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NYT’s The Mini Crossword Answers and Hints
Across
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The answer "BAG" fits because before flying, travelers often check their baggage at the airline counter or verify that they’ve packed everything needed. The clue plays on the dual meaning of "check," referring to both verifying and physically checking in luggage.
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The clue "One road to recovery" hints at a form of treatment or solution to overcome a problem. "Rehab" (short for rehabilitation) is a common path to recovery for those dealing with addiction, injuries, or other challenges. It fits the clue's straightforward yet figurative meaning.
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"The Good Samaritan" and "The Rich Fool" are well-known stories told by Jesus in the Bible, used to teach moral or spiritual lessons. Such teaching stories are called parables, which is why the answer is PARABLE. The clue describes examples of these narrative lessons.
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The phrase "___ now or never" is a common expression that completes as "It's now or never," meaning something must be done immediately or it won't happen. "ITS" fits as the missing part, aligning grammatically and contextually to complete the familiar saying.
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The clue “Angora cat's splendor” refers to the luxurious and defining characteristic of an Angora cat: its soft, silky coat. “Splendor” suggests something magnificent or notable, which for this breed is its beautiful FUR. The clue highlights the visual and tactile elegance of the cat’s fur.
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The answer "PEEPERS" refers to spring peepers, small North American frogs known for their high-pitched, shrill mating calls that create a loud chorus in wetlands during spring. The name "peepers" directly ties to the sound they make, fitting the clue perfectly.
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The clue "Sheath or muumuu" refers to types of clothing. Both a sheath and a muumuu are styles of dresses—one being form-fitting (sheath) and the other loose and flowing (muumuu). Thus, "DRESS" is the unifying term that fits both descriptions.
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KAT is the solution because the Kit Kat Klub is the name of the nightclub featured prominently in the musical "Cabaret." It's where much of the story unfolds, and its spelling "Kat" reflects the stylized naming from the show.
Down
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The word "BERSERK" means being in a frenzied, uncontrollable rage or acting wildly out of control, which matches the clue’s description. Its origins relate to Norse warriors who fought with furious, uncontrollable energy, known as "berserkers." This perfectly fits "wildly out of control."
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The clue "I've got it!" is in quotation marks, indicating a spoken reaction or realization. "AHA" is an exclamation often used when someone has a sudden moment of understanding or discovery, perfectly matching the context of the clue.
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The clue "Scintillating gossip sesh" describes an engaging or lively conversation filled with gossip. "Gab" refers to talking, often casually or at length, and "fest" implies a festive, extended gathering. Together, "gabfest" perfectly captures a spirited gossip session, aligning with the clue's playful tone.
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The clue "Gave three stars, say" refers to the act of assigning a rating, often in the context of reviews (like movies or restaurants). "RATED" fits perfectly, as it means evaluating or giving a score, with "three stars" being an example of such a rating.
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The answer "BLURS" fits because when a picture becomes hazy, it loses sharpness and clarity, effectively blurring. The word "blurs" directly describes the process of something becoming indistinct or unclear, aligning perfectly with the phrasing of the clue.
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The answer "PIP" refers to the small dots or spots on a domino, dice, or similar objects used to denote numbers or value. Each dot is called a pip, which directly relates to the clue "Dot on a domino." This is a straightforward definition clue.
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The clue "Sounds of indecision" hints at verbal hesitation noises, often used when someone is unsure or pondering. "ERS" represents such sounds, like "er," "uh," or "um," commonly uttered during moments of indecision, making it the fitting answer. The clue's phrasing signals this nonverbal expression.
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The answer "PEA" refers to the fairy tale "The Princess and the Pea," where a princess experiences torment from a tiny pea hidden under multiple mattresses, proving her sensitivity and royal lineage. The "tiny source of torment" cleverly points to this small yet discomforting object in the story.
Today’s Game Difficulty
Hard
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Today’s NYT Mini Highlights
Today’s Saturday Mini by Tracy Bennett, who also edits Wordle, packs in a wide variety of clue styles. That extra space gave room for some trickier entries alongside the familiar ones. The puzzle touches a wide range of topics: a classic parable from the Bible, musical theater with a nod to Cabaret, nature trivia about a chorus of frogs, and even a playful domino term. There’s also some lively wordplay, with colloquial expressions for gossip and surprise. Overall, it’s a nice blend of cultural knowledge, vocabulary stretchers, and quick everyday fills that balance the difficulty.
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
- Today's Wordle
- Connections Hint Today
- NYT Crossword Answers Today
- Strands Answers Today
- Spelling Bee Hints
- Connections Sports Edition (The Athletic)
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 a 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.