27,846 )
Across
1
Daytona 500 org. : NASCAR
7
Cloth shopping bags : TOTES
12
Advanced to the next round of musical chairs, say : SAT
15
"Their exact words were ..." : IQUOTE
16
Toy company behind Frisbees and Hula Hoops : WHAMO
17
"Sex and the City" network : HBO
18
Narrow, focused perspective : TUNNELVISION
20
"___ for one and one for ___!" : ALL
21
E, on a compass : EAST
22
Villain in Shakespeare's "Othello" and Disney's "Aladdin" : IAGO
23
Assigned a job : TASKED
25
Pizzeria fixtures : OVENS
27
Blackjack player's request : HITME
28
Magazine for the small screen since 1953 : TVGUIDE
31
Parent's curt response to a kid's "But why?" : BECAUSE
33
Ballet dancer's handrail : BARRE
34
Unaccompanied : SOLO
35
"You can say ___ again!" : THAT
37
Place for a seaweed body wrap : SPA
38
Sign near a freshly applied coat : WETPAINT
42
Number represented by candles on a cake : AGE
43
Toe treatment, in brief : PEDI
45
___ of the Horse (2026 in the Chinese zodiac) : YEAR
46
''You win! I give up!'' : UNCLE
48
One might be sworn to it : SECRECY
50
Golf count : STROKES
52
Dog harness attachment : LEASH
53
Beyond well-done : BURNT
54
Maker of skintight swimwear : SPEEDO
56
Exceptionally good, in Gen Z slang : FIRE
57
"Very funny!" : HAHA
61
Dallas N.B.A. player, for short : MAV
62
What children should use at the library ... and a literal description of the circled letters in this puzzle : INSIDEVOICES
65
Any number raised to the 0th power : ONE
66
"Say cheese!" : SMILE
67
People with custody of things, typically : OWNERS
68
Toothpaste type : GEL
69
Evil spells : HEXES
70
Feel remorse about : REGRET
Down
1
Evening, in ads : NITE
2
Blue-green hue : AQUA
3
Pair orbited by the fictional planet Tatooine : SUNS
4
Use makeup to sculpt and define, as facial features : CONTOUR
5
Had a meal : ATE
6
Depended (on) : RELIED
7
Tiny tree branches : TWIGS
8
Very : OHSO
9
Word before chi or after mai : TAI
10
8-) or ;-P : EMOTICON
11
Beethoven's "Moonlight ___" : SONATA
12
Burger chain with custard-based drinks : SHAKESHACK
13
Ready, willing and ___ : ABLE
14
Spilled the beans : TOLD
19
Rooftop accessory often shaped like a rooster atop an arrow : VANE
24
Salacious material : SMUT
26
Oceanfront room feature : VIEW
27
Prefix with pad or port : HELI
28
One of eight in a stick of butter: Abbr. : TBSP
29
Uses an e-cigarette : VAPES
30
Stage of education : GRADELEVEL
31
Tusked swine : BOAR
32
Bird on Mexico's flag : EAGLE
34
Fix, at the vet's : SPAY
36
Some concert souvenirs : TEES
39
"Look this way, class" : EYESONME
40
The "T" in STEM, informally : TECH
41
Go sour, as milk : TURN
44
Slurpee alternative : ICEE
47
Potentially suspicious response to "What are you doing?" : NOTHING
49
Red bit in a salad : RADISH
50
"You betcha!" : SURE
51
The ___ Project (mental health organization for LGBTQ+ youth) : TREVOR
53
___ one's time (waits patiently) : BIDES
54
Skyline haze : SMOG
55
Window section : PANE
56
Submit one's taxes : FILE
58
Taiwanese PC maker : ACER
59
"Present!" : HERE
60
The "A" in T.A.: Abbr. : ASST
63
Highest roll of a standard die : SIX
64
Have debts : OWE

Answer summary:
4 unique to this puzzle.

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