This NYT Monday Crossword Is Subtler Than It Looks | Full Solve | Feb 16, 2026

Описание: Solve 1,326: Today’s New York Times Monday Crossword looked straightforward at first glance… but there’s a subtle theme detail hiding in plain sight.

This February 16, 2026 NYT Monday puzzle plays with identity in a clever, understated way. It’s classic Monday energy — smooth fill, clean construction — but with just enough nuance to make you pause and think.

In today’s solve:
• The subtle ID-based theme mechanic
• Where the trick hides
• Why this one feels simple… but smarter than it seems

Whether you’re solving along or reviewing after completing the grid, grab a glass and let’s wine down together. 🍷

🧩 Full NYT Crossword solve and explanation
🍷 Community Toast
🕰️ Crossword Time Machine

Puzzle Date: February 16, 2026

#NYTCrossword #MondayCrossword #CrosswordPuzzle #NewYorkTimes

Cin-Cin!

-christopher ☺️

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Orca Awards Info:

https://crosswordfiend.com/14th-orca-...

   • 14th ORCAS trailer: Celebrating Excellence...  

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⏰ Chapters

00:00 Welcome 🍷
01:02 Word of the Day: Paramnesia
01:32 A Toast to Our Community! (Subscriber Shoutouts!)
04:37 Solving Today’s Monday NYT Crossword
19:19 Tricky Clue Breakdowns & Rating
20:45 Final Thoughts

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Community Toast is our daily moment to raise a glass to the amazing viewers who keep the conversation going. At the start of each episode, I give shoutouts to subscribers who shared thoughtful, funny, or insightful comments on the previous day’s puzzle. It’s my way of saying thank you for being part of this growing crossword community — your insights make the solve even more fun for all of us.

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Crossword Time Machine is a daily mini-segment highlighting historical events, birthdays, and cultural moments that frequently appear in crossword puzzles — helping solvers build pattern recognition and trivia recall.

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   / @pathsandpleasures  

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📭 Stay in Touch

Email: [email protected]

Snail Mail (US Address in Germany):

Christopher Combest
CMR 411, Box 438
APO AE 09112

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🧩 Crossword Resources:

Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword: https://rexwordpuzzle.blogspot.com/
Diary of a Crossword Fiend: https://crosswordfiend.com/
Brendan Emmett Quigley: https://brendanemmettquigley.com/
Joe Spence Cryptic Solves:    / @joespence99  

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🎵 Music

Solve the Chill Grid © Christopher Combest 2026

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🔈 Sound Effects & Media Credits

Applause — freesound_community (Pixabay)
Laugh Track — ArtificiallyInspired (Pixabay)
Keyboard — u_a4gfvwagf1 (Pixabay)

Subscribe animations & visuals:
• Tech VideoStack (Pixabay)
• alleksana (Pexels)
• azhaan quraishi (Pexels)
• BOOM (Pexels)

Image credits:

St. Francis on Christopher's Terrace: Christopher Combest

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🧠 About the Channel

My name is Christopher, and I’ve been solving the New York Times Crossword daily for over 30 years. I’m no Rex Parker — but I love the ritual, the logic, and that quiet sense of accomplishment when the grid finally clicks.

Whether you’re here to sharpen your skills, solve along, or simply enjoy a calm bit of background companionship, you’re very welcome. Leave a comment, question my logic, or just sip and solve.

Let’s do the puzzle together.

Cin-Cin! 🍸

-christopher