NY Times Crossword
NY Times Wordle
NY Times Connections
NY Times Connections Sports Edition
NY Times Strands
NY Times Spelling Bee
Word Salad
Contexto
Blossom
Betweenle
Conexo
Bracket City
Anagram Solver
Scrabble Word Finder
Words With Friends Word Finder
Play Zorzzle
Browser Extension
"Oh boy, that's not good!" - NYT The Mini Clue
Across
-
The clue "Pointer" used to highlight a talking point refers to a device often used in presentations. A LASER pointer emits a focused beam of light to draw attention to specific parts of a screen or visual aid, making it an apt solution.
-
The phrase "Submit a C.V." refers to sending a curriculum vitae, usually done when seeking a job or opportunity. The action required is to APPLY for the position. "Apply" captures the act of submitting credentials like a C.V. to be considered for a role.
-
The clue "Get behind the wheel" relates directly to the action of operating a vehicle. To "DRIVE" is to control and steer a car, which you physically "get behind the wheel" to do, making it the perfect match for this clue.
-
The clue "Oh boy, that's not good!" is in quotes, signaling a spoken reaction. "YIKES" is a common exclamation used to express surprise, fear, or dismay—perfectly matching the tone and context of the given phrase. It's concise and fits the emotional reaction implied.
-
The answer "LES" fits the clue "___ Misérables" because it completes the title of the famous 1862 novel Les Misérables by Victor Hugo. "Les" is the French word for "the," as the novel's title is in French. The clue refers to this classic work.
Down
-
The answer is LADY because the clue references the Beatles song "Lady Madonna." This 1968 hit by The Beatles prominently features "Lady" in its title, making it the perfect fit for the blank in the clue "___ Madonna."
-
The clue "When March Madness ends, curiously" uses wordplay with "March Madness," which refers to the NCAA basketball tournament held in March. The tournament typically concludes in early April. The pun lies in "curiously," pointing out the transition to the next month—April. Hence, the answer is APRIL.
-
The answer "SPIKE" fits because it refers to a sudden and sharp increase, often used to describe rapid rises in data, prices, or activity. The word accurately captures the abrupt nature of the change implied by the clue "Sudden increase."
-
Legolas and Galadriel are characters from J.R.R. Tolkien’s "The Lord of the Rings," and both belong to the race of ELVES. Elves are immortal beings in Tolkien's mythology, known for their beauty, wisdom, and magical abilities, which ties directly to their identities in the story.
-
The answer is RYES because rye whiskey, like bourbon, is a type of spirit made from grains, specifically containing at least 51% rye. Both are American whiskey styles with distinct flavors. The clue highlights their similarity as "akin," focusing on their shared category in distillation.
Today’s Game Difficulty
Normal
Rate Your Difficulty
Rate This Solver
Solving today’s NYT Mini Puzzle and stuck on the 5-letter answer to the "Oh boy, that's not good!" 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.
"Oh boy, that's not good!" Answer Explained
The answer is YIKES.
This clue is in quotation marks, which is a rule-of-thumb signal that we’re dealing with a spoken phrase, something you'd actually say out loud. The clue is “Oh boy, that’s not good!” and I’m thinking: what kind of exclamation captures that same feeling? Something like “uh-oh,” “whoa,” or “yikes.” “Uh-oh” feels more childlike, and “whoa” could be surprised in a neutral or good way. But YIKES nails that combo of alarm and dismay. It’s the perfect conversational synonym. These quotation mark clues are all about tone and vibe, so you’ve got to match the mood, not just the literal words.
Now that you've cracked the 8A "Oh boy, that's not good!" 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
A clean and smooth Tuesday puzzle by Ian Livengood, striking a great balance between accessible language and playful references. It covers topics like job applications, pointers in presentations, fantasy figures from The Lord of the Rings, classic Beatles lyrics, and a clever nod to NCAA March Madness. A well-constructed puzzle with just enough variety to keep early-week solvers engaged without slowing them down.
Here’s what caught our attention today:
- "Pointer" used to highlight a talking point
- "___ Madonna" (Beatles song)
- When March Madness ends, curiously
- Legolas and Galadriel, in "The Lord of the Rings"
- Spirits akin to bourbons
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.