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Number of letters missing from the ends of each starred Across clue in this puzzle - NYT The Mini Clue
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The solution "PHD" fits because it is an abbreviation for "Doctor of Philosophy," considered one of the most advanced and prestigious academic degrees. Its rigorous requirements, including original research and a dissertation, make it an impressive academic achievement, aligning perfectly with the clue.
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The trick is that doc is missing its last letter. Add K to get dock, and a pier is exactly the kind of structure where boats dock. Until you notice the missing letter gimmick, the clue feels confusing, making this one of the puzzle's key theme entries.
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Here, stat is missing its last letter. Add E to get state, and the Dallas Cowboys are based in the state of Texas. It's another example of the puzzle's theme, where each starred clue drops exactly one final letter.
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This clue looks odd until you restore the missing letter. Add F to scar to get scarf, and to knit is to make a scarf. The missing final letter completely changes the clue, fitting today's clever theme perfectly.
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This meta clue confirms the theme. Every starred Across clue is missing one letter at the end: doc → dock, stat → state, and scar → scarf. The answer ONE spells out the puzzle's central gimmick.
Down
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The word "PIXIE" refers to a type of mischievous and magical fairy-like creature from folklore, often depicted as playful and trickster-like. The clue "Mischievous fairy" directly describes this mythical being, making PIXIE the accurate and fitting answer.
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The answer is HEAT because radiators function by emitting thermal energy to warm spaces, and microwaves work by generating heat to cook or warm food. Both devices' primary purpose is to produce and transfer heat, directly matching the clue's description.
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The clue "Nurses' co-workers: Abbr." asks for an abbreviated term for healthcare professionals who work alongside nurses. "DRS" is short for "doctors," who are frequent collaborators with nurses in medical settings. The abbreviation aligns with the clue's hint ("Abbr.") signaling a shortened form.
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The answer is PENN because it refers to the University of Pennsylvania, an Ivy League school located in Philadelphia. "Philly" is a common nickname for Philadelphia, and the University of Pennsylvania is one of the eight prestigious Ivy League schools.
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The answer "TKO" stands for "Technical Knockout," a term used in boxing when a referee decides to stop the fight because one boxer is unable to continue safely. It aligns with "Boxing ref's decision" since the referee is responsible for calling a TKO in such situations.
Today’s Game Difficulty
Hard
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Solving today’s NYT Mini Puzzle and stuck on the 3-letter answer to the Number of letters missing from the ends of each starred Across clue in this puzzle 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.
Number of letters missing from the ends of each starred Across clue in this puzzle Answer Explained
The answer is ONE.
This clue serves as the puzzle's confirmation that you've understood the gimmick correctly. The answer is ONE because each starred Across clue is missing exactly one letter from its end. Restoring those letters transforms doc into dock, stat into state, and scar into scarf, allowing the clues to make perfect sense. It's a satisfying meta entry because it doesn't just provide another answer—it explains the entire puzzle's construction. Once ONE falls into place, it validates the pattern you've been noticing and ties all three themed clues together in a clean, elegant Monday reveal.
Now that you've cracked the 7A Number of letters missing from the ends of each starred Across clue in this puzzle 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
This one completely fooled me at first. I kept trying to solve the starred clues literally, wondering what a "doc" had to do with a PIER or why "stat" pointed to TEXAS. Only after filling in more of the grid did I realize every starred clue was missing its final letter: doc became dock, stat became state, and scar became scarf. That's a clever gimmick, and I don't remember seeing it in a Mini before. Once the trick clicked, the rest of the puzzle fell into place quickly, with ONE neatly confirming that exactly one letter was missing from each starred clue. A fun Monday reveal that made me stop, rethink the clues, and appreciate Joel Fagliano's fresh twist on the usual Mini formula.
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.