NYT Crossword hints and answer for February 18, 2026
Hints that get gradually more specific, then the answer if you need it. Nothing is revealed until you tap.
Clues77
Across35
Down42
ConstructorVictor Schmitt
Today’s NYT Crossword clues, hints & answers
Every clue from this puzzle with a hint and the answer behind separate buttons, so you only see what you need. Click a clue for its own page.
Across
1A
Genre for James Brown or Al Green, informally (5)
Starts with R, ends with BRANDB→
6A
Biblical name for Syria (4)
Starts with A, ends with MARAM→
10A
International agreements (5)
Starts with P, ends with SPACTS→
15A
"That's ___" (Dean Martin classic) (5)
Starts with A, ends with EAMORE→
16A
Plumb mad (4)
Starts with L, ends with OLOCO→
17A
Ancient Greek marketplace (5)
Starts with A, ends with AAGORA→
18A
Dwindled away (10)
Starts with P, ends with TPETEREDOUT→
20A
___ Aran, heroine of Nintendo's Metroid (5)
Starts with S, ends with SSAMUS→
21A
🕘⏳⏰ (15)
Starts with S, ends with SSIGNSOFTHETIMES→
23A
Gullible one (3)
Starts with S, ends with PSAP→
24A
Pepper that's two steps above poblano on the Scoville scale (7)
Starts with S, ends with OSERRANO→
25A
Irritated outburst (3)
Starts with G, ends with HGAH→
28A
Carnaval city, informally (3)
Starts with R, ends with ORIO→
30A
Smallish batteries (3)
Starts with A, ends with SAAS→
31A
Reservoir producer (3)
Starts with D, ends with MDAM→
34A
Bounty (9)
Starts with A, ends with EABUNDANCE→
38A
Favorable starting point of an auto race (4)
Starts with P, ends with EPOLE→
39A
🤙👏👋 (16)
Starts with S, ends with SSYMBOLICGESTURES→
43A
The Farm Service Agcy. is part of it (4)
Starts with U, ends with AUSDA→
44A
Some wand wielders (9)
Starts with S, ends with SSORCERERS→
45A
Trident-shaped letter (3)
Starts with P, ends with IPSI→
46A
QB's call (3)
Starts with H, ends with THUT→
49A
Write "their" for "there," say (3)
Starts with E, ends with RERR→
50A
Slopping spot (3)
Starts with S, ends with YSTY→
51A
Offensively odorous (7)
Starts with N, ends with ENOISOME→
55A
Noted wildlife refuge (3)
Starts with A, ends with KARK→
57A
💬🗣️🗯️ (15)
Starts with F, ends with HFIGURESOFSPEECH→
62A
Cara of "Fame" fame (5)
Starts with I, ends with EIRENE→
63A
Digital capture (10)
Starts with S, ends with TSCREENSHOT→
65A
Enchantress of Greek mythology (5)
Starts with C, ends with ECIRCE→
66A
Popular D.I.Y. website (4)
Starts with E, ends with WEHOW→
67A
Go after (5)
Starts with C, ends with ECHASE→
68A
Nincompoops (5)
Starts with A, ends with SASSES→
69A
Rackets (4)
Starts with D, ends with SDINS→
70A
Reduced to crumbs, say (5)
Starts with E, ends with NEATEN→
Down
1D
What a fall guy has to take, with "the" (3)
Starts with R, ends with PRAP→
2D
Home of the Big 12's Cyclones (4)
Starts with A, ends with SAMES→
3D
Terse denial (4)
Starts with N, ends with INOTI→
4D
Remains (5)
Starts with D, ends with SDREGS→
5D
Leader of the Sharks in "West Side Story" (8)
Starts with B, ends with OBERNARDO→
6D
Gucci of fashion (4)
Starts with A, ends with OALDO→
7D
Locales for some urban gardens (5)
Starts with R, ends with SROOFS→
8D
Like the accents in "déclassé" (5)
Starts with A, ends with EACUTE→
9D
Godzilla foe (6)
Starts with M, ends with AMOTHRA→
10D
Elbows and bow ties (6)
Starts with P, ends with SPASTAS→
11D
Once more (5)
Starts with A, ends with NAGAIN→
12D
Best-selling home computers of the 1980s (10)
Starts with C, ends with SCOMMODORES→
13D
On the money (4)
Starts with T, ends with ETRUE→
14D
Freshness (4)
Starts with S, ends with SSASS→
19D
Observation (6)
Starts with E, ends with LESPIAL→
22D
It might be a stretch for historians (3)
Starts with E, ends with AERA→
25D
Fill an automobile tank … or boost the confidence of, in slang (5)
Starts with G, ends with PGASUP→
26D
Deep chasm (5)
Starts with A, ends with SABYSS→
27D
Pips (10)
Starts with H, ends with SHUMDINGERS→
29D
Demon of Japanese folklore (3)
Starts with O, ends with IONI→
32D
On guard (5)
Starts with A, ends with TALERT→
33D
Like some buns and bedrooms (5)
Starts with M, ends with YMESSY→
35D
Org. for Wizards and Magic (3)
Starts with N, ends with ANBA→
36D
Includes, in a way (3)
Starts with C, ends with SCCS→
37D
One of the "six enemies of the mind," in Hinduism (3)
Starts with E, ends with OEGO→
38D
Big name in water filters (3)
Starts with P, ends with RPUR→
40D
Old-fashioned word that's a homophone of 49-Across (3)
Starts with E, ends with EERE→
41D
Distressing encounter (6)
Starts with S, ends with ESCRAPE→
42D
___ Howard, Oscar-nominated actor for 2005's "Hustle & Flow" (8)
Starts with T, ends with ETERRENCE→
46D
New workmates (6)
Starts with H, ends with SHIREES→
47D
Manipulate (3)
Starts with U, ends with EUSE→
52D
Meager measure of compassion? (5)
Starts with O, ends with EOUNCE→
53D
Traditional rice cake snack on Japanese New Year (5)
Starts with M, ends with IMOCHI→
54D
Actor Zac of "High School Musical" (5)
Starts with E, ends with NEFRON→
56D
Singer with the 2009 #1 hit "Tik Tok" (5)
Starts with K, ends with AKESHA→
57D
Acronym on a W-2 (4)
Starts with F, ends with AFICA→
58D
Bluish-purple bloom (4)
Starts with I, ends with SIRIS→
59D
Wraps (up) (4)
Starts with S, ends with SSEWS→
60D
Tête-à-tête (4)
Starts with C, ends with TCHAT→
61D
Firefighting aid (4)
Starts with H, ends with EHOSE→
How to solve the NYT Crossword
Fill the grid so that every Across and Down answer matches its clue. Numbered squares mark where answers begin. Theme answers, usually the longest entries, share a twist that the puzzle's title or a revealer clue explains. Thursday puzzles are known for rebus squares and other tricks that bend the normal rules.
Want the full method? Read our NYT Crossword strategy and tips, or check how to play the NYT Crossword on the hub.
NYT Crossword tips for tomorrow
- Start with Monday-level clues. Even on a Saturday, a handful of clues are straightforward. Find them and build outward from the crossings.
- Hunt for the revealer. A clue that references other entries or ends in "?" often explains the theme. Solving it first unlocks the long answers.
- Respect the day of the week. Thursday means tricks like rebus squares; Friday and Saturday mean long, clever fill with misleading clues.
Done for today? Try The Mini, The Midi, LA Times Crossword, all with hints first and answers behind a reveal.
Previous NYT Crossword puzzles
NYT Crossword FAQ
How many clues are in the NYT Crossword for February 18, 2026?+
77 clues: 35 Across and 42 Down. The puzzle was constructed by Victor Schmitt and edited by Will Shortz.
What are some answers in today’s NYT Crossword?+
For example: Genre for James Brown or Al Green, informally (RANDB); Biblical name for Syria (ARAM); International agreements (PACTS).
What time does the NYT Crossword come out?+
The next day's puzzle is released at 10:00 pm Eastern Time Monday to Friday and at 6:00 pm on Saturdays and Sundays.
Where can I find past NYT Crossword answers?+
Every puzzle in our archive has its own page with all Across and Down answers, plus a page for each clue. Click any date above.
