NYT Mini hints
June 3, 2026Hint 1 of 21-Across is “Jump on one foot”, 3 letters.
NYT Mini Crossword Answers — June 3, 2026
Today's Mini Crossword (June 3, 2026) has 5 across clues and 5 down clues. Get a nudge from the hints below, or open the full answer list with an explanation for every clue.
Show every answer and explanation
The NYT-style Mini for June 3, 2026 packs a full puzzle into a tiny grid, and today's solution set spans everyday vocabulary from HOP, MARS, HEW, ITALY. Science meets geography today; 3-Down is a sweet six-letter answer that stretches the grid. Because the Mini is so compact, every square does double duty — each letter belongs to both an across answer and a down answer — so a single confident entry can unlock the whole board. Today the shortest answer, HOP, is the kind of gimme that gives you crossing letters for the trickier fill, while the longest entry, ITALY, anchors the grid and often takes a crossing or two to confirm. If you're checking your work or you got stuck on one stubborn square, the complete answer key below lists every across and down clue with its solution and a short explanation. We publish these Mini answers every day, so bookmark the archive and come back whenever a clue has you second-guessing. And if reading the answers gives you the itch to solve one yourself, our free Mini Crossword plays the same way — no subscription and no account required.
NYT Mini Crossword Answers
Science meets geography today; 3-Down is a sweet six-letter answer that stretches the grid.
Across
| Clue | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Jump on one foot | HOP | To hop is to jump on one foot. |
| 4. Red planet | MARS | Mars appears red and is the fourth planet from the Sun. |
| 6. Chop with an axe | HEW | To hew is to cut or chop with an axe. |
| 7. Country whose capital is Rome | ITALY | Rome is the capital of Italy. |
| 8. Peel, as an apple | PARE | To pare is to trim or peel the skin off fruit. |
Down
| Clue | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Barn bundle | HAY | Hay is dried grass stored in bundles. |
| 2. Not amateur | PRO | A pro is a professional, not an amateur. |
| 3. Purple stone fruit | PLUM | A plum is a purple stone fruit. |
| 4. Playground game | TAG | Tag is a chasing game played by children. |
| 5. Precious stone | GEM | A gem is a cut and polished precious stone. |
Every answer explained
HOP
Clue: Jump on one foot
To hop is to jump on one foot. With 1 vowel across 3 letters, HOP is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
MARS
Clue: Red planet
Mars appears red and is the fourth planet from the Sun. MARS is a tidy 4-letter fill (1 vowel); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
HEW
Clue: Chop with an axe
To hew is to cut or chop with an axe. HEW is a tidy 3-letter fill (1 vowel); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
ITALY
Clue: Country whose capital is Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy. ITALY is a tidy 5-letter fill (2 vowels); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
PARE
Clue: Peel, as an apple
To pare is to trim or peel the skin off fruit. PARE is a tidy 4-letter fill (2 vowels); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
HAY
Clue: Barn bundle
Hay is dried grass stored in bundles. With 1 vowel across 3 letters, HAY is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
PRO
Clue: Not amateur
A pro is a professional, not an amateur. As a 3-letter word with 1 vowel, PRO interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
PLUM
Clue: Purple stone fruit
A plum is a purple stone fruit. With 1 vowel across 4 letters, PLUM is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
TAG
Clue: Playground game
Tag is a chasing game played by children. TAG is a tidy 3-letter fill (1 vowel); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
GEM
Clue: Precious stone
A gem is a cut and polished precious stone. GEM is a tidy 3-letter fill (1 vowel); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
Explore clues from this puzzle
Tips for solving
- 1Start with the fill-in-the-blank and short (3-letter) clues — they're usually the fastest points and hand you crossing letters for everything else.
- 2Work outward from your most confident answer instead of top-to-bottom; in a Mini, one solid entry unlocks four or five neighbors.
- 3If a clue ends in a question mark, expect wordplay or a pun rather than a literal definition.
- 4Plural clues almost always mean the answer ends in S — pencil that last letter in early.
- 5When two answers seem possible, let the crossing clue break the tie rather than guessing.
The quickest way to get faster is to solve more grids. Funzzle's free Mini Crossword is a new 5×5 every day, and the full-size Daily Crossword is there when you want a longer solve.
Questions people ask
What are the Mini Crossword answers for June 3, 2026?
Across: 1 HOP, 4 MARS, 6 HEW, 7 ITALY, 8 PARE. Down: 1 HAY, 2 PRO, 3 PLUM, 4 TAG, 5 GEM.
What is 1-Across in today's Mini, "Jump on one foot"?
1-Across, "Jump on one foot", is HOP.
What time does the NYT Mini come out?
The Mini for the next day is released at 10 p.m. Eastern on weekdays and 6 p.m. Eastern on weekends. Funzzle posts hints and answers as soon as it's out.
How long does the Mini Crossword take?
Most people finish the 5×5 Mini in one to three minutes. Saturday's Mini is often a larger grid and takes a little longer.