The clue "Kind of parking" refers to a type of service where an attendant parks your car for you. This is called "VALET" parking. The word "VALET" precisely describes this convenient style of parking provided at many establishments.
Across
Walgreens and CVS are both well-known pharmacy chains in the United States, making them direct competitors. The clue simply refers to another prominent pharmacy that rivals Walgreens, and CVS fits perfectly as it operates in a similar market.
4What sprinklers might sprinkleLAWN????✨ See Why
The clue "What sprinklers might sprinkle" refers to the area where sprinklers are commonly used. Sprinklers are designed to water grassy areas, and a typical grassy area around homes or parks is called a "lawn." Hence, the answer is LAWN.
6Assumed nameALIAS?????✨ See Why
The answer "ALIAS" fits because an alias is an alternate or assumed name someone uses instead of their real name. This directly matches the definition of "Assumed name" in the clue, making it a straightforward solution.
8Company whose round, red-white-and-blue logo is known as the "globe"PEPSI?????✨ See Why
The answer is PEPSI because its logo is a round design with red, white, and blue swirls, resembling a globe. This distinctive branding, used by the soft drink company, aligns perfectly with the clue's description. The colors also reflect Pepsi's American roots.
9Emanation from a hot showerSTEAM?????✨ See Why
The answer is STEAM because a hot shower heats water, turning some of it into steam, a visible vapor that emanates into the air. The word "emanation" refers to something that arises or radiates out, accurately describing how steam escapes from a shower.
Down
1Expresses appreciation for a performance, sayCLAPS?????✨ See Why
The answer "CLAPS" fits because clapping is a common way to show appreciation for a performance. The verb "expresses" aligns with the action of clapping, and "say" in the clue suggests this is an example of how one might show such appreciation.
2Kind of parkingVALET?????✨ See Why
The clue "Kind of parking" refers to a type of service where an attendant parks your car for you. This is called "VALET" parking. The word "VALET" precisely describes this convenient style of parking provided at many establishments.
3Express appreciation for a dating profile, saySWIPE?????✨ See Why
"SWIPE" is the solution because in many dating apps, users express interest or appreciation for a profile by swiping right. The phrase "Express appreciation for a dating profile, say" uses "say" to indicate a common action such as swiping. This clue is a playful nod to modern dating app behavior.
5Org. whose round, red-white-and-blue logo is known as the "meatball"NASA????✨ See Why
NASA is the solution because its iconic round, red, white, and blue logo is nicknamed the "meatball." This design, introduced in 1959, reflects NASA's space exploration mission, featuring stars, a circular orbit, and a red streak symbolizing aeronautics. The clue specifies an organization (org.), fitting NASA perfectly.
7Virtual thing to "run," for shortSIM???✨ See Why
The answer "SIM" refers to a simulation, often shortened to "sim," which is a virtual environment or program that one can "run" on a computer or device. The quotation marks in the clue signal a play on words, as "run" relates to executing a simulation program.
Solving today’s NYT Mini Puzzle and stuck on the 5-letter answer to the Kind of parking 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.
Kind of parking Answer Explained
The answer is VALET.
The phrasing here is deliberately open-ended. “Kind of parking” could mean a lot of things—street, garage, parallel, even free. But this one is about a service. If you go to a restaurant or hotel and someone else parks your car for you, that’s valet parking. It’s a little tricky because the clue doesn’t mention people or service at all, it just says “kind of.” So you need to shift your thinking from locations or styles of parking to the way the car is parked.
Now that you've cracked the 2D Kind of parking 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
Christina Iverson’s Monday Mini brings more bite than the last couple of days, with clever trivia and some techy twists. I loved the double-dip on the red-white-and-blue logo—first a “globe” swirling with soda fizz, then a “meatball” rocketing into space. That patriotic palette sure works overtime here! Add in a virtual run, a tricky kind of parking, and a modern dating move, and this grid feels trickier than recent Minis while still keeping things playful. A neat, fizzy start to the week.
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.