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Craftiness - NYT The Mini Clue
Across
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The answer "SAGA" fits because a saga refers to a long, detailed, or drawn-out narrative, often involving complex events or characters. The clue directly describes this definition, making "SAGA" an apt solution for "Long, drawn-out story."
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This clue signals a two-part answer. CRUSH alone fits the infatuation idea, but paired with 6-Down (“hard”), it forms the slangy phrase “crush hard.” Cross-referenced clues like this can be tricky without both pieces!
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The answer "AGITA" refers to a feeling of anxiety, restlessness, or discomfort, often associated with nervousness or upset. Derived from Italian, "agita" is commonly used in American English to describe an unsettled emotional state, making it a fitting solution for the clue "Unsettled feeling."
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The answer "MOLAR" fits the clue "Back tooth" because molars are the large, flat teeth located at the back of the mouth. They are specifically designed for grinding food, making "back tooth" a direct and accurate reference to molars.
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The clue uses "perhaps," indicating a hint of wordplay or ambiguity. A "NERD" is often passionately dedicated to learning or academic pursuits, fitting the description of a "passionate student." The playful tone aligns with the stereotype of nerds being devoted to their interests, whether scholarly or otherwise.
Down
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The clue describes a message typically associated with deceitful practices, as fraudulent texts often claim extravagant rewards like "a $1,000 gift card" to trick recipients. The word "usually" signals a common occurrence, and "SCAM" aptly captures the fraudulent nature of such texts.
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ARGON is the correct answer because on the periodic table, elements are ordered by atomic number. Chlorine is element 17, potassium is element 19, and the element directly between them, with atomic number 18, is ARGON. It’s a noble gas.
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“Craftiness” here means cleverness in a sneaky or deceptive way. GUILE is a classic word for that kind of sly, strategic intelligence, think trickery, not arts and crafts.
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The clue "___ Is Born" refers to the famous title "A Star Is Born," a film made multiple times (1937, 1954, 1976, 2018). "A Star" fits the blank, and hence the answer is ASTAR. This clue relies on your knowledge of classic and modern cinema.
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This clue isn’t standalone, it simply points you to 5-Across. Once you solve that (“CRUSH”) and see that it’s part of the phrase “CRUSH HARD,” the meaning becomes clear.
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Solving today’s NYT Mini Puzzle and stuck on the 5-letter answer to the Craftiness 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.
Craftiness Answer Explained
The answer is GUILE.
“Craftiness” here isn’t about arts and crafts, it’s about being clever in a sneaky or strategic way. So I think of words that convey slyness or cunning: “deceit”? “trickery”? But those are a little too negative. GUILE fits perfectly, it’s subtle, intelligent trickery, often in a flattering sense, like someone who gets what they want by being smart rather than forceful. GUILE shows up in older literature a lot, think Odysseus, whose main trait is guile. It's not an everyday word, so it may be tough for solvers who are newer or younger, but it's a satisfying one to learn.
Now that you've cracked the 3D Craftiness 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 packs a lot of charm into a tight grid. One highlight is the clever cross-reference between two clues that work together to form a modern, colloquial phrase about falling head over heels for someone. Elsewhere in the puzzle, there’s a nice mix of topics: a touch of science with a periodic table clue, some crafty vocabulary, and even a nod to classic film. The grid feels balanced between logic, trivia, and wordplay, a solid Sunday treat.
Here’s what caught our attention today:
- With 6-Down, become hopelessly infatuated
- Unsettled feeling
- Element between chlorine and potassium on the periodic table
- See 5-Across
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.