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Daily Newsday Crossword

“Sponge holes”

The verified answer to the Newsday Crossword clue “Sponge holes”, with letter-by-letter analysis and the full puzzle context for the Thursday, February 19, 2026 puzzle.

Published · Down · 5 letters

Hints first

Letters 5
First letter P
Last letter S
P ? ? ? S

A 5-letter down entry from the Thursday puzzle

The Answer

P O R E S

The answer to “Sponge holes” is PORES

Letters 5
Direction Down
Published Feb 19, 2026

Letter analysis: the 5-letter answer

Vowels, consonants, and crossword construction notes
Unique 5 of 5 positions
Vowels 2 40% of word
Consonants 3 non-vowels
First letter P starts with

The clue “Sponge holes” appeared in the Newsday Crossword on Thursday, February 19, 2026 as a down entry. The verified answer is PORES — a 5-letter word that begins with P and ends with S.

This answer contains 2 vowels and 3 consonants. The Newsday Crossword is published daily by Newsday on Long Island and edited by Stan Newman, whose Saturday Stumper is widely considered one of the toughest mainstream crosswords in print.

Other clues with the answer PORES

PORES has been used as the answer for these Newsday Crossword clues
“Holes of sponges” Aug 27, 2025 “Reads closely (over)” Aug 13, 2025 “Holes in sponges” May 18, 2025

More clues from the February 19, 2026 puzzle

Thursday Newsday Crossword
View full puzzle
Point-of-view lead-in 4 ℓ · D Last president with a mustache 4 ℓ · D Leveling wedge 4 ℓ · D Starting point 5 ℓ · D Batman alias 5 ℓ · D Artistic judgment 5 ℓ · A End-of-list abbr. 3 ℓ · D Go toe-to-toe 3 ℓ · D Crude qty. 3 ℓ · A Dele 7 ℓ · D It means "distant" 4 ℓ · D Make a mess of 5 ℓ · D Purple puree base 4 ℓ · D Provide 4 ℓ · A Monetary gain 5 ℓ · D Bard's title starter 4 ℓ · D Shots to swing 6 ℓ · A Possible kite catcher 4 ℓ · A Chew (out) 4 ℓ · D Fuel from wood chips, e.g. 7 ℓ · A

Frequently asked questions about “Sponge holes”

What is the answer to “Sponge holes” in the Newsday Crossword?

The verified answer is PORES — a 5-letter word that appeared as a down entry on Thursday, February 19, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Sponge holes”?

The answer PORES contains 5 letters.

Was “Sponge holes” an across or down clue?

This clue ran as a Down entry.

Is this site affiliated with Newsday?

No. This is an independent fan reference site — we are not affiliated with Newsday. The Newsday Crossword is a trademark of its respective owner. We solve and verify each Newsday Crossword puzzle manually before publishing the answer key.

Sponge holes — Newsday Crossword Clue Answer | Newsday Crossword Answers