NYT Crossword February 23, 2026 Answers

Across

1A Buffoons 5 6A Paula of "American Idol" 5 11A Final use for an old T-shirt 3 14A Enraged 5 15A What "my guitar gently" does, in a classic George Harrison song 5 16A Mesozoic or Paleozoic 3 17A Home for a single guy 11 19A Animation sheet 3 20A Hole for threading a lace 6 21A ___ fide (genuine) 4 22A "Please like and subscribe" and the like, on YouTube videos 6 25A Dr. Seuss book with the quote "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." 8 28A ___ Today 3 29A Kind of computer port 3 31A Like the smell of trees 6 32A Showed again 5 34A Zoom past 6 37A Psychotherapy switcheroos ... or what are hidden in 17-, 25-, 50- and 59-Across? 13 41A Text on a red, white and blue sticker 6 42A Gender-neutral possessive 5 44A Ran after 6 47A Opposite of WNW 3 49A To and ___ 3 50A Time machine car in "Back to the Future" 8 53A Made a grand speech 6 55A Brother of Abel 4 56A Times between dusk and dawn 6 58A Had lunch, say 3 59A Fruit with a "bellybutton" 11 64A What planets revolve around 3 65A How often the time is 12:00 each day 5 66A Decorate 5 67A Mini-albums 3 68A ___ of Troy 5 69A Sat for a portrait 5

Down

1D Accessory for a baby in a highchair 3 2D British singer Rita 3 3D Efron of "The Greatest Showman" 3 4D Last multiple-choice option, often 5 5D Rude goodbye to an enemy 11 6D Soldier who has failed to report 4 7D Military cap 5 8D One of the three dimensions 5 9D Kick ___ fuss 3 10D Counterculture drug, in brief 3 11D 4.75 seconds to assemble a Mr. Potato Head, per Guinness 6 12D Concert venues 6 13D Milky Way, e.g. 6 18D Not as much 4 21D "I crushed it!!!" 6 22D Not just my 3 23D ___-friendly 4 24D Root used in making poi 4 26D Large jug 4 27D Cage for crustaceans 11 30D "American Psycho" author ___ Easton Ellis 4 33D Cartoonist Bechdel 6 35D Mass ___ (Boston thoroughfare) 3 36D Give up 4 38D Was a passenger 4 39D Democrats and Socialists, with "the" 4 40D Father 4 43D Axle, e.g. 3 44D Jewel box 6 45D Start to escalate 6 46D Extraterrestrials 6 48D London theater district 4 51D Object hitting people's heads in old cartoons 5 52D Sibling's daughter 5 54D South American barbecue 5 57D Valley 4 59D High degree 3 60D Response to seeing an aurora, maybe 3 61D Rejections 3 62D College sr.'s test 3 63D 63-Down, in this puzzle 3