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NYT’s The Mini Crossword Answers and Hints
Across
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The Beatles famously sported a distinctive, shaggy, bowl-shaped hairstyle during their rise to fame in the 1960s, often called a "moptop" due to its resemblance to the head of a mop. This style became iconic and synonymous with the band during that era.
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The clue "Doin' amazingly, in slang" refers to someone performing exceptionally well, often in a casual, confident manner. The slang term "KILLIN' IT" (shortened to KILLINIT here) is widely used to describe excelling or succeeding spectacularly, fitting the casual tone and meaning of the clue perfectly.
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The phrase "AND SCENE" is commonly spoken by directors to signal the conclusion of a take or scene during filming. The clue is in quotes, implying spoken words, making this phrase the fitting solution for "Director's words at the end of a take."
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The clue "___ the season!" is a well-known phrase often associated with "’Tis the season!" a popular expression during the holiday season, especially Christmas. "’Tis" is a contraction of "it is," fitting perfectly into the phrase and completing it grammatically and contextually.
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The answer "SIN" works because it is a term commonly used to describe a serious moral or ethical wrongdoing, especially in religious or moral contexts. The clue directly ties to the definition, with "serious wrongdoing" aligning perfectly with "sin." No wordplay or alternate meaning is involved here.
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The clue "Camera attachment" refers to an accessory often added to a camera to enhance its functionality. A ZOOM LENS is a type of lens that allows photographers to adjust focal length and magnification, making it a perfect fit for the clue as it "attaches" to the camera.
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The answer is NUTMEG because it is a common spice used in Pumpkin Spice Lattes. Pumpkin spice blends typically include warming spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves, with nutmeg being a key ingredient that adds a distinct aromatic flavor, perfectly fitting the clue.
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The answer "LAND" fits because to "come down to earth" literally describes what an aircraft or object does when it lands. It transitions from being airborne to touching the ground, aligning directly with the word "land." This interpretation matches the clue directly.
Down
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The answer is MINION because the Minions are the small, yellow, pill-shaped creatures in the movie Despicable Me. They are known for their goofy antics and serve as loyal henchmen to Gru, the main character. The clue directly points to these iconic characters.
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The clue uses 'say' to signal wordplay. "Old Soul" describes someone who exhibits tastes or qualities beyond their years. A teen who exclusively listens to ’70s music could be seen as having an "old soul," reflecting nostalgic or mature preferences that align with the clue.
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The clue refers to texting shorthand. "Thx" is short for "thanks," expressing gratitude. The opposite would be a request, like asking for something. "Pls" is the abbreviated form of "please," commonly used in texting for polite requests, making it the correct answer.
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The answer "TIC" fits the clue "Behavioral quirk" because a tic is an involuntary or habitual movement or gesture, reflecting a small, distinctive behavior often considered quirky or unusual. The succinctness aligns with crossword rules for concise definitions.
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The phrase "Tournament favorite" refers to the top-ranked team or player in a competitive bracket system, often referred to as the "No. 1 seed." The ONESEED is usually the strongest contender and favored to win, making it a perfect fit for the clue.
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The word "PINING" means yearning or longing deeply for something or someone, aligning directly with the clue "Longing (for)." It's a term often used to describe emotional yearning, making it a clear and fitting answer.
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The answer is KATZ because Katz's Delicatessen is a famous New York City deli, well-known for its iconic scene in the movie When Harry Met Sally. The deli’s name is eponymous with its founder, and it remains a landmark in NYC dining and pop culture.
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The clue "Hamilton bills" refers to U.S. ten-dollar bills, which feature Alexander Hamilton's portrait. The word "bills" indicates currency, and Hamilton is famously associated with the $10 bill. Therefore, the plural "TENS" is the correct answer.
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The answer "MTA" stands for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the organization that oversees public transportation in New York City, including the subway, buses, and commuter trains. The clue "N.Y.C. commuting org." directly points to this entity as it manages commuting within and around the city.
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The solution "LMN" refers to the sequence of letters in the English alphabet that directly follow "JK" (J, K, L, M, N). This clue plays on the alphabetical order, making it straightforward once you recognize the pattern.
Today’s Game Difficulty
Hard
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Hit a roadblock solving today's NYT The Mini? Lady Puzzle is happy to lend a hand. Click her for hints, reveal the entire puzzle, uncover squares one by one, or explore clue answers. Whatever solving style you prefer, this is your go-to tool for finishing NYT's The Mini Crossword!
Today’s NYT Mini Highlights
Today’s Saturday Mini from Joel Fagliano leaned tougher than the last few days, definitely on the hard side overall. The grid itself stood out: an unusual 8×7 shape, wider than it is tall, which gave the puzzle a different visual rhythm right from the start.
Clues ranged across a nice mix of topics: a dash of pop culture (from classic music to modern movies), some sports lingo, a New York landmark, a little tech, and even a seasonal touch. That variety made for a solve that felt lively but also a bit trickier, since the references pulled from such different corners.
It’s the kind of Mini where you probably had to pause once or twice, especially with the slangy entries and the proper names. A fun weekend challenge, small puzzle, but with plenty of bite.
Today's Tricky Wordplay
Here's what caught our attention today:
What is NYT The Mini Crossword?
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.
Today's NYT Puzzle Guides by LadyPuzzle Pro
- Today's Wordle
- Connections Hint Today
- NYT Pips Today - Hints & Solutions
- NYT Crossword Answers Today
- Strands Answers Today
- Spelling Bee Hints
- Connections Sports Edition (The Athletic)
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 a 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.