Home/Archive/Mar 15, 2026

NYT Crossword — March 15, 2026

Sunday’s 21 × 21 puzzle, 144 clues. The full solution is below — answers stay masked until you reveal them, one clue or all at once.

0 of 144 revealed

1A

2B

3O

4D

5E

6C

7O

8N

9S

10U

11L

12C

13R

14I

15B

16B

17E

18D

19IDE

E

F

I

X

20E

21E

L

A

P

S

E

22R

O

M

A

I

N

E

23D

E

F

J

A

M

24D

I

V

IDE

N

D

25A

M

P

H

O

R

A

26C

O

M

A

27I

V

E

R

28G

29O

Y

A

30P

I

G

31A

32N

O

N

33I

34D

L

E

35L

E

M

O

N

36J

37U

I

C

E

38H

O

L

M

39L

O

L

O

40M

O

R

E

L

41A

S

C

H

42H

IDE

O

U

43T

44N

A

I

45L

I

T

46N

A

47I

V

E

48A

R

S

E

49N

E

50L

I

D

S

51G

A

R

52L

53I

54C

55T

A

L

E

56S

57V

D

A

58Y

59G

A

S

60E

C

O

61S

62T

A

R

R

63O

64R

E

L

65O

66S

U

67A

V

O

N

68T

H

U

R

69B

70E

W

A

R

E

71T

H

E

IDE

72S

73N

E

N

E

74B

A

L

D

75A

S

IDE

76M

E

O

W

77R

78A

C

E

S

79S

R

I

80B

81A

T

82R

83E

A

P

84N

85O

T

C

H

86P

E

P

87P

E

R

88P

R

E

89P

90C

A

R

O

91L

92S

93L

A

M

94B

95S

96I

C

E

A

97G

E

98E

V

I

T

99A

100B

101R

E

R

102L

A

103R

C

H

104R

O

A

105R

106Y

A

R

D

107B

R

E

A

D

108C

U

B

E

S

109M

O

N

O

110P

R

IDE

S

111R

I

S

112T

E

E

D

113P

114L

E

B

115A

116M

A

L

117E

D

I

118T

119O

R

S

120A

121T

E

A

S

E

122R

E

S

I

123S

124T

125E

G

G

Y

O

L

K

126C

A

E

S

A

R

127K

A

T

A

N

A

128S

E

N

S

O

R

Y

129T

O

K

E

N

S

130D

E

R

IDE

D

Across

71 clues

6One of two elected magistrates to the ancient cursus honorum

19Notion that's difficult to dispel

21Roll on, as time

22One large head, shredded, with the outer leaves discarded

23Record label for the Beastie Boys and Public Enemy

24Stockholder's portion

25Handled vessel in a museum

261977 Robin Cook medical thriller

27Bon ___ ("Skinny Love" band)

28Brand of canned beans

31Soon, to Shakespeare

352 tbsp., for acidity

38Ian who portrayed Bilbo Baggins

39___ Jones, bobsledder and hurdler who has competed in both the Winter and Summer Olympics

40Mushroom prized by chefs

41Psychologist Solomon

44Do something perfectly

48___ Lupin, gentleman thief of literature

50Peepers keepers?

51One clove, crushed

55Chaucer collection

59One might be noble

60"Foucault's Pendulum" author

61Drummer with the coffee table book "Another Day in the Life"

63All-star pitcher Hershiser

65Sch. whose team name is a poisonous nut

67The Bard of ___

68Thanksgiving is always on the fourth one in Nov.

69Infamous warning for 126-Across … and for solvers, when filling in seven squares in this puzzle?

73Creature to take a gander at on Haleakala?

74Lacking adornment

75Digressive remark

80"Daughter," in Hebrew

84Hole on a belt

86Ground, black, to taste

88Chop, mince, grate, etc.

90Holiday harmonies

93Cute, woolly farm animals

96Period of glaciation

98Title role for both Patti LuPone and Madonna

100Uncle Remus title

102Tree from which turpentine may be derived

106Word before stick or after Scotland

107One cup, seasoned and lightly toasted until crispy

109"The kissing disease"

110Some savanna groups

111"___ for Ricochet" (Sue Grafton mystery)

112Got ready to drive?

115Human rights lawyer Clooney

117Ones changing the narrative?

122Word on a protest sign

125One, coddled or raw; add an extra for a richer flavor

126This puzzle's subject, in two very different ways

127Samurai sword

128Kind of overload

129Stile coins that have gone out of style

130Contemptuously laughed at

Down

73 clues

1Provided assistance

43/4 teaspoon, Grey Poupon preferred

5End-of-semester hurdle

6Soupçon feature

71/2 cup, slowly drizzled and whisked to form an emulsion

8Area with pews

9Certain silk spinner

10Onetime org. for Jimmy Carter and J.F.K.

11Bean counter's book

12Its box is yellow and green, with many colors in between

15Curmudgeon's exclamation

16"Sully" or "Spartacus"

18Rejuvenate digitally

20The first one was sent in 1971

29A calf born with two heads, some say

31Satisfied sigh

32"Haven't a clue"

34Gift recipient

37The "U" of UX

40George Eliot masterpiece … or a punny hint to seven squares in this puzzle

45"What am I, chopped ___?"

47Swiatek who has won the U.S. Open, French Open and Wimbledon

49Workers' rights org.

52Army Corps of Engineers project

53Pictures on a screen

54Alternative to a cup

56Scatters, as seeds

58Start of a pirate-y pillaging song

61Go halfsies, say

62Flower with a cup-shaped bloom

64Las Vegas football player

672 tbsp., for a briny flavor

70Make a fast not last?

71Conical dwelling

72Mlle. in Madrid

78One of a hundred for Pooh and friends

80Part of a Santa Claus costume

81Adjustable feature of an office chair, maybe

83"Pharsalia" and the "Aeneid"

85Poseidon's domain

891/2 cup, freshly grated

911997 Jim Carrey comedy

94Alternative to X

99Expensive Super Bowl features

100One way to cross the Rubicon

103Black out, in a way

105"The Fountainhead" protagonist

107Longtime Saints QB Drew ___

108"Refreshing" web shortcut

113Open before December 25?

114Operate on with light

116Olden honeyed drink

118Expressions of appreciation, in texts

119Tic-tac-toe win

121"The ___ of Pooh"

123Slyly disparaging

124Bit

Click a clue for its own page with the answer and a short explanation.

Stats & info

Sunday, Mar 15, 2026

21×21

Grid size

144

Total entries

84/357

Black / letter cells

5.2

Avg entry length

13 ltrs

Longest entry

Themed

Sunday difficulty

PuzzleThe Crossword

PublishedMar 15, 2026

DaySunday

ThemeHistory Course

ConstructorMiranda Kany

EditorWill Shortz

Clue split71 across · 73 down

Longest entries

69AInfamous warning for 126-Across … and for solvers, when filling in seven squares in this puzzle?13 ltrs 4D3/4 teaspoon, Grey Poupon preferred12 ltrs 67D2 tbsp., for a briny flavor12 ltrs 40DGeorge Eliot masterpiece … or a punny hint to seven squares in this puzzle11 ltrs 35A2 tbsp., for acidity10 ltrs

Sunday is the big one, a 21 by 21 grid built around a named theme rather than raw difficulty. This grid has 84 black squares and averages 5.2 letters per entry.