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Wake from sleep - NYT The Mini Clue
Across
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The clue "Feeling extremely happy" directly defines the word "JOYFUL." JOYFUL means full of joy, elation, or happiness, perfectly aligning with the description of intense happiness in the clue. It is a straightforward definition-based clue with no wordplay.
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The answer "AROUSE" fits the clue "Wake from sleep" because it means to stir someone from sleep or alertness. It directly aligns with the definition of waking someone or something up, making it a fitting choice for the clue.
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The answer "BIGRED" is correct because Big Red is a well-known brand of cinnamon-flavored chewing gum. It is recognized for its spicy-sweet cinnamon taste, which matches the description in the clue. This straightforward brand name directly addresses the clue provided.
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The clue "Talk and talk and talk" refers to excessive or continuous talking. "GAB" is a synonym for casual, talkative chatter, and its brevity captures the repetitive nature implied by the phrase, making it the perfect fit for this clue.
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A fun clue with a sports twist. Bengal, Colt, and Dolphin are NFL mascots, but they’re also just animals. The answer’s simpler than it first seems.
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The clue "TV show ending" directly refers to the final episode or conclusion of a TV series, which is commonly called a "finale." The word captures the poignant or climactic closing of a show, perfectly fitting the definition of an ending.
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In chess, the rook is often mistakenly called a "castle" by beginners because it visually resembles a tower from a castle. While its correct name is "rook," the term "castle" reflects a common mislabel used by those new to the game.
Down
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The answer "JAB" fits the clue "Quick boxing punch" because a jab is a fast, straight punch commonly used in boxing. It’s quick and strategic, matching the description in the clue. The brevity of "jab" also aligns with the crossword-style brevity of the clue.
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The clue "Beginnings" directly refers to the starting point or origin of something. ORIGINS is synonymous with "beginnings," representing where things start or are derived from, making it the perfect fit for the clue. The plural form aligns with the clue's structure.
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The clue "Where you might strike a pose?" includes a pun. In yoga, "striking a pose" refers to performing yoga poses or asanas, which are done on a "YOGAMAT." The question mark hints at this playful word association, making YOGAMAT the fitting solution.
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The clue "Nickname for a fuzzy cat" suggests a playful or descriptive term for a fluffy feline. "Furball" fits perfectly, as it affectionately refers to a cat's fuzzy appearance and its tendency to cough up fur balls, combining humor and a literal description of a "fuzzy" cat.
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The clue “One of many for white vinegar” directs solvers to think about its various applications. White vinegar serves numerous purposes, such as cleaning, cooking, or preserving. Each is a "use" for vinegar. Therefore, "USE" fits perfectly as the singular representation of its many functions.
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The answer is "LED" because it is the past tense of "lead," which means to be in front or ahead, synonymous with "was winning" in a competition or comparison. In the context of the clue, "was winning" signals being in the lead.
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AFC stands for the American Football Conference, one of the two conferences in the NFL (National Football League). The Bengals, Colts, and Dolphins are NFL teams that belong to this conference, making "AFC" the correct answer given the abbreviation clue.
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The answer is NIA because Nia DaCosta is the director of the 2023 Marvel movie The Marvels. She is known for her work in film and became the first Black woman to direct a Marvel Studios film, making her name relevant and noteworthy in this context.
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"Harper Lee" is the full name of the author who wrote the classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird. The clue directly references her first name, "Harper," making the answer LEE, her last name. This is a straightforward literary reference to the famed writer.
Today’s Game Difficulty
Hard
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Solving today’s NYT Mini Puzzle and stuck on the 6-letter answer to the Wake from sleep 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.
Wake from sleep Answer Explained
The answer is AROUSE.
"Wake from sleep" immediately makes me think of verbs like wake, awaken, stir, or get up. But most of those don't fit the formal or crossword-y tone. AROUSE is a more formal or technical way to say “wake” or “stimulate into wakefulness.” It’s often used in medical or psychological contexts, like “arousing a patient from unconsciousness.” This clue could easily mislead newer solvers, since AROUSE also has other meanings (like to stir up emotion or desire), but here it’s strictly about waking up. A bit tricky because of that double meaning, but fair.
Now that you've cracked the 7A Wake from sleep 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 Saturday Mini by Ian Livengood features a fun and unusual grid with opposite corners symmetry, creating a mix of 7 short and 8 longer entries. The layout keeps your eyes moving and rewards solvers who can think fast across different clue types. One clever touch: the double use of "Bengal, colt or dolphin" across two clues, each pointing to very different answers. That kind of wordplay keeps the puzzle feeling fresh, even in such a tight space. Overall, a satisfying and slightly quirky weekend solve.
Here’s what caught our attention today:
- Feeling extremely happy
- Brand of cinnamon-flavored chewing gum
- Talk and talk and talk
- Bengal, colt or dolphin
- Rook, to a chess newbie
- Quick boxing punch
- Where you might strike a pose?
- Nickname for a fuzzy cat
- One of many for white vinegar
- The Bengals, Colts and Dolphins play in it: Abbr
- ___ DaCosta, director of 2023's "The Marvels"
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.