Something to noodle on

Latest answer — February 16, 2026

34 Down

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NYT Crossword

This clue's Monday, February 16, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Necklace fastener
  2. 6Physique, slangily
  3. 9"___ to that!"
  4. 13Textile city NNE of Paris
  5. 14New wave band with the hit "Whip It"
  6. 15Improvise, in jazz
  7. 16Stared rudely
  8. 17Late-night kitchen visit, e.g.
  9. 18Stench
  10. 19Longtime comic strip set in a medieval kingdom
  11. 22Home for pigs
  12. 23Teen wearing heavy eyeliner, maybe
  13. 24Really, really cool
  14. 27"My dude!"
  15. 28Computer operating system developed by Bell Labs
  16. 30___-Hulk
  17. 31Charge for airing a commercial
  18. 34Fictional lab assistant with a hunchback
  19. 35Stylish
  20. 36Capital of the Gem State, in a mailing address
  21. 38Possible cybercrime, informally
  22. 40M.I.T. Mystery ___ (annual puzzle competition)
  23. 41Close by
  24. 43Corrosion signs
  25. 44Stadium cheer
  26. 45Glance through
  27. 46Reader's Digest or Golf Digest, in brief
  28. 47Where clams are served
  29. 49Knotted (up)
  30. 51Rep.'s counterpart
  31. 54"Makes no difference to me"
  32. 57Actress Kendrick
  33. 59Hourly pay rate
  34. 60Flock that honks
  35. 61Follow directions
  36. 62Conga, for one
  37. 63Chicago's ___ Planetarium
  38. 64Scottish girl
  39. 65Place to get a rubdown
  40. 66Voting spots

Down

  1. 1Thickens, as cream
  2. 2Not heavy
  3. 3Narrow way between city buildings
  4. 4Whole bunch
  5. 5Horse's ancestral line
  6. 6Hearty embrace
  7. 7Roman poet who wrote "Metamorphoses"
  8. 8Dull-witted sort
  9. 9Eschew
  10. 10Frantic scrambles
  11. 11Rock subgenre with confessional lyrics
  12. 12"All Things Considered" airer
  13. 14"Fiddlesticks!"
  14. 20D.C.'s National ___
  15. 21Kind of number on an old business card
  16. 25Change gears
  17. 26Religious offshoots
  18. 27Top-tier
  19. 29Pinot ___
  20. 31Give 0 stars in a review, say
  21. 32One giving support during childbirth
  22. 33High-quality reds and whites
  23. 34Something to noodle on
  24. 35Drink very quickly
  25. 37Glitterati
  26. 39Shortfall of exports vis-à-vis imports
  27. 42One of the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean
  28. 45Droop
  29. 46"It's just OK"
  30. 48Occasions for blowing out candles on cakes, informally
  31. 50Agenda bullet point
  32. 51Linger (on), as a topic
  33. 52Art supporter
  34. 53Mike who voiced Shrek in "Shrek"
  35. 55Wyatt at the O.K. Corral
  36. 56Make over
  37. 57Early leader in instant messaging
  38. 58Org. for the Raptors, but not the Blue Jays

The answer to “Something to noodle on” in the New York Times crossword is IDEA — a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on February 16, 2026, a Monday puzzle, at 34-Down. 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.

“Something to noodle on” answer

IDEA (4 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 IDEA.

Why the answer is IDEA

IDEA is the 4-letter solution that fits "Something to noodle on" in the NYT Crossword crossword on February 16, 2026 (34-Down). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.

What does IDEA mean?

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

(noun)

  • a thought or suggestion as to a possible course of action
  • the aim or purpose
  • (in Platonic thought) an eternally existing pattern of which individual things in any class are imperfect copies

When else has “Something to noodle on” 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.

February 16, 2026 (most recent) → IDEA. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Something to noodle on”?

The answer is IDEA, a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on February 16, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Something to noodle on”?

4 letters: IDEA.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on February 16, 2026 (a Monday puzzle), at 34-Down.

Can “Something to noodle on” 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 16, 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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