LA Times Daily Crossword Answers Today – February 26, 2026

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L.A. Times Crossword Answers Today: Thu, Feb 26, 2026

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la times daily crossword

Table of Contents

Today’s LA Times Daily Crossword Overview

The February 26, 2026 LA Times Daily Crossword by Patti Varol offers a mix of pop culture references and classic crosswordese. With tricky intersections and clever wordplay, this puzzle challenges solvers to think outside the box. Here’s a detailed breakdown to help you conquer it.

L.A. Times Daily Crossword
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1P
2A
3D
4M
5A
6F
7L
8A
9W
10I
11G
12A
13A
L
I
A
S
14L
A
T
E
15S
H
I
M
16C
L
O
C
K
17F
A
C
E
S
18T
A
R
A
19M
U
S
E
20L
I
E
U
21J
A
V
A
S
22A
R
M
23C
A
R
D
P
24L
A
Y
E
R
S
25N
E
I
26M
A
N
27I
N
S
I
D
E
28S
O
A
P
29C
30A
31B
O
32T
I
S
33H
O
34L
D
H
A
N
35D
36S
37T
38S
39O
40U
S
A
A
41I
P
42A
43D
44A
C
R
45O
46S
S
47F
A
R
R
A
48R
49R
A
N
C
H
H
50O
51U
52S
E
S
53R
N
A
54T
R
U
T
H
55D
C
O
N
56G
I
G
I
57A
C
R
E
58W
O
O
L
G
59L
O
V
E
S
60R
E
S
T
61A
R
N
O
62A
D
E
L
E
63E
R
E
64S
S
N
S
65M
S
D
O
S
1.Former “Top Chef” host Lakshmi
PADMA
6.Imperfection
FLAW
10.Tennis champion Swiatek
IGA
13.Second calling?
ALIAS
14.Untimely?
LATE
15.Carpentry wedge
SHIM
16.See 33-Across
CLOCKFACES
18.“Educated” memoirist Westover
TARA
19.Creative inspiration
MUSE
20.“In __ of gifts … “
LIEU
21.Coffees, casually
JAVAS
22.Branch
ARM
23.See 33-Across
CARDPLAYERS
25.Marcus partner
NEIMAN
27.__ baseball: esoteric knowledge
INSIDE
28.Dove bar
SOAP
29.Pacific resort, casually
CABO
32.“__ but a scratch”
TIS
33.Walk with one’s sweetie, and what 16-, 23-, 49-, and 58-Across do?
HOLDHANDS
37.General on a takeout menu
TSO
40.Financial services co. for mil. families
USAA
41.Checkout device
IPAD
44.Down counterpart
ACROSS
47.Margaret who was the first editor of the New York Times crossword
FARRAR
49.See 33-Across
RANCHHOUSES
53.Molecule in some vaccines
RNA
54.“No fooling!”
TRUTH
55.Mousetrap brand
DCON
56.Supermodel Hadid
GIGI
57.Land measure
ACRE
58.See 33-Across
WOOLGLOVES
60.Take five
REST
61.Ponte Vecchio river
ARNO
62.“25” and “30” singer
ADELE
63.Afore
ERE
64.403(b) IDs
SSNS
65.Early PC platform
MSDOS
1.Arcade classic with ghosts
PACMAN
2.Draws
ALLURES
3.“¡Ay, caramba!”
DIOSMIO
4.Spice cookie spice
MACE
5.“Thought you’d never __”
ASK
6.14-time WWE Women’s Champion Charlotte
FLAIR
7.Like most sneakers
LACED
8.Devoured
ATEUP
9.Bentley of “Yellowstone”
WES
10.“Found a solution!”
IHAVEIT
11.Yankees manager after Torre
GIRARDI
12.Racks up
AMASSES
15.Hotel bookings
STAYS
17.Custard dessert similar to crème caramel
FLAN
21.First mo.
JAN
23.Guitar accessory
CAPO
24.Animal in the Premier League logo
LION
26.__-jongg
MAH
29.Pre-iTunes stack
CDS
30.Cry with a finger snap
AHA
31.Response to Bo Peep
BAA
34.Rich
LUSH
35.Semana parts
DIAS
36.Beautiful time of yr. at a botanical garden
SPR
37.Raw preparation
TARTARE
38.Harder to find
SCARCER
39.Hosp. caregiver during surgery
ORNURSE
42.Got somewhere
ARRIVED
43.Beverly of the “Vacation” films
DANGELO
45.Largish jazz combo
OCTET
46.“Quiet, you!”
SHH
47.__ shui
FENG
48.Hikes
RAISES
50.Baking soda targets
ODORS
51.NCAA school with the most first-round WNBA draft picks
UCONN
52.Pilots’ milestones
SOLOS
56.Mercury and Neptune
GODS
58.Once cost
WAS
59.Go on the __
LAM

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Our team consists of seasoned crossword constructors and solvers who understand the nuances of crossword design. We analyze patterns, intersections, and wordplay to provide accurate and insightful solutions.

🧠 Our Solving Strategy

We start by identifying the longest and most complex clues, focusing on intersections that can unlock multiple answers. By leveraging our knowledge of crosswordese and common fill, we systematically tackle each section of the grid.

Quick Summary of Hardest Clues

Clue Answer Explanation
1 Across PADMA Former “Top Chef” host Lakshmi
16 Across CLOCK See 33-Across
33 Across HOLDHANDS Walk with one’s sweetie, and what 16-, 23-, 49-, and 58-Across do?
49 Across RANCH See 33-Across
58 Across WOOL See 33-Across

Top Solution Breakdown

  • 1 Across: PADMA – Former “Top Chef” host Lakshmi. This clue requires knowledge of TV personalities.
  • 16 Across: CLOCK – Part of the interconnected clues leading to 33-Across.
  • 33 Across: HOLDHANDS – The central theme connecting multiple clues, emphasizing wordplay and interconnected answers.
  • 49 Across: RANCH – Another clue linked to 33-Across, requiring solvers to think thematically.
  • 58 Across: WOOL – Completes the thematic connection with 33-Across.

⏪ Yesterday’s Recap

Yesterday’s puzzle featured a tricky clue involving a classic arcade game, which stumped many solvers. The answer was “PACMAN,” a nod to retro gaming culture.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the theme of today’s puzzle? The theme revolves around interconnected clues that lead to the central answer “HOLDHANDS.”
  • How do I solve interconnected clues? Focus on the central theme and use intersecting answers to guide your solving process.
  • What are some common crosswordese words in today’s puzzle? Words like “PADMA,” “CLOCK,” and “WOOL” are examples of crosswordese used in today’s puzzle.


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