NYT Crossword February 28, 2026 Answers

Across

1A Set unambitious goals 6 7A One playing beerball, perhaps 7 14A Tolkien ring bearer 7 16A Precious person 7 17A Phrase you might say while pointing at a photograph 7 18A Goes against the rule? 7 19A Musical set in Alphabet City 4 20A Term of endearment appropriated from 9-Down 3 22A Part of a Blues Brothers outfit 6 23A Animated friend of Sebastian the crab 5 25A Some arm muscles, informally 4 27A Cassiterite is a source of it 3 28A Robert Frost's middle name 3 29A ___ Allen Express, Amtrak train from New York City to Burlington, Vt. 5 31A Innermost moon of Neptune 5 33A Pressure gauge? 11 35A Past, colloquially 11 36A Symbols used to group blocks of computer code 11 37A Was on the sidelines 5 38A Breathlessness 5 39A Polynesian staple 3 42A Not mainstream, as some music genres 3 43A Fuss 4 44A Weakens, as an overly strong character, in video game lingo 5 46A Angora fabric 6 49A Utmost 3 51A ___ Tung, star of cable TV's "The Summer I Turned Pretty" 4 52A Did a bedtime task 7 54A Modern banking convenience 7 56A Musical sample added for excitement 7 57A Animals in an early-2000s virtual fad 7 58A Entered again 7 59A One might play at home 6

Down

1D Kind of projection 6 2D Call at a roll call 6 3D Big jerk 6 4D Drink often sipped 5 5D Rap pioneers, slangily 3 6D Space to develop as a person? 4 7D In brief, to whom Grover Cleveland once said "I am making a strange wish for you ... that you may never be president of the United States" 3 8D School houses? 5 9D Dialect that is responsible for a large majority of Gen Z slang 4 10D Put one's foot down 4 11D Decorative items worn at Western galas 8 12D Like defendants at court 7 13D Principle of improv comedy 6 15D Gay nightlife spot with a dress requirement 10 21D Error correction tool 9 24D Uncork, so to speak 6 26D Body bronzer 10 30D ___ Story (punny nickname for the "Iliad") 4 31D Like the lion killed by Hercules 6 32D Scientific classification for birds 4 33D Tesla, for one 4 34D Affliction treated with a nit comb 4 35D Acting like a sore loser, informally 8 36D ___ counter 7 37D South Indian lentil stew 6 39D Following etiquette 6 40D Recently 6 41D Declaration after "because" 6 43D French relative 5 45D Skip the ceremony, say 5 47D Like some unmoisturized skin 4 48D Blue-roofed restaurant 4 50D Coral and sand, for two 4 53D Popular role-playing game since 1974, informally 3 55D One whose eyes are "all aglow" in "The Christmas Song" 3