LAMB is the solution because shawarma, a popular Middle Eastern dish, traditionally uses spiced and marinated meats, with lamb being one of the most common and traditional choices due to its flavor and availability in the region. It's often grilled or roasted on a vertical spit.
5Brainstorm outputsIDEAS?????✨ See Why
The clue “Brainstorm outputs” refers to the results or products of a brainstorming session. During brainstorming, people generate creative thoughts or solutions, which are commonly called “ideas.” Thus, the plural “IDEAS” perfectly aligns with the clue's wording as its logical answer.
7Cunningly sidestep, as a difficult questionDODGE?????✨ See Why
The clue "Cunningly sidestep, as a difficult question" suggests avoiding or evading something tricky. To "dodge" means to skillfully avoid or sidestep, perfectly aligning with the idea of evading a challenging question. The word "cunningly" emphasizes the clever, evasive nature of this action, matching the definition of DODGE.
8Marketing pitchSPIEL?????✨ See Why
The clue "Marketing pitch" refers to a persuasive or promotional speech designed to sell something. "SPIEL" is a synonym for such a speech, often implying a practiced or enthusiastic delivery, making it the perfect fit for this clue.
912-ounce size at Starbucks TALL????✨ See Why
At Starbucks, the term "Tall" represents their smallest serving size of hot or cold beverages, which is 12 ounces. While "Tall" may imply a larger size, it’s part of Starbucks’ unique naming system, where sizes include Tall (12 oz), Grande (16 oz), and Venti (20 oz).
Down
1Pot heads?LIDS????✨ See Why
The clue "Pot heads?" with a question mark signals a pun or wordplay. Here, "heads" refers to the top part of a pot, which is its lid. Thus, LIDS cleverly fits as the answer, creatively interpreting "Pot heads" as the covers or tops of pots.
2Bring home from a shelter, maybeADOPT?????✨ See Why
The answer "ADOPT" fits because "bringing home from a shelter" often refers to adopting a pet, such as a dog or cat. The word "maybe" suggests a potential action, not a certainty, aligning with the process of choosing to adopt an animal from a shelter.
3___ darling (one getting favorable news coverage)MEDIA?????✨ See Why
The answer is MEDIA because "media darling" is a common phrase referring to someone who consistently receives positive or favorable attention from the press and news outlets. The blank before "darling" completes this well-known term.
4Breakfast item with cream cheeseBAGEL?????✨ See Why
The answer is BAGEL because it’s a classic breakfast food often paired with cream cheese. The clue directly describes this popular combination, as bagels are commonly sliced and spread with cream cheese as a topping. No wordplay or misdirection here—it's a straightforward description of a familiar breakfast item.
6What bears do in a bear marketSELL????✨ See Why
The clue involves wordplay linked to finance. In a bear market (a declining stock market), "bears" are pessimistic investors who expect prices to fall. As a strategy, they sell stocks to prevent losses or profit from the decline. Thus, the answer "SELL" fits both the pun and market context.
Solving today’s NYT Mini Puzzle and stuck on the 4-letter answer to the Pot heads? 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.
Pot heads? Answer Explained
The answer is LIDS.
The question mark here is key, it signals a pun or wordplay. “Pot heads” could misleadingly suggest people who use marijuana, but with the question mark, we should think literally: what is on the heads (tops) of pots? The answer: LIDS. It’s a classic mini-style pun, where a seemingly casual phrase is twisted into a literal interpretation. This is the kind of clue that rewards thinking visually or spatially, not just linguistically.
Now that you've cracked the 1D Pot heads? 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 Tuesday Mini by Ian Livengood has a smooth and classic feel, with clue topics ranging from finance and food to clever wordplay. There’s a bit of business, a dash of breakfast, and even a pun to keep solvers on their toes. A well-balanced and lively grid that’s accessible but not without a few thoughtful twists.
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.