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"Oof, that makes me cringe!" - NYT The Mini Clue
Across
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The clue plays on the double meaning of "decay." For dentists, decay refers to tooth decay or cavities, which are a common concern. For nuclear physicists, decay refers to radioactive decay, the process by which unstable atoms lose energy. Hence, "DECAY" connects both fields.
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The clue "Get married in a hurry" hints at skipping formalities or a traditional wedding. The term ELOPE specifically means to run away and marry quickly, often in secret, perfectly matching the idea of a rushed marriage.
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The answer is BIBLE because it is widely recognized as the best-selling book in history. With billions of copies distributed globally over centuries, it holds this record due to its religious significance and cultural impact across Christianity and Judaism. The straightforward clue highlights this factual distinction.
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A torus is a 3D geometric shape resembling a doughnut. Mathematically, it’s generated by rotating a circle around an axis outside the circle, creating the familiar "hole-in-the-middle" structure seen in doughnuts. Hence, "Doughnut's shape, mathematically" perfectly matches with TORUS.
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The clue "Secret collection" hints at something hidden or kept in reserve. "STASH" fits as it refers to a hidden supply or hoard of items, often kept secret. The wordplay here connects the idea of secrecy with the act of stashing something away.
Down
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The Lannister family from Game of Thrones is famously associated with the phrase "A Lannister always pays his debts," symbolizing their reputation for fulfilling obligations, whether financial or personal. "Debts" fits the blank as it completes this iconic saying exactly as it is quoted in the series.
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The answer is ELIOT because T.S. Eliot was a renowned 20th-century poet, famous for works like The Waste Land and The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock. The clue directly references his initials, "T.S.," making ELIOT the fitting solution.
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The answer is COBRA because cobras are snakes known for their signature "hood," created by extending their neck ribs. Additionally, they hiss as a defense mechanism, aligning perfectly with the clue description "Hisser with a hood."
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The solution "APLUS" represents the best-possible test grade in many grading systems, where "A" is the top grade and "plus" enhances it further, indicating exceptional performance. The clue is direct, with no wordplay, simply asking for the highest test score descriptor.
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The clue "Oof, that makes me cringe!" mimics an exclamation or reaction, signaling the answer is a verbal expression. "YEESH" is an informal interjection used to show discomfort, awkwardness, or embarrassment—perfectly capturing the sentiment of cringing at something unpleasant or awkward.
Today’s Game Difficulty
Easy
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Solving today’s NYT Mini Puzzle and stuck on the 5-letter answer to the "Oof, that makes me cringe!" 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.
"Oof, that makes me cringe!" Answer Explained
The answer is YEESH.
This clue captures a tone, a kind of secondhand embarrassment or discomfort. When something makes you go “oof,” “yikes,” or YEESH, it’s often awkward or hard to watch. The clue uses quotation marks to tell me that we’re looking for a reaction or interjection, not a definition. That narrows it to words like “ugh,” “eek,” “yow,” or “yeesh.” Of those, YEESH is just right here, it has that drawn-out, almost comic quality that fits the “cringe” reaction. It’s informal and expressive, and while it might not be in every dictionary, it’s certainly in the crossword vocabulary canon.
Now that you've cracked the 5D "Oof, that makes me cringe!" 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
A breezy Tuesday Mini from Sam Ezersky, surprisingly gentle for the Spelling Bee editor! All answers are five-letter words, giving the grid a tidy, uniform feel. Clues touch on everything from dental health to math, classic literature, reptiles, and a Game of Thrones quote. No major trickery here, just solid clue-writing and a clean solve.
Here’s what caught our attention today:
- Concern for dentists and nuclear physicists
- Get married in a hurry
- Doughnut's shape, mathematically
- Secret collection
- Hisser with a hood
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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It’s an additional social resource provided by NYT. You can add friends (up to 100 invitees) to track daily completion and compete.