NYT Mini Crossword Hints for February 28, 2026
Each clue gets a first letter, a wordplay nudge and the answer. Revealed answers fill the grid.
Across
1A Rock's ___ Leppard (3)
4A Cry a river (3)
7A Clean Air Act org. (3)
8A Org. that pays the Bills? (3)
9A Nintendo console with motion sensors (3)
10A ___-quoted (frequently said) (3)
11A With 13-Across, narrow gap between the underside of a house and the ground (5)
13A See 11-Across (5)
14A Young lady (3)
15A Ooh and ___ (3)
17A Sports org. for Scottie Scheffler (3)
18A "Hey, just an F.Y.I. …," informally (3)
19A When doubled, nickname for singer Swift (3)
20A Socially timid (3)
Down
1D Morning moisture (3)
2D "Game of Thrones" or Homer's "Odyssey" (8)
3D Good sportsmanship (8)
4D White mountain toppers (8)
5D Unrestrained, as a dog at a park (8)
6D Sandwich that might be served "triple-decker" (3)
12D Common battery type (2)
14D Chat___ (3)
16D It's for horses, in a classic joke punchline (3)
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Mini-sized tactics
In a 5×5, every across answer crosses every down answer, so one sure word gives you a letter in five others. Start with fill-in-the-blank clues and short, concrete nouns; leave question-mark clues, which signal wordplay, until you have crossings.
A question mark at the end of a clue is the constructor telling you not to read it literally. Abbreviations in the clue (“Org.”, “Abbr.”) mean the answer is abbreviated too.
Questions
When is the new Mini Crossword published?
Weekday Minis appear at 10 p.m. Eastern the night before; weekend Minis appear at 6 p.m. Eastern. This page loads the Mini for your device’s date.
Is the Mini Crossword free?
Yes, the daily Mini is free to play on the NYT Games app and website. The Mini archive needs a subscription.
Why is Saturday’s Mini bigger?
Saturday Minis are often larger than 5×5, sometimes 7×7, and a bit harder. The grid on this page adapts to whatever size the puzzle is.
What’s a good Mini time?
Many regulars solve in under a minute. Around two minutes is a solid everyday time; hints only affect your pride, not the NYT timer.