NYT Mini Crossword Hints for September 26, 2026
Each clue gets a first letter, a wordplay nudge and the answer. Revealed answers fill the grid.
Across
1A Alphabet song lyric before "Now I know my ABCs" (7)
8A Sea creature whose name sounds like "Ah, baloney!" (7)
9A Skin markings after a sunny day on the links (7)
10A Gen ___ (member of the "MTV generation") (3)
11A Medieval weapon (7)
15A Fasting intermittently, say (7)
16A Phrases differently (7)
Down
1D Shake, like a dog's tail (3)
2D Gaming console with a number in its name (7)
3D Prestigious J.D. program in New Haven, Conn. (7)
4D Creamy pasta sauce (7)
5D "Believe it or ___ ..." (3)
6D Double-helix molecule (3)
7D Buddhism branch associated with gardens (3)
11D "___ favor" (basic Spanish phrase) (3)
12D What snowboarders try to catch (3)
13D Crossed (out) (3)
14D Creatures on U.F.O.s, for short (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.