NY Times Mini Logo

George Washington or George Patton - NYT The Mini Clue

Across

  • The clue "Easy peasy!" is a colloquial phrase used to describe something very simple or effortless. The answer, "NOSWEAT," is another informal expression meaning "no difficulty" or "no problem," perfectly aligning with the clue's tone and meaning.

  • ONTARIO is the correct answer because Lake Ontario is one of the Great Lakes. The name "Ontario" comes from the Iroquoian language, where it is said to mean "great lake" or "sparkling water," directly connecting the clue's translation reference to this specific lake.

  • The clue "Use a ruler" directly means to measure something, as a ruler is a tool designed to determine length or distance. The answer, MEASURE, perfectly describes the action performed when using a ruler.

  • The answer is PAD because it commonly follows each of the given words to form meaningful phrases: "brake pad" (vehicle component), "Brillo pad" (cleaning scrubber), and "bachelor pad" (a single man's residence). Matching word puzzles often involve such familiar combinations.

  • The clue "Having more sodium" refers to something with increased salt content, since sodium is a key component of salt. The comparative form "saltier" directly means "containing more salt," making it the perfect match for the clue.

  • ELECTRO is the correct answer because he is a classic Spider-Man villain who obtained his powers after being struck by lightning while working on a power line. This accident transformed him into a being capable of manipulating electricity, making the name "Electro" directly tied to his abilities and origin.

  • George Washington and George Patton are both celebrated for their military leadership and bravery during pivotal wars in American history—Washington in the Revolutionary War and Patton in World War II. Thus, they are fittingly described as "WAR HEROES," making WARHERO the correct answer.

Down

  • The clue "___ de plume" refers to the French phrase meaning "pen name," used by writers to adopt a pseudonym. "NOM" is the French word for "name," completing the phrase "nom de plume" as the correct answer. This aligns with the clue's phrasing and language context.

  • The mathematical constant pi (π) is approximately 3.14159. The first digit after the decimal point in this value is "1." Thus, the solution to "First digit of pi after the decimal" is ONE.

  • The clue "Paper pusher?" features a pun indicated by the question mark. A stapler "pushes" metal staples through sheets of paper to bind them together, making it a literal "pusher" of paper, aligning with the wordplay. Hence, STAPLER fits the clue perfectly.

  • The Wasatch Range is a prominent mountain range in Utah, running along the state's western edge. It plays a significant role in Utah’s geography, offering skiing, hiking, and stunning scenery. The clue directly references a "major mountain range in Utah," making WASATCH the precise and fitting answer.

  • The term "erudite" describes someone who is well-read, knowledgeable, or highly educated, typically through extensive reading and study. The clue "Well-read" directly aligns with this definition, making ERUDITE the perfect answer.

  • AIR is the correct answer because Earth's atmosphere, commonly referred to as air, primarily consists of nitrogen (about 78%) and oxygen (about 21%). The remaining 1% includes other gases. This matches the clue's description of being "mostly nitrogen and oxygen."

  • The clue "Wiggler in a sock?" uses a playful pun with the question mark indicating wordplay. Inside a sock, your toes are often the parts that wiggle. Hence, the correct answer is TOE, as it directly refers to the part of the foot that moves within a sock.

  • The clue "Stitch up" directly refers to the act of sewing, which involves stitching fabric together. "Sew" is the verb that perfectly matches this definition, making it the correct answer for the clue.

  • The phrase "Chicken ___ king" refers to a classic dish called "Chicken à la King." The term "à la" is French, meaning "in the style of," which completes the name of the dish. Hence, the answer is ALA.

  • The word "ERR" means to make a mistake or be incorrect, fitting the clue directly. It is a concise verb commonly used in phrases like "to err is human," making it a straightforward answer for the clue "Make a mistake."

  • The clue "Aussie animal, for short" suggests an abbreviation or nickname for an animal associated with Australia. "Roo" is a common shorthand for "kangaroo," an iconic Australian marsupial. The phrase "for short" indicates the answer is a shortened form, making ROO the fitting solution.

Today’s Game Difficulty

3.7 / 5
Hard

Rate Your Difficulty

Rate This Solver

View Yesterday's Puzzle

Solving today’s NYT Mini Puzzle and stuck on the 7-letter answer to the George Washington or George Patton 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.

George Washington or George Patton Answer Explained

The answer is WARHERO.

This clue points to two figures from very different eras of American military history: George Washington and George Patton. Washington led the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, securing independence from Britain and becoming a foundational national hero. Patton, by contrast, was a commanding general in World War II, known for his aggressive tactics in North Africa and Europe. Despite the time gap, both are iconic military leaders celebrated for battlefield success, which neatly converges on the single label WARHERO.

Now that you've cracked the 16A George Washington or George Patton 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

Ian Livengood’s Saturday Mini leans hard into that “Midi-lite” feel with fewer black squares, longer across entries, and a grid that resists quick momentum. With only four black squares in the middle row, the puzzle stretches horizontally, making entries like NOSWEAT, ONTARIO, and ELECTRO do a lot of the heavy lifting. That imbalance is noticeable: the across clues demand more thought, while the downs come quicker but offer less help early on. Geography (ONTARIO, WASATCH) and trivia (ELECTRO, WARHERO) add to the friction, especially when paired with slightly indirect cluing. Even something simple like STAPLER (“Paper pusher?”) required a beat to click. The central PAD is a nice thematic anchor, tying together multiple phrases. Overall, not impossible, but definitely not "no sweat," more about careful parsing than speed.

Here’s what caught our attention today:

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.

Lady Puzzle Pro Avatar