Solution: Romantic gray area - NYT Crossword

As this portmanteau filled out in this grid, slowly, I found myself filled with pregret, as in, I knew I was going to be sorry as soon as I knew the term. I really get depressed by what a minefield romance has turned into because of technology (“ghosting,” “breadcrumbing,” pupteasing — presumably, where someone lures potential mates by posting selfies with an adorable dog who isn’t even theirs). SITUATIONSHIP is new to me but I think it’s close to being a modern term for an oldie, like a summer fling, or maybe it’s more of a codependence, or a combination of the two. It sounds as if it could also apply to a drawn-out breakup or a romance that takes too long to kindle, or a Bickersonian arrangement. Try it out with your partner sometime and see how it goes over!