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Wines that Napa Valley is renowned for, informally - NYT The Mini Clue
Across
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The answer "CABS" refers to Cabernet Sauvignon, a renowned wine variety from Napa Valley. "CABS" is short for "Cabernets," using an informal tone as hinted by the clue. Napa Valley is particularly famous for producing high-quality Cabernet Sauvignon wines, making this the fitting solution.
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The clue "Right away!" is looking for a phrase synonymous with doing something immediately or without delay. "At once" is a common expression that directly means "immediately" or "right away," making it the perfect fit for this clue.
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The clue "School students" straightforwardly refers to individuals attending school to learn. A common term for such learners is "PUPILS," which doubles as a synonym for students in an educational context.
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The clue plays on wordplay. "Make a mistake" defines "SLIPUP," a common phrase for an error. The second hint, "8-Across backward," adds a fun challenge: reversing "SLIPUP" gives "PUPILS," which fits 8-Across (if solved). This dual-layer clue ties them together.
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The clue "Many a new driver" refers to a common stereotype: teenagers (TEENs) are often beginners at driving, as they typically get their driver's licenses during their teen years. The word "Many" indicates it's not all, but a significant portion of new drivers are in this age group.
Down
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The answer is CAPS because they are items of clothing (specifically headwear) commonly worn backward, especially for style or practicality. The clue's phrasing suggests a playful interpretation, and CAPS perfectly fits, as turning a cap backward is a recognizable and intentional way to wear it.
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The clue refers to Atul Gawande, a renowned surgeon, public health researcher, and author of the bestseller "Being Mortal," which explores aging and end-of-life care. The blank signals the first name of this prominent figure, making "ATUL" the correct and fitting answer.
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The answer is BOPIT because it refers to the Hasbro electronic game "Bop It," which features various actions players must perform in response to commands. These actions include pulling a handle and twisting a crank, making it a perfect match for the described toy.
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The answer is SNIPE because "sniping" refers to making sly, snarky, or cutting remarks, often in a critical manner. The phrase "snarkily criticize" aligns with this meaning. The inclusion of "with 'at'" further reinforces its usage, as one typically "snipes at" someone or something.
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The solution "CLUE" works because the clue "You're reading it" directly refers to itself. The clue itself is a clue, creating a self-referential wordplay. In crossword puzzles, such clever phrasing often points to the answer being the literal function or role of the clue.
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ESPN is correct because it’s a sports-focused channel that has spinoff networks named ESPN2 and ESPNU. The “2” and “U” in the clue refer to these specific offshoot channels, making ESPN the parent channel and thus the solution.
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Solving today’s NYT Mini Puzzle and stuck on the 4-letter answer to the Wines that Napa Valley is renowned for, informally clue? Don’t worry—Lady Puzzle Pro has you covered! Whether you want the answer right away, revealed letter by letter, or this wordplay seems too puzzling, keep reading for the explanation.
Wines that Napa Valley is renowned for, informally Answer Explained
The answer is CABS.
This one hinges on knowing a bit about wine and some casual lingo. Napa Valley is famous for its Cabernet Sauvignon, one of the most celebrated red wines in the region. The clue says “informally,” which is a big hint that we’re looking for a shortened or slang term. CABS is the common shorthand for Cabernet. If you were thinking of other wines like Merlot or Pinot, they don’t match the length or the casual tone. CABS is the perfect fit and a good example of how crossword clues often use abbreviations or slang.
Now that you've cracked the 1A Wines that Napa Valley is renowned for, informally clue, you're one step closer to completing today’s Mini Puzzle! If you're still stuck on other clues, don't worry—we've got you covered. Explore more NYT Mini crossword answers right here, or check out our tools for solving the NYT Crossword, Connections, or Strands.
Today’s NYT Mini Highlights
This Sunday Mini by Joel Fagliano gives us a fun twist with its non-standard 6x5 grid—he’s clearly still playing with format and keeping things interesting! One playful touch I really enjoyed was the connection between PUPILS and SLIPUP. Not only are they stacked right on top of each other, but the clue for SLIPUP even says "or 8-Across backward," which literally spells PUPILS in reverse. It’s a cute bit of wordplay, and a little “aha!” moment when you spot it. These kinds of interlocked clues make even a small grid feel more clever and layered. Wonder what Joel’s planning next!
Here’s what caught our attention today:
- "Right away!"
- Items of clothing that may be worn backward
- ___ Gawande, surgeon with the #1 New York Times best seller "Being Mortal"
- Hasbro toy with a pull handle and twistable crank
- Criticize snarkily, with "at"
- Channel with "2" and "U" spinoffs
About NYT The Mini
NYT The Mini Crossword is a compact version of the New York Times Crossword puzzle. Usually 5 x 5, with larger grids on Saturdays, it offers mid-week equivalent difficulty clues with no progression over the week. It is accessible to anyone with or without a New York Times account. You can play it on nytimes.com/crosswords, The New York Times Games app (iOS and Android), and the Play tab of the New York Times News app. Games and All Access Subscribers can solve past Mini Crossword puzzles in the archive.
Daily Availability
Puzzles are accessible the evening before the publish date. Weekday and Saturday puzzles: 10 p.m. EST the previous day. Sunday puzzles: 6 p.m. EST on Saturday.
How to Play - Features and Tips
Fill white squares with letters to form intersecting words or phrases by solving clues in Across and Down columns. Read our guide to NYT Mini Mastery to learn how to read the different types of clues. Successfully completed puzzle triggers music and a congratulatory message.
Keyboard Shortcuts
- Arrow keys: Change direction within the same square, move in the direction of the arrow, jump back to the first blank in the word, or jump to the next clue.
- Spacebar: Clear the current square, advance, or toggle between Across and Down.
- Backspace (Delete on Macs): Remove words or a letter from a word.
- Tab key: Jump to the next clue.
- Shift + Tab keys: Jump to the previous clue.
- Escape: Enter Rebus mode.
- Pen and Pencil Modes. Switch between pen and pencil modes by selecting the respective icon. Letters in pen mode are black; in pencil mode, gray.
Letter Colors
Black: Default pen mode entries.
Gray: Pencil mode entries.
Blue: Confirmed letters with Check.
Mini Timer
Time your solving with the timer displayed above the puzzle. Pause/resume using the respective buttons. The timer restarts if the entire puzzle is cleared. Option to hide the timer in Puzzle settings.
In-game Help
- Reveal: Unveil correct letters for a square, answer, or the entire puzzle.
- Check: Verify correctness.
The answers you get using help are marked with a red triangle in the upper right-hand corner of the box while those confirmed with check become blue.
Leaderboards
It’s an additional social resource provided by NYT. You can add friends (up to 100 invitees) to track daily completion and compete.