This clue appeared in the NYT Crossword on Saturday, February 21, 2026 (40 Across). The answer is hidden below until you want it. Saturday puzzles are the hardest of the week and themeless, so clues are often deliberately misleading.
How to read this clue
The question mark warns of wordplay. Expect a pun or a second meaning rather than a straight definition.
Answer length: 7 squares
First letter
E _ _ _ _ _ _
First and last letters
E _ _ _ _ _ A
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About the answer
EXOTICA as a word: curious, strange, unusual and exotic things; (music) A genre of American music from the 1950s, characterized by an evocative musical focus on the islands of the South Pacific.
EXOTICA has been an answer 2 times in the NYT Crossword and Mini since November 23, 2025.
Other clues with the same answer
More clues from this puzzle
- Many great athletes play with it (32 Across)
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- A cow can produce about 200 pounds of it a year (36 Across)
- In pieces (39 Across)
- Rachel ___, author of "Heated Rivalry" (41 Across)
- Savory latke topping (42 Across)
- Sidney who directed "12 Angry Men" (43 Across)
- "Quiet, you!" (45 Across)
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