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New York Times, Thursday, January 15, 2026

January 16, 2026

By Wendy L. Brandes and Barbara Lin • 85 Clues

Across Clues

1. Cattle calls → MOOS

5. Visible sign of hard work → SWEAT

10. El ___ (precursor of the Expressionists) → GRECO

15. Novelist Quindlen who wrote "One True Thing" → ANNA

16. One of five ... or maybe six? → SENSE

17. Like darts → AIMED

18. *Oft-quoted advice in Matthew 7:7 → SEEKANDYHALLFIND

21. Herb related to parsley → ANISE

22. Part of L.G.B.T.Q. → GAY

23. Races longer than marathons, informally → ULTRAS

24. First name in rap? → LIL

25. Stat for Aaron Judge → RBI

27. Puts the finishing touches on, in a way → ICES

28. *24/7/365 → ALLDAVERYDAY

32. Some scanners, for short → TSA

35. Jan. 1 through today → YTD

36. Oodles of time → EONS

37. Elate → SEND

38. Nobelist Joliot-Curie who synthesized radioactive isotopes → IRENE

41. Stereotypical dog → FIDO

42. Bases of shipbuilding → KEELS

43. Sol, but not Luna → NOTE

44. Word with sponge or fish → CAKE

45. Quarterback's asset → ARM

46. Shiny little platters → CDS

47. *Evening spent playing with the kids, say → FAMILYGAIGHT

52. Stare in astonishment → GAPE

53. Just peachy → AOK

54. Possible response to "Tu veux du chocolat?" → OUI

55. Idiomatic partner of "lose" → SNOOZE

58. Disney still → CEL

60. Directive written in currants in "Alice in Wonderland" → EATME

62. Tendency to reinforce one's established beliefs ... or a hint to answering this puzzle's starred clues → CONFIRMATIONBIAS

65. Playwright Chekhov → ANTON

66. Following → AFTER

67. "Sorry ... hard pass" → UMNO

68. Corporate musical chairs, for short → REORG

69. Rib → TEASE

70. Quinceañera celebrant, e.g. → TEEN

Down Clues

1. Indian spice blend → MASALA

2. Low soccer score → ONENIL

3. Food writer Molly → ONEILL

4. Fifth Avenue store → SAKS

5. W-9 fig. → SSN

6. One method of sibling torture → WEDGIE

7. Oscar-nominated singer/songwriter for "May It Be" (2001) → ENYA

8. Like a used firepit → ASHY

9. What might give you a brewed awakening? → TEA

10. Narrow kitchen → GALLEY

11. Results of feuds → RIFTS

12. Title for any male in the House of Saud → EMIR

13. Actor John who has granted more than 650 wishes for the Make-A-Wish Foundation → CENA

14. Sportsbook calculation → ODDS

19. Make bubbly → AERATE

20. Created Yoda, he did → LUCAS

26. Brief letters? → BVD

27. Fig. on a driver's license → IDNO

29. Unit of force → DYNE

30. Energy-healing practice → REIKI

31. Fluctuate between normal singing and falsetto → YODEL

32. Bit of concert merch → TEE

33. Show that celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2025, in brief → SNL

34. About a third of an N.F.L. broadcast → ADS

37. Highway behemoth → SEMI

38. Fortune competitor → INC

39. 5.5 yards → ROD

40. Subject of astrobiology, in brief → ETS

41. Star quality → FAME

42. Seattle N.H.L. team → KRAKEN

44. April fool, e.g. → CAPER

45. Sixth word of the Gettysburg Address → AGO

47. Throwing for a loop → FAZING

48. Bulldog supporters → YALIES

49. The moment of truth → GOTIME

50. "The greatness of humanity is not in being human, but in being ___": Mahatma Gandhi → HUMANE

51. Dons, as an apron → TIESON

52. Really try to get → GOFOR

55. C-section reminder → SCAR

56. Nada → NONE

57. Not fooled by → ONTO

58. Where the coffee and Wi-Fi might both be strong → CAFE

59. "At Last" singer James → ETTA

61. Adjoin → ABUT

63. Place to strike a pose? → MAT

64. Seam contents → ORE