Today’s NYT Mini Crossword feels like one of those puzzles where the letters come quickly once you recognize the pattern. A lot of the difficulty is in the “A-___ / B-___” style leading clues—those require you to think of common phrase openings rather than a single definition. Let’s walk through helpful hints first, then get you the full answers.
Hints
Mini Across
1A starts with “A” and the definition points to something truly top-quality. Think of the phrase you might say about a “_____” anything—especially grades or standards.
4A is “B-___” meaning a decent grade. If you picture school report cards, you’re on the right track—this one is a straightforward letter-grade fill.
5A begins with “C-___” and means a group of execs. Look for a common corporate abbreviation that functions like a team title.
6A is “F-___” with the definition “Fails to be.” This one likely reads like a negation phrase: “fails to be ____” in everyday language.
7A asks for a nonbinary pronoun. This is the modern standard in many puzzles, and it’s short.
Mini Down
1D refers to the center, guards, and tackles on an NFL team, for short. It’s the term for the main group of offensive linemen.
2D is “Like the taste of browned butter.” The key here is a flavor descriptor associated with a nutty, cooked-butter vibe.
3D is a language suffix. Think of common ending bits that show up in country or language names—often used to indicate the language itself.
4D is a helpful label by a door handle. It’s the thing you’d expect to see instructing you which way to do something.
5D involves getting into a lotus pose, perhaps. It’s a simple verb that matches the common yoga move.
If you’re also tackling other daily puzzles, the same “pattern-first” mindset helps a lot in Connections style wordplay—especially when you’re trying to decide whether a clue is pointing to a phrase skeleton, a category term, or a simple fill.
Answers
Mini Across
1A: ONE
4A: PLUS
5A: SUITE
6A: ISNT
7A: THEY
Mini Down
1D: OLINE
2D: NUTTY
3D: ESE
4D: PUSH
5D: SIT
One quick solving tip for this kind of Mini: when you see a grade-style clue like “A-___” or “B-___,” treat it like a fixed phrase template. Once you anchor the “A-” or “B-” part, the rest is usually a single common word—exactly the kind of shortcut that keeps the puzzle snappy.
And if you’re moving from Mini to the rest of today’s Today’s NYT puzzle lineup, those template habits translate well—especially when you encounter categories that behave like cluing rules. That pattern recognition is often the real “aha,” even when the fills themselves are simple.
When you finish, it’s worth noticing how several answers are short, high-frequency puzzle staples—pronouns, quick verbs, and common word endings. That’s the Mini’s favorite strategy: make you do one small leap, then cash in with a clean grid fill.
