January 28, 2026

Title: CLEAR OUT

Constructor: Zhouqin Burnikel

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Theme synopsis:

• CLUB OF THE YEAR (19A: Top honor for a standout soccer team)
• CLERICAL COLLAR (38A: White neckband worn by a priest)
• CLEANUP HITTER (57A: Slugger who bats fourth)

CLEAR OUT: The word CLEAR is found at the OUTside edges of each theme answer: CLUB OF THE YEAR, CLERICAL COLLAR, and CLEANUP HITTER.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• OVENS (12A: Settings for roasts?) The question mark in the clue alerts solvers to expect some trickiness. The roasts here are not events honoring a person, but meat roasts cooking in OVENS.
• FEAR (15A: The "F" in FOMO) FOMO = FEAR of missing out
• CASH (28A: Red envelope contents) In some Asian cultures, hóngbāo is a gift of CASH given in a red envelope to celebrate special occasions such as weddings, graduations, or the birth of a baby. The red color of the envelope symbolizes good luck.
• MOI (42A: Me, in French) The word MOI has me thinking of the Muppet Miss Piggy, who uses the word to refer to herself.
• ONO (56A: Grammy winner Yoko) In 1982, Yoko ONO and John Lennon won a Grammy Award for Album of the Year for Double Fantasy. Yoko ONO won a second Grammy Award in 2001. That one was for Best Long Form Music Video, for Gimme Some Truth – The Making of John Lennon's Imagine Album.
• BURP (64A: Result of a pat on the back?) Here's another question mark clue dealing up some wordplay and trickiness. This one took me some time to figure out and made me laugh once I got it. Not a figurative "pat on the back" as in "well done you," but a literal pat on the back that one might give a baby in order to elicit a BURP.
• LOLCAT (1D: "I Can Haz Cheezburger?" feline) A LOLCAT is essentially a cat meme, and the term is particularly used to refer to cat images that feature intentionally grammatically incorrect text. A classic example of a LOLCAT is an image Eric Nakagawa posted in 2007 of a gray cat that appeared to be smiling with the caption, "I can has cheezburger?" The other day, my cat, Willow, jumped up behind me while my husband and I were eating supper. I took a picture of her behind me, and just happened to capture her with a goofy look on her face. Since she was behind me, I didn't realize what she looked like until I saw the photo. Perhaps she was saying, "I can has food?" My very own LOLCAT.

• TANTRA (5D: Sacred Hindu text) In Hinduism, the TANTRAs are scriptures dealing with techniques and practices aimed at expanding one's consciousness and channeling divine energy. The tantric texts are generally in the format of a dialogue between god and goddess.
• UTAH (6D: State with a beehive on its flag) The state of UTAH uses a beehive as a state symbol to portray a community that works together and supports one another. A gold beehive appears on the state's flag. The current UTAH flag was adopted in March, 2024. At that time, the former state flag was re-designated as the "Historic State Flag." (It also features a beehive.) 
• BONE (7D: Femur or fibula) Specifically, the femur and the fibula are both leg BONEs. The femur is the thigh BONE, and is the longest BONE in the human body. The fibula, along with the tibia, are calf BONEs.
• ELLA (25D: "Yellowjackets" star Purnell) The TV series, Yellowjackets, tells the story of a high school girls' soccer team whose plane crashes in the wilderness. The show recounts the time of survival after the crash, as well as events that occur 25 years later. ELLA Purnell plays the role of Jackie Taylor, the captain of the team.
• HAL (30D: "2001: A Space Odyssey" antagonist) Ah, it's our friend HAL 9000, the sentient supercomputer in the 1968 movie 2001: A Space Odyssey.
• COST (38D: That's the price you pay!) An exclamation point at the end of a clue lets solvers know to interpret the clue literally. COST is literally the price you pay for something.
• MRS. (42D: ___ Claus (Christmas figure)) Was your first thought here Santa?

This puzzle is an example of a container theme, which is sometimes referred to as a suitcase theme. The word CLEAR is serving as a container of sorts, holding each theme answer. Thank you, Zhouqin, for this enjoyable puzzle.