This clue appeared in the NYT Crossword on Thursday, February 19, 2026 (14 Across). The answer is hidden below until you want it. Thursday puzzles often have a trick, such as a rebus (several letters in one square) or answers that bend the rules.
How to read this clue
This is a fill-in-the-blank clue: the answer completes the phrase, title or quotation.
Answer length: 4 squares
First letter
A _ _ _
First and last letters
A _ _ M
Show the answer
About the answer
ATOM as a word: (chemistry, physics) The smallest possible amount of matter which still retains its identity as a chemical element, now known to consist of a nucleus surroun...; (now generally regarded figuratively) The smallest, indivisible constituent part or unit of something.
ATOM has been an answer 10 times in the NYT Crossword and Mini since November 24, 2025.
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