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De bugs? - NYT The Mini Clue
Across
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The clue "De bugs?" ends with a question mark, indicating wordplay or a pun. "De bugs" cleverly refers to insects, as "bugs" is a common colloquial term for them. At first glance, it might seem like a phrase about removing bugs (like debugging code) but it’s actually about pronunciation. Say it aloud: “De bugs” sounds like “the bugs,” which leads you straight to INSECTS.
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The answer "PUNCHUP" refers to enhancing or improving a joke, often by adding a funnier or sharper element to its delivery. It comes from the phrase "punching up," commonly used in comedy writing, where writers revise jokes to make them stronger or funnier.
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The phrase "Life is like a box of chocolates" is a comparison, describing life metaphorically. This type of comparison is called an ANALOGY. The clue’s use of “for example” indicates we’re looking for the general term for such a statement, making ANALOGY the correct answer.
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The word "pip" refers to the small dots or spots marking the face of a domino tile (or playing card). Each pip represents a numerical value, helping to identify the tile. In this clue, "Dot on a domino" directly defines these small marks, making "PIP" the correct answer.
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The word "CHIPPER" means cheerful and lively, which closely aligns with being "in an upbeat mood." This makes it an excellent fit as the solution to the clue, as both express a positive, energetic attitude.
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The answer is CONSENT because it is a crucial concept taught in sex education. It emphasizes obtaining voluntary agreement between participants for any sexual activity, focusing on respect and boundaries. Understanding consent is vital for fostering healthy, respectful relationships and personal autonomy. This aligns with the clue's importance.
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The clue "Leaves the Union" refers to the act of formally withdrawing from a group or organization, specifically a union. The term "secedes" means to separate or break away, making it the perfect fit as it directly describes leaving a union (such as a state leaving a country).
Down
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The clue "Hoppy order at a happy hour" uses the word "hoppy" as a play on words, referring to the hoppy flavor profile of certain beers. IPA, or India Pale Ale, is a popular beer known for its strong hop flavor, making it the fitting choice for this clue.
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A convent is a religious community for women, typically nuns, who dedicate their lives to faith and service. The term "convent member" specifically refers to these women, making "NUN" the most fitting answer to this straightforward clue.
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SNAPINC is the solution because it refers to Snap Inc., the parent company of Snapchat. Snapchat is a tech company known for its bright yellow branding and ghost logo, representing its focus on disappearing messages and playful communication. These distinct traits match the clue perfectly.
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The question mark in "Sun block?" suggests wordplay. An ECLIPSE occurs when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, blocking sunlight. This makes ECLIPSE a clever and fitting answer for the clue, as it both literally and figuratively represents a "Sun block."
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The answer is CHOPPED because a traditional Cobb salad typically includes finely chopped ingredients like lettuce, tomatoes, bacon, eggs, and chicken. The clue describes how these components are prepared, making CHOPPED the perfect fit. This straightforward descriptive clue aptly matches the preparation style of a Cobb salad.
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The clue "Pull sharply" directly defines the word "TUG," which means a sudden, sharp pull. The verb "tug" perfectly fits the description, as it involves exerting a quick, forceful pulling motion. This concise and literal match makes TUG the ideal solution.
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The answer "SPY" fits because a spy often leads a covert life, protecting their true identity to gather intelligence. The clue points to someone with a hidden or secret persona, which defines the nature of a spy. It’s a straightforward match.
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The clue "Syringe amts." refers to amounts typically measured in syringes. "CCS" stands for cubic centimeters, a common unit for measuring liquid volumes in medical syringes. It's a straightforward abbreviation widely used in medicine, making it the correct answer.
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The answer is HOE because it is a common garden tool with a long handle. It is used for tasks like weeding or breaking up soil in gardening and farming, making it a perfect fit for the clue description.
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The clue "Opposite of WSW" refers to compass directions. WSW stands for west-southwest, which points in a direction between west and southwest. Its opposite on the compass is ENE (east-northeast), pointing between east and northeast. The "opposite" clue indicates this direct directional reversal.
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RTS stands for "Right Tackles," which are specific football linemen positions. Offensive linemen, like Right Tackles, protect the quarterback and block for runners. The abbreviation "RTS" matches the clue's mention of "Certain football linemen: Abbr.," indicating a shortened term for these players.
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Solving today’s NYT Mini Puzzle and stuck on the 7-letter answer to the De bugs? 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.
De bugs? Answer Explained
The answer is INSECTS.
This is a clever one, it uses wordplay and punctuation to twist your expectations. “De bugs?” looks like it might be a typo for “debugs,” which is a tech term meaning to remove errors from code. But the question mark signals a pun or non-literal interpretation. If you “de-bug” something literally, you might be taking away bugs. So, what are the bugs? INSECTS. It’s a literal definition disguised as a punny clue. A tricky one unless you read it with that pun in mind. I needed crossings to confirm this one wasn’t about tech.
Now that you've cracked the 1A De bugs? 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
Joel Fagliano’s Saturday Mini packs a lot into its 7x7 grid. The clues cover everything from food to tech to astronomy, with a mix of straightforward definitions and clever wordplay. Some clues lean on puns or reinterpreted phrases, while others test general knowledge or pop culture. The shorter answers tend to fall more easily, but many of the longer ones are tricky and need a bit more thought. Solving the quick short clues first can give you helpful letters to unlock the harder, longer entries. The variety in clue style keeps things interesting all the way through.
Here’s what caught our attention today:
- Make funnier, as jokes
- "Life is like a box of chocolates," for example
- Dot on a domino
- In an upbeat mood
- Important topic in sex education
- Leaves the Union
- Hoppy order at a happy hour
- Tech company with a bright yellow color scheme and ghost logo
- Sun block?
- Like many ingredients in a Cobb salad
- Syringe amts.
- Certain football linemen: Abbr.
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.