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NYT’s The Mini Crossword Answers and Hints

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Today’s NYT Mini Highlights with Answers Explained

This Tuesday Mini by Tracy Bennett is a treat, especially with its playful double use of APPLE 🍎! You get a clever one-two punch with "ADAMS" and "SAUCE"—a fun twist on the fruit that brings a smile. Bennett mixes things up with a range of clues, touching on everything from movies 🎥 to plants 🌿, keeping solvers on their toes. The conversational vibe of some clues adds a lively, friendly touch, making it easy to dive in and enjoy. Overall, it’s a light, fun puzzle with just the right amount of wordplay to keep things interesting! 😄
Below are some of the answers explained:

___ apple

The answer is ADAMS.
The clue hints at a well-known association with "apple." The answer "ADAMS" refers to Adam from the biblical story of Adam and Eve. The "Adam's apple" is a term for the laryngeal prominence on the neck. For those who missed this, don't worry—it's a bit of anatomy trivia wrapped up in a biblical reference! If you guessed "green" or "red," you're thinking of apple varieties, but crossword clues often reach deeper!

Apple___

The answer is SAUCE.
This clue pairs the word "Apple" with something commonly associated with it, and "SAUCE" is a classic answer. Apple sauce is a staple food, but this clue also plays on the simplicity and familiarity of the phrase. It’s a friendly clue for solvers and a nice break from trickier ones. For anyone who didn’t click instantly, you might have been hungry for "pie" or "juice"—all valid, but "sauce" fits the grid!

Plants with leafy fronds

The answer is FERNS.
"FERNS" are plants well known for their feather-like leaves or fronds. This clue is a bit more botanical, but if you’ve ever seen a fern, the answer should pop into your head. Ferns are ancient plants and a common houseplant, making them familiar to many. If plants aren’t your strong suit, fear not—crosswords often teach fun facts about the natural world!

"You wish!"

The answer is AS IF.
The quotation marks around the clue signal that the answer is a conversational phrase, often a synonym for the expression given. In this case, "AS IF" is a sarcastic or dismissive way of saying "that's not going to happen." This clue follows a basic crossword rule: quotes usually indicate informal or spoken language. If you were thinking along the lines of “yeah right” or “no way,” you were close, but "AS IF" is the perfect, concise fit for the playful tone of the clue.

Great big dogs

The answer is DANES.
"DANES" refers to Great Danes, the massive dog breed known for their size and gentle demeanor. If you’re a dog lover, this clue is a treat, but it might stump those unfamiliar with dog breeds. Great Danes are famous for being "gentle giants," often towering over other dogs and even small children! It's a clue that brings a smile, imagining these enormous, lovable creatures.

___ McDonald, Broadway actress with Tony, Emmy, and Grammy accolades

The answer is AUDRA.
"AUDRA McDonald" is a powerhouse in the performing arts, with an impressive collection of awards. For theater enthusiasts, this answer is a no-brainer. McDonald’s name is synonymous with Broadway excellence. If you’re not into theater, this might have been tougher, but now you’ve learned something cool about a multi-talented star!

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

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.