NYT Crossword Answers — June 5, 2026
The NYT-style Mini for June 5, 2026 packs a full puzzle into a tiny grid, and today's solution set spans everyday vocabulary from NIP, PLACID, SPA, HELLO. A calm-and-cool vibe and an Adele earworm keep Friday feeling light and musical. 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, NIP, is the kind of gimme that gives you crossing letters for the trickier fill, while the longest entry, PLACID, 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
A calm-and-cool vibe and an Adele earworm keep Friday feeling light and musical.
Across
| Clue | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Small bite | NIP | A nip is a small bite or pinch. |
| 4. Peaceful and calm | PLACID | Placid means peaceful and calm. |
| 6. Health resort | SPA | A spa is a resort offering health and beauty treatments. |
| 7. Adele hit ___ You | HELLO | Hello is a chart-topping single by Adele. |
| 8. Deep hole | PIT | A pit is a deep hole in the ground. |
Down
| Clue | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Wear away | NAG | To nag is to wear away at someone with pestering. |
| 2. Frozen rain | ICE | Ice is frozen precipitation. |
| 3. Camera flash color | PALE | A camera flash can wash colors out to a pale tone. |
| 4. Mother pig | PIG | A pig is the animal referenced; a sow is female. |
| 5. Wander aimlessly | COAST | To coast is to move along with little effort. |
Every answer explained
NIP
Clue: Small bite
A nip is a small bite or pinch. As a 3-letter word with 1 vowel, NIP is a crossword-friendly entry — its letters interlock easily, which is why it turns up in grids so often.
PLACID
Clue: Peaceful and calm
Placid means peaceful and calm. As a 6-letter word with 2 vowels, PLACID is a crossword-friendly entry — its letters interlock easily, which is why it turns up in grids so often.
SPA
Clue: Health resort
A spa is a resort offering health and beauty treatments. As a 3-letter word with 1 vowel, SPA is a crossword-friendly entry — its letters interlock easily, which is why it turns up in grids so often.
HELLO
Clue: Adele hit ___ You
Hello is a chart-topping single by Adele. As a 5-letter word with 2 vowels, HELLO is a crossword-friendly entry — its letters interlock easily, which is why it turns up in grids so often.
PIT
Clue: Deep hole
A pit is a deep hole in the ground. As a 3-letter word with 1 vowel, PIT is a crossword-friendly entry — its letters interlock easily, which is why it turns up in grids so often.
NAG
Clue: Wear away
To nag is to wear away at someone with pestering. As a 3-letter word with 1 vowel, NAG is a crossword-friendly entry — its letters interlock easily, which is why it turns up in grids so often.
ICE
Clue: Frozen rain
Ice is frozen precipitation. As a 3-letter word with 2 vowels, ICE is a crossword-friendly entry — its letters interlock easily, which is why it turns up in grids so often.
PALE
Clue: Camera flash color
A camera flash can wash colors out to a pale tone. As a 4-letter word with 2 vowels, PALE is a crossword-friendly entry — its letters interlock easily, which is why it turns up in grids so often.
PIG
Clue: Mother pig
A pig is the animal referenced; a sow is female. As a 3-letter word with 1 vowel, PIG is a crossword-friendly entry — its letters interlock easily, which is why it turns up in grids so often.
COAST
Clue: Wander aimlessly
To coast is to move along with little effort. As a 5-letter word with 2 vowels, COAST is a crossword-friendly entry — its letters interlock easily, which is why it turns up in grids so often.
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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.