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Silly joke - NYT The Mini Clue
Across
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The clue "Blasts with unwanted messages" refers to the act of sending bulk, unsolicited messages, often in emails, which are commonly known as "SPAMS." The word "blasts" suggests mass communication, reinforcing this connection. Hence, SPAMS is the correct answer.
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The answer "ARRAY" fits the clue "Orderly assortment" because "array" means a systematic, organized arrangement of items. The word directly conveys the idea of an orderly grouping, making it a perfect match for the clue.
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The answer is WYOMING because it officially recognizes the bison as its state mammal and rodeo as its state sport. Both symbols represent the state’s western heritage and wildlife, with Wyoming being famous for its vast plains where bison roam and its strong rodeo culture.
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The clue "Let me think …" is in quotes, indicating the answer represents a spoken expression. "HMM" is a common sound people make when they're pausing to ponder, fitting perfectly as a nonverbal representation of the act of thinking.
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The clue "Hawaii's Mauna ___" refers to Mauna Loa, a massive shield volcano on Hawaii's Big Island. It's one of the most famous geographic features in Hawaii and the largest volcano on Earth by volume. The blank indicates you're looking for the name "Loa" to complete it.
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The answer is YAOMING because Yao Ming, born in Shanghai, China, is a former NBA superstar and Hall-of-Famer known for his towering height of 7'6". He played for the Houston Rockets and is globally recognized for his impact on basketball and his remarkable career bridging American and Chinese sports.
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The word "STONY" metaphorically describes something cold, hard, and unfeeling, much like a stone. An "emotionless gaze" mirrors this detached, unyielding quality, making "STONY" the perfect match for the clue. It's a common descriptor for a stern or impassive expression.
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The term "SEISM" originates from the Greek word "seismos," meaning a shake or quake. It is commonly used in scientific contexts, such as seismology (the study of earthquakes), making it a synonym or another name for an earthquake. Hence, "SEISM" is the correct answer.
Down
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The phrase "Lead a Catholic ceremony" directly refers to presiding over a Catholic Mass. To "say Mass" is the commonly used term for a priest performing or leading the liturgical service in Catholic tradition, which makes SAYMASS the correct solution.
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The clue "Hype up" suggests boosting or raising attention or excitement about something. "PROMOTE" fits perfectly because it means to actively endorse, support, or advertise something to elevate its recognition or status—essentially "hyping it up."
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The answer "ARM" is correct because Popeye, the iconic sailor, is famously depicted with an anchor tattoo prominently on his muscular arm. The clue directly points to this classic feature of his character, making "ARM" the logical and fitting solution.
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The answer "MAILINS" refers to ballots submitted via mail, often done by voters casting their votes from home. "Ballots cast from home" directly hints at this voting method, as mail-in ballots allow individuals to vote without visiting polling stations. The plural form matches the clue’s context.
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The clue "Thesaurus listing" directly points to what a thesaurus offers: words with similar meanings. A synonym is a word meaning the same or nearly the same as another word, which is exactly what thesauruses list. Thus, the answer "SYNONYM" fits perfectly.
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The "five W's" are Who, What, When, Where, and Why—common question words. Alphabetically, "Why" comes last among these ("Who" -> "What" -> "When" -> "Where" -> "Why"). Therefore, the correct answer to the clue is WHY.
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The answer "GAG" fits the clue "Silly joke" because "gag" is another term for a joke or humorous act, often lighthearted or absurd in nature, aligning perfectly with the description "silly." It’s a succinct and common word in comedy contexts, making it an apt match.
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The clue "Excusez-___!" is a French expression meaning "Excuse me!" or "Pardon me!". The blank is completed with "moi," which translates to "me" in English. The foreign language indicator "Excusez" hints that the answer will also be in French. Hence, "moi" fits perfectly.
Today’s Game Difficulty
Hard
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Solving today’s NYT Mini Puzzle and stuck on the 3-letter answer to the Silly joke 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.
Silly joke Answer Explained
The answer is GAG.
This is one of those short answers with multiple meanings. GAG can mean a physical reaction (like gagging), but in comedy, it’s a term for a brief, silly joke, often visual or slapstick. Think of an old vaudeville routine or even a pie-in-the-face moment. The clue “silly joke” steers you away from clever wordplay or punchlines (“quip,” “pun,” “zinger”) and toward something broader and goofier. GAG is often used in phrases like “running gag” or “gag reel,” so if you’re into TV and film, that context helps.
Now that you've cracked the 8D Silly joke 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 Mini, a 7×7 grid by Sam Ezersky, delivers exactly what we’d expect from a weekend edition: a touch more trickiness, but nothing unfair. True to Saturday form, the grid is larger than weekday Minis and there's no major gimmick or wordplay twist. That said, a few clues are phrased to nudge solvers toward lateral thinking. Some clues touch on geography, sports, language, and even Catholic traditions, so a little general knowledge helps here. If you're used to Sam’s Spelling Bee work, you’ll notice the same fondness for slightly offbeat or unexpected vocabulary. A satisfying solve overall!
Here’s what caught our attention today:
- Blasts with unwanted messages
- Orderly assortment
- Its state mammal is the bison, and its state sport is rodeo
- Shanghai-born N.B.A. Hall-of-Famer who stood at 7'6"
- Emotionless, as a gaze
- Another name for an earthquake
- Lead a Catholic ceremony
- Hype up
- Ballots cast from home
- Alphabetically last of the "five W's"
- "Excusez-___!"
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.
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