Wednesday, February 18, 2026 - A HUMDINGER of a Wednesday crossword
If Emojis make your heart go pitter-patter, then put your cardiologist on speed dial because today's puzzle — the fourth by Victor Schmitt — is teeming with them. OK, "teeming" might be a bit of an ex...
19 Helmi 17min
Tuesday, February 17, 2026 - A 99.9% SNAFU-free crossword 😉
If this crossword was a car, it would be a Bugatti; if it was a watch, it would be a Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime. In short, this was a top-of-the-line Tuesday crossword, built with precision, lov...
19 Helmi 14min
Monday, February 16, 2026 - Ian Livengood is baaaaaack!
Ian Livengood had written a SLEW of NYTimes crosswords between 2010 and 2016. Then, most mysteriously, he vanished — nary a puzzle in sight until, after almost a decade of radio silence, he is back wi...
17 Helmi 10min
Sunday, February 15, 2026 - A masterpiece in a 21x21 grid
Michael Lieberman and Rebecca Goldstein are, individually, great crossword constructors: together they are greater, as today's puzzle makes abundantly clear. We loved the theme, we loved the clues, Su...
16 Helmi 19min
Saturday, February 14, 2026 - A *lovely* Saturday crossword 🫶
This was a fine crossword by David Carp, his sixth for the NYTimes and his third to appear on a Saturday. The crossword was not outrageously difficult by Saturday standards, the clues were cute, and t...
15 Helmi 14min
Friday, February 13, 2026 - In which we celebrate a great crossword *and* the Winter Olympics ⛸️
This was just what we want out of a Friday crossword: daunting, deliciously deceptive cluing and not an iota of crosswordese anywhere in the grid. Evan Mulvihill has succeeded on both counts, as you c...
14 Helmi 19min
Thursday, February 12, 2026 - An early Valentine's Day present 💝
Kareem Ayas has delivered a Valentine's Day present two days early, and both cohosts fell in love with it. The theme is a real chef's kiss, and the rest of the grid equally sweet. This is Kareem's nin...
13 Helmi 11min
Wednesday, February 11, 2026 — A walrus, a carpenter and an oyster walk into a bar ...
This was a terrific mid-week crossword by Joseph Gangi, number seven since his auspicious debut in March of 2022. The theme was ... magnificent. It is almost guaranteed to make you LOL when you get it...
12 Helmi 9min
