Polynesian staple

Latest answer — February 28, 2026

39 Across

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NYT Crossword

This clue's Saturday, February 28, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Set unambitious goals
  2. 7One playing beerball, perhaps
  3. 14Tolkien ring bearer
  4. 16Precious person
  5. 17Phrase you might say while pointing at a photograph
  6. 18Goes against the rule?
  7. 19Musical set in Alphabet City
  8. 20Term of endearment appropriated from 9-Down
  9. 22Part of a Blues Brothers outfit
  10. 23Animated friend of Sebastian the crab
  11. 25Some arm muscles, informally
  12. 27Cassiterite is a source of it
  13. 28Robert Frost's middle name
  14. 29___ Allen Express, Amtrak train from New York City to Burlington, Vt.
  15. 31Innermost moon of Neptune
  16. 33Pressure gauge?
  17. 35Past, colloquially
  18. 36Symbols used to group blocks of computer code
  19. 37Was on the sidelines
  20. 38Breathlessness
  21. 39Polynesian staple
  22. 42Not mainstream, as some music genres
  23. 43Fuss
  24. 44Weakens, as an overly strong character, in video game lingo
  25. 46Angora fabric
  26. 49Utmost
  27. 51___ Tung, star of cable TV's "The Summer I Turned Pretty"
  28. 52Did a bedtime task
  29. 54Modern banking convenience
  30. 56Musical sample added for excitement
  31. 57Animals in an early-2000s virtual fad
  32. 58Entered again
  33. 59One might play at home

Down

  1. 1Kind of projection
  2. 2Call at a roll call
  3. 3Big jerk
  4. 4Drink often sipped
  5. 5Rap pioneers, slangily
  6. 6Space to develop as a person?
  7. 7In brief, to whom Grover Cleveland once said "I am making a strange wish for you ... that you may never be president of the United States"
  8. 8School houses?
  9. 9Dialect that is responsible for a large majority of Gen Z slang
  10. 10Put one's foot down
  11. 11Decorative items worn at Western galas
  12. 12Like defendants at court
  13. 13Principle of improv comedy
  14. 15Gay nightlife spot with a dress requirement
  15. 21Error correction tool
  16. 24Uncork, so to speak
  17. 26Body bronzer
  18. 30___ Story (punny nickname for the "Iliad")
  19. 31Like the lion killed by Hercules
  20. 32Scientific classification for birds
  21. 33Tesla, for one
  22. 34Affliction treated with a nit comb
  23. 35Acting like a sore loser, informally
  24. 36___ counter
  25. 37South Indian lentil stew
  26. 39Following etiquette
  27. 40Recently
  28. 41Declaration after "because"
  29. 43French relative
  30. 45Skip the ceremony, say
  31. 47Like some unmoisturized skin
  32. 48Blue-roofed restaurant
  33. 50Coral and sand, for two
  34. 53Popular role-playing game since 1974, informally
  35. 55One whose eyes are "all aglow" in "The Christmas Song"

The answer to “Polynesian staple” in the New York Times crossword is POI — a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on February 28, 2026, a Saturday puzzle, at 39-Across, and it has also run on 1 earlier date with the same answer. Below you'll find why that fill fits, every other answer we've recorded for this clue, and links into the puzzle it came from.

“Polynesian staple” answer

POI (3 letters)

Reveal the solution one letter at a time with the tiles above if you'd rather nudge yourself toward it than see the whole word at once. Just want it outright? The answer is POI.

Why the answer is POI

POI is the 3-letter solution that fits "Polynesian staple" in the NYT Crossword crossword on February 28, 2026 (39-Across). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.

What does POI mean?

Reading the plain dictionary sense of POI is often the fastest way to see why it answers this clue.

(noun)

  • a small, light ball of woven flax, swung rhythmically on the end of a string in Māori songs and dances

When else has “Polynesian staple” appeared?

New York Times reuses clues across dates, sometimes with a different answer depending on the grid. Here's where this exact clue has shown up, and what the answer was each time — handy when you're checking whether today's fill is the only one.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Polynesian staple”?

The answer is POI, a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on February 28, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Polynesian staple”?

3 letters: POI.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on February 28, 2026 (a Saturday puzzle), at 39-Across. Earlier appearances: October 5, 2025 → POI.

Can “Polynesian staple” have a different answer?

Yes — New York Times sometimes reuses a clue with a different solution to fit the grid. The answers we've recorded for each date it appeared are listed above when available.

Where can I find the rest of this day's NYT Crossword answers?

The full grid for February 28, 2026 is on the NYT Crossword answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

New York Times Crossword is published by The New York Times; WordHint is an independent site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher.

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