The clue "Doubtful" describes something uncertain or questionable, aligning perfectly with the informal term "IFFY." "IFFY" means unreliable, dubious, or subject to doubt, making it an appropriate and succinct answer here. Its casual tone matches the straightforward clue, which lacks wordplay or hints of alternate meanings.
5Neanderthals made the first one from birch bark tar approximately 200,000 years agoGLUE????✨ See Why
The answer is GLUE because Neanderthals used birch bark tar as an adhesive to bond tools and materials. This tar acted as an early form of glue, making it the first adhesive humans are known to have created, approximately 200,000 years ago.
6Fire-starting rockFLINT?????✨ See Why
FLINT is the answer because it's a hard type of rock historically used to create sparks when struck against steel, igniting fires. This aligns with the clue's literal meaning of a fire-starting rock. FLINT's strong association with fire-making tools makes it the perfect solution.
7LONG????✨ See Why
The answer is LONG because it logically completes both phrases: "So long!" as a farewell expression, and "Go long!" as a phrase used in sports like football, meaning to run a greater distance to catch a pass. Both are familiar idiomatic usages.
8Meditation practitionerYOGI????✨ See Why
The answer "YOGI" fits because a yogi is someone who practices yoga, which often incorporates meditation as a core practice for mindfulness and spiritual growth. The clue directly refers to a practitioner of meditation, making "YOGI" a precise and fitting solution.
Down
1Brand of coolerIGLOO?????✨ See Why
The answer is IGLOO because Igloo is a well-known brand that manufactures coolers (portable ice chests used to keep items cold). The clue directly refers to this brand, which fits perfectly with the definition of "cooler" in the context of the puzzle.
2Short-lived relationshipFLING?????✨ See Why
The clue "Short-lived relationship" refers to something brief and casual. A "FLING" is commonly used to describe a brief romantic or physical relationship without long-term commitment, making it a perfect fit for the clue. It emphasizes the fleeting nature of such connections.
3Mushrooms and suchFUNGI?????✨ See Why
The clue "Mushrooms and such" refers to a category that includes mushrooms and similar organisms. Mushrooms are a type of fungi, and "such" broadens the category to include other fungi like molds and yeasts. Thus, the plural "Fungi" is the clear and correct answer.
4YET???✨ See Why
The clue "Even so ..." implies a contrast or continuation, often introducing something unexpected or opposing the prior statement. YET perfectly fits this context, as it is commonly used to mean "despite that" or "nevertheless," aligning with the meaning of "Even so."
6Outer layer of a tentFLY???✨ See Why
The "fly" is the outer layer or covering of a tent, designed to provide protection from rain, wind, and other elements. It is typically separate from the inner tent and stretches over it, forming a weatherproof barrier. This directly aligns with the clue.
Solving today’s NYT Mini Puzzle and stuck on the 3-letter answer to the Outer layer of a tent 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.
Outer layer of a tent Answer Explained
The answer is FLY.
This is a very specific piece of camping vocabulary. If you don’t camp, this might be tricky. A FLY is the waterproof outer layer you put over the rest of your tent to keep rain out, often called a “rainfly.” The clue doesn’t say “rainfly,” just “outer layer,” which makes it a little harder to pinpoint. It’s not something like “tarp” or “cover,” though those are logical guesses. FLY is a short, technical word that crossword constructors love because it has three common letters. A good example of how one niche word can cover a lot of clue territory.
Now that you've cracked the 6D Outer layer of a tent 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 Joel Fagliano is one of the trickier ones in recent days. It mixes science history, nature, and camping gear—so if you’re not familiar with those topics, you might’ve hit some slow spots. A couple of clues rely on knowing specific terminology or trivia, which can make the grid feel tougher than usual for a Tuesday. Definitely a puzzle where reading carefully and thinking outside the most obvious meaning helped.
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.