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Extend, as a contract - NYT The Mini Clue

Across

  • The clue "Sound of relaxation" suggests a vocal expression or sound, as it's in quotes. "AHH" represents the soothing exhale often uttered during relaxation, relief, or comfort, such as after a deep breath, a sip of a drink, or unwinding—perfectly matching the clue's context.

  • BEACH is the solution because it is a classic and popular destination for summer vacations. During summer, people often visit beaches to enjoy activities like swimming, sunbathing, and relaxing by the water, making it a quintessential spot for a seasonal getaway.

  • The phrase "In some bad news ..." sets the tone for a somber or unfortunate sentiment. The adverb "SADLY" fits because it implies delivering or reflecting something unfortunate, aligning perfectly with the clue's context. It's a straightforward interpretation without puns or alternative meanings.

  • The answer "REUP" refers to renewing or extending a contract, particularly in military or professional contexts. It’s short for "re-enlist" or "re-sign," meaning to agree again to the terms of an existing contract, effectively continuing or extending it.

  • Flying squirrels glide through the air and naturally land on trees, their primary habitat. Trees provide safety, food, and resting spots. The clue’s straightforward nature aligns with "TREE" being the logical and fitting answer as their landing destination.

Down

  • The answer "ABS" refers to the abdominal muscles, which are the primary muscles targeted and strengthened during crunches. Crunches are a core exercise specifically designed to engage and tone the abdominal area, making "ABS" the fitting solution to this clue.

  • In The Wizard of Oz, the Tin Man desires a heart to feel emotions, as he believes he lacks one. This aligns with the clue, directly referencing his quest. "Heart" represents both the physical organ and the emotional capacity he seeks from the Wizard.

  • The answer is HADER because Bill Hader is the actor and co-creator of HBO's hit series Barry. He plays the titular character, Barry, a hitman turned aspiring actor. The clue directly references his first name ("Bill") and the show he is best known for.

  • The clue "You're reading one" is self-referential. As you solve the crossword, each prompt you read is a clue. Thus, the answer is CLUE, because that's exactly what you're reading—a clue in the puzzle itself! This makes the solution clever and literal.

  • HYPE is slang for being extremely excited or enthusiastic. In modern vernacular, "hype" conveys intense eagerness or anticipation, aligning with "super-excited" in the clue. Its short, punchy nature fits the informal tone suggested by "in slang."

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Solving today’s NYT Mini Puzzle and stuck on the 4-letter answer to the Extend, as a contract 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.

Extend, as a contract Answer Explained

The answer is REUP.

The key to this clue is the word "extend." When you extend a contract, you're renewing it so it continues beyond its original end date. That's exactly what REUP means. The term is especially common in sports, where a player might re-up with the same team by signing a new contract, and in military contexts, where someone re-ups by reenlisting for another term of service. You also see it in everyday conversation when people talk about renewing subscriptions or agreements. Once you think of "extend" as "renew" rather than making something physically longer, REUP becomes a good fit for the clue.

Now that you've cracked the 8A Extend, as a contract 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

Just finished today's Sunday NYT Mini by Joel Fagliano. Nice, smooth puzzle overall, but REUP and especially TREE gave me a bit of trouble. "Flying squirrel's landing point" was a really clever clue for TREE, and I only got it once I had enough crossings. HEART from "What the Tin Man wants from The Wizard of Oz" was a big help there. Everything else flowed pretty well, and I liked the mix of classic references and modern slang. A fun Sunday Mini with just enough resistance to keep it interesting.

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.

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