Yesterday's hints
Each hint gives a little more away. Stop as soon as it clicks.
The answer
Tap to reveal yesterday’s solution.
Answer is hidden until you activate the reveal button.
Why this answer
What the word means, where the trap was, and how the solve unfolds.
Across: 1-Across “Sorry about that!” was OOPS; 5-Across “Not-so-tacky clothing material that rhymes with “tacky”” was KHAKI; 7-Across “Paula who judged on “American Idol”” was ABDUL; 8-Across “_ never believe this …” was YOULL; 9-Across “Long-haired Himalayan animals” was YAKS.
Down: 1-Down “Just fine” was OKAY; 2-Down “Well, this oughta be good!” was OHBOY; 3-Down “Italian city where “The Taming of the Shrew” is set” was PADUA; 4-Down “Walk around stealthily” was SKULK; 6-Down “Society’s woes” was ILLS.
The grid had two black corners. YOULL is the contraction that stalls if you want a longer phrase, and SKULK is the verb people reach past for SNEAK.
Recent Mini Crossword answers
Two weeks of solutions, newest first. Handy for a broken streak or a missed day.
Catching up? Here are the most recent solutions.
| Date | Puzzle | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| Tue, Sep 22, 2026 | Mini #24479 | Across: 1 WEB, 4 BOXUP, 6 AMIGO, 7 CELLO, 8 KNEEL. Down: 1 WOMEN, 2 EXILE, 3 BUGLE, 4 BACK, 5 POOL. |
| Mon, Sep 21, 2026 | Mini #24538 | Across: 1 VANS, 5 HOPES, 6 POTPIE, 7 SHELL, 8 YORE. Down: 1 VOTER, 2 APPLE, 3 NEIL, 4 SSE, 5 HOHO, 6 PSY. |
| Sun, Sep 20, 2026 | Mini #24519 | Across: GAG, UMBER, MAINE, SIDED, LES. Down: GMAIL, ABIDE, GENES, UMS, RED. |
| Sat, Sep 19, 2026 | Mini #24524 | Across: AIRBNB, ICEAGE, DADBOD, ANDY, ITTY, OTTAWA, FOOLER, FORKED. Down: AIDA, ICAN, REDDITOR, BABYTALK, NGO, BED, TWEE, YARD, OFF, TOO. |
| Fri, Sep 18, 2026 | Mini #24523 | Across: BART, LMAO, FOAMY, OOZE, XMEN. Down: BLOOM, AMAZE, RAMEN, TOY, FOX. |
| Thu, Sep 17, 2026 | Mini #24505 | Across: QUACK, UNCLE, IDIOT, RUNTO, KEGS. Down: QUIRK, UNDUE, ACING, CLOTS, KETO. |
| Wed, Sep 16, 2026 | Mini #24473 | Across: MAV, EVENT, LANAI, TITAN, LINE. Down: MELT, AVAIL, VENTI, NAAN, TINE. |
| Tue, Sep 15, 2026 | Mini #24513 | Across: OBVI, FEET, FALSE, CMON, HAND. Down: OFF, BEACH, VELMA, ITSON, END. |
| Mon, Sep 14, 2026 | Mini #24506 | Across: CBS, PORT, CAMEO, ASIAN, ROCKY. Down: COMIC, BREAK, STONY, PASO, CAR. |
| Sun, Sep 13, 2026 | Mini #24453 | Across: CAPRI, ALL IN, BLACK, LONE, EYE. Down: CABLE, ALLOY, PLANE, RICE, INK. |
| Sat, Sep 12, 2026 | Mini #24210 | Across: OYSTERS, COPILOT, TURNKEY, AWAY, VINTAGE, ENGINES, MALE. Down: OCTAVE, YOU WIN, SPRANG, TINY TIM, ELK, ROE, STY, ANA, GEL, ESE. |
| Fri, Sep 11, 2026 | Mini #24502 | Across: REBUS, IDAHO, DECAF, SNOUT, SNL. Down: RIDS, EDENS, BACON, UHAUL, SOFT. |
| Thu, Sep 10, 2026 | Mini #24420 | Across: DNA, JEANS, UNITE, DIVOT, OMENS. Down: DENIM, NAIVE, ANTON, JUDO, SETS. |
| Wed, Sep 9, 2026 | Mini #24439 | Across: PATS, HIT UP, EXTRA, HAWKS, EROS. Down: PIXAR, AT TWO, TURKS, SPAS, HEHE. |
Solve notes
The opener that would have found it, and what to carry into tomorrow.
The clue that stalled Wednesday
8-Across YOULL looks incomplete until the downs arrive. Once ABDUL and PADUA lock the middle, the apostrophe-free YOU'LL is the only fill that fits. OHBOY is the voice-clue that feels too informal for a Mini until you remember Ezersky writes that way.
Questions people ask
Common questions about this puzzle, answered plainly.
What were yesterday’s NYT Mini answers for September 23, 2026?
Across: OOPS, KHAKI, ABDUL, YOULL, YAKS. Down: OKAY, OHBOY, PADUA, SKULK, ILLS.
What was yesterday’s NYT Mini puzzle number?
The Wednesday puzzle was Mini #24406, constructed by Sam Ezersky and edited by Joel Fagliano.
What was the longest answer in Mini #24406?
Five letters is the max. KHAKI, ABDUL, YOULL, OHBOY, PADUA, and SKULK are all five letters.
When does the next NYT Mini release?
New Minis unlock the evening before their date: 10 p.m. ET Monday through Friday and 6 p.m. ET on Saturday and Sunday.
How do you solve the Mini faster?
Enter the surest answers first, then let their crossings settle the rest. In a small grid, one confident row usually unlocks several columns.
Tomorrow's hints, in your inbox at midnight
Daily Mini Crossword hints, the answer explained, and one thing worth knowing about the word — sent at midnight ET.