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
Like the element Fe? - NYT The Mini Clue
Across
-
The clue "Chooses to receive marketing emails, with 'in'" leads to the answer OPTS. The phrase "opts in" is commonly used to describe someone deciding to voluntarily receive marketing emails or participate in something. "Chooses" aligns with the decision-making aspect of "opts."
-
The answer "ONEIL" refers to Buck O'Neil, who became the first Black coach in Major League Baseball in 1962, working for the Chicago Cubs. A legendary figure, O'Neil was also a player and manager in the Negro Leagues, making profound contributions to baseball history.
-
The clue "Like your epidermis?" uses a pun, as epidermis refers to skin. The playful phrasing suggests thinking metaphorically, leading to "SKINNY," which is slang for something closely related (like "skin") or detailed inside information. The wordplay connects "epidermis" (skin) to the playful meaning.
-
The clue "Like the element Fe?" contains a pun. Fe is the chemical symbol for iron, and "irony" is a play on the word "iron-y," referencing the chemical. The question mark signals wordplay, making IRONY the clever and fitting answer.
-
The clue "Quite a lot of" refers to a large quantity, and the word "MANY" directly conveys this meaning. "MANY" is commonly used to describe a considerable number of something, making it a perfect fit for the clue's straightforward definition.
Down
-
The clue "Bulb in the kitchen" refers to onions, which grow as bulb-shaped vegetables. In cooking, the onion is a commonly used kitchen ingredient, making it a perfect fit for the clue. "Bulb" cleverly hints at its shape and culinary use.
-
The clue "Like an ink-filled writing tool?" is a pun. An ink-filled tool is a "pen," and "penny" sounds like "pen-y" when spoken, playing on the similarity in pronunciation. The question mark signals this wordplay, connecting the literal pen to the whimsical penny.
-
The clue "Microscopic" directly points to something extremely small in size. The word "tiny" perfectly captures this definition, as both microscopic and tiny describe something minuscule or barely visible. Hence, TINY is the correct answer because it is a synonym for microscopic.
-
The clue "Acting deviously" points to behavior that's sneaky or underhanded. SLY is the perfect fit, it describes someone clever in a secretive or mischievous way. Think of a sly smile or a sly trick; devious, but not necessarily evil.
-
OKRA is the answer because it is a green vegetable commonly used as a key ingredient in gumbo, a popular dish in Southern U.S. cuisine, particularly Louisiana. Its slimy texture helps thicken the stew, and its green pods make it a fitting solution for the clue.
-
The answer is SIM because a SIM card (Subscriber Identity Module) is a small chip used in smartphones to store information like user identity, phone number, and network authorization. It’s essential for connecting to mobile networks, making the clue a straightforward reference to this common smartphone component.
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 Like the element Fe? 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.
Like the element Fe? Answer Explained
The answer is IRONY.
Here’s another question-mark clue, which means it’s likely a pun or some kind of misdirection. “Fe” is the symbol for iron on the periodic table. So the clue is asking: What’s a word that’s “like” iron... but in a punny way? IRONY sounds like “iron-y,” a made-up adjective that plays off the sound of “Fe.” This is clever wordplay, not chemistry. You’re not supposed to think of real iron compounds or properties, but rather of homophones and linguistic tricks. IRONY also works as a pun, since irony (as in humor or contradiction) has nothing to do with the metal—making it even more ironically ironic!
Now that you've cracked the 7A Like the element Fe? 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
Today's Friday Mini by Sam Ezersky, the editor of Spelling Bee, continues his trend of shaking things up with another unusual 6x5 grid. It’s compact but playful, with a clear stylistic signature.
A standout feature is the trio of cheeky “like...?” clues, all ending in a question mark: they signal wordplay ahead. Each one leads to a clever pun ending in -NY, a mini theme within the Mini! These clues are classic Ezersky: rhym-y, pun-driven, and perfect for a Friday brain-jog. The rest of the grid balances trivia and everyday language neatly.
Here’s what caught our attention today:
- Buck ___, first Black coach in Major League Baseball (1962)
- Like your epidermis?
- Like an ink-filled writing tool?
- Green gumbo ingredient
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.