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Crosswords

The Crossword, Feb. 23: It’s An Art, Not A Science (Themeless)

Harry Ford #5 of the Seattle Mariners raises the celebratory team trident after the game against the Los Angeles Angels at T-Mobile Park on September 11, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. The Seattle Mariners won 7-6 in 12 innings.

49-Across: Elixir one might purchase from an Etsy witch

|Alika Jenner/Getty Images

It's time to wrap up the month with a challenging themeless. Keep an eye out for tricky clues and fun wordplay. This week's puzzle was constructed by Kelsey Dixon and Alex Boisvert, and edited by Hoang-Kim Vu. Alex is a crossword constructor from California who is so uncomfortable writing anything positive about himself that he wanted to do a goofy bio. Kelsey is a gorgeous and brilliant crossword constructor from Chicago who is not plagued by this affliction.

Defector crosswords, launched in partnership with our friends at AVCX, run every Monday. If you’re interested in submitting a puzzle to us, you can read our guidelines HERE.

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