NYT Crossword hints and answer for February 25, 2026
Hints that get gradually more specific, then the answer if you need it. Nothing is revealed until you tap.
Clues76
Across37
Down39
ConstructorBrad Lively
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
[Taps casino table] (5)
Starts with H, ends with EHITME→
6A
Signs of treble? (5)
Starts with C, ends with SCLEFS→
11A
___ hair (edgy 2000s trend) (3)
Starts with E, ends with OEMO→
14A
Longtime "Inside the NBA" analyst opposite Barkley (5)
Starts with O, ends with LONEAL→
15A
Deck in divination (5)
Starts with T, ends with TTAROT→
16A
Mil. authority (3)
Starts with C, ends with DCMD→
17A
Failing to pay bills on time may affect this (11)
Starts with C, ends with ECREDI SCORE→
19A
Possessed (3)
Starts with H, ends with DHAD→
20A
Lotto-like casino game (4)
Starts with K, ends with OKENO→
21A
Summer treats in small cups (4)
Starts with I, ends with SICES→
22A
Sounds of sudden vanishing (5)
Starts with P, ends with SPOOFS→
26A
Inverse of kilo- (5)
Starts with M, ends with IMILLI→
27A
"Self-Portrait With Bandaged Ear" painter, 1889 (14)
Starts with V, ends with HVINCENT ANGOGH→
32A
Pair of cymbals in a drum kit (5)
Starts with H, ends with THIHAT→
33A
Tribal home, maybe, informally (3)
Starts with R, ends with ZREZ→
34A
Reason to take a painkiller (4)
Starts with A, ends with EACHE→
35A
So-called "melting pot," in brief (3)
Starts with U, ends with AUSA→
36A
E-bike alternative (7)
Starts with S, ends with RSCOOTER→
40A
One ___ time (3)
Starts with A, ends with AATA→
41A
Bubbles in a bubble bath (4)
Starts with S, ends with SSUDS→
43A
A QR code might access one (3)
Starts with U, ends with LURL→
44A
Purplish perennial (5)
Starts with A, ends with RASTER→
46A
Villain ranked #1 on A.F.I.'s "100 Years … 100 Heroes & Villains" list (14)
Starts with H, ends with RHANNIBALLE TER→
50A
Ransacks (5)
Starts with L, ends with SLOOTS→
51A
Retail chain with ready-to-assemble products (4)
Starts with I, ends with AIKEA→
52A
Stays in line, say (5)
Starts with W, ends with SWAITS→
53A
Hawaiian goose (4)
Starts with N, ends with ENENE→
55A
Thumbs-down votes (4)
Starts with N, ends with SNAYS→
59A
Buried (3)
Starts with H, ends with DHID→
60A
63A
Fruit drink (3)
Starts with A, ends with EADE→
64A
On a higher level (5)
Starts with A, ends with EABOVE→
65A
Second-chance show (5)
Starts with R, ends with NRERUN→
66A
Org. with metal detectors (3)
Starts with T, ends with ATSA→
67A
Supped (5)
Starts with D, ends with DDINED→
68A
Paradises (5)
Starts with E, ends with SEDENS→
Down
2D
Concerning (4)
Starts with I, ends with EINRE→
3D
One subject to a curfew, maybe (4)
Starts with T, ends with NTEEN→
4D
So-called "Queen of Pop" (7)
Starts with M, ends with AMADONNA→
5D
Former Giant Manning (3)
Starts with E, ends with IELI→
6D
Healthy self-image? (6)
Starts with C, ends with NCTSCAN→
7D
Tie up (4)
Starts with L, ends with ELACE→
8D
God depicted with a bow (4)
Starts with E, ends with SEROS→
9D
Word between "word" and "word" (3)
Starts with F, ends with RFOR→
10D
Intervene (6)
Starts with S, ends with NSTEPIN→
11D
Sound-track? (10)
Starts with E, ends with EECHOLOCATE→
12D
Combatant in an octagon-shaped cage (10)
Starts with M, ends with RMMAFIGHTER→
13D
Calculated ratios (4)
Starts with O, ends with SODDS→
18D
Era competitor (3)
Starts with I, ends with EIDE→
23D
Gymnast Korbut dubbed the "Sparrow from Minsk" (4)
Starts with O, ends with AOLGA→
25D
Behaves (4)
Starts with A, ends with SACTS→
26D
Where you might lose your way (4)
Starts with M, ends with EMAZE→
27D
Demo graphics, maybe (10)
Starts with V, ends with SVISUALAIDS→
28D
"This is news to me!" (10)
Starts with I, ends with AIHADNOIDEA→
29D
Cyber punk? (5)
Starts with T, ends with LTROLL→
30D
Tick doc (2)
Starts with E, ends with TET→
31D
When repeated, "Preach!" (4)
Starts with H, ends with RHEAR→
32D
When repeated, secret (4)
Starts with H, ends with HHUSH→
37D
Bear's heirs? (4)
Starts with C, ends with SCUBS→
38D
60 minuti (3)
Starts with O, ends with AORA→
39D
Pulse quickly, as the heart (4)
Starts with R, ends with ERA E→
42D
Bratty kid (4)
Starts with S, ends with TSNOT→
45D
Was a fangirl of, say (7)
Starts with S, ends with DSTANNED→
47D
"Really awful" (6)
Starts with I, ends with DITSBAD→
48D
Connected (6)
Starts with L, ends with DLINKED→
49D
Scraped (by) (4)
Starts with E, ends with DEKED→
52D
"Huh?" (4)
Starts with W, ends with TWHAT→
53D
Like the sign for Radio City Music Hall (4)
Starts with N, ends with NNEON→
54D
Roof projection (4)
Starts with E, ends with EEAVE→
56D
Farming area (4)
Starts with A, ends with EACRE→
57D
Actor Steven of "Beef" and "Nope" (4)
Starts with Y, ends with NYEUN→
58D
Tax IDs (4)
Starts with S, ends with SSSNS→
61D
Result of a solo homer, for short (3)
Starts with R, ends with IRBI→
62D
"There you ___!" (3)
Starts with A, ends with EARE→
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 25, 2026?+
76 clues: 37 Across and 39 Down. The puzzle was constructed by Brad Lively and edited by Will Shortz.
What are some answers in today’s NYT Crossword?+
For example: [Taps casino table] (HITME); Signs of treble? (CLEFS); ___ hair (edgy 2000s trend) (EMO).
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.
