NYT Crossword Answers — June 8, 2026
The NYT-style Mini for June 8, 2026 packs a full puzzle into a tiny grid, and today's solution set spans everyday vocabulary from EVE, CAIRO, LIE, MASK. Monday keeps it approachable with a spooky spider at 8-Across. 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, EVE, is the kind of gimme that gives you crossing letters for the trickier fill, while the longest entry, SPIDER, 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
Monday keeps it approachable with a spooky spider at 8-Across.
Across
| Clue | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Adam's partner | EVE | In Genesis, Eve is Adam's partner. |
| 4. Capital of Egypt | CAIRO | Cairo is the capital of Egypt. |
| 6. Untruth | LIE | A lie is an untrue statement. |
| 7. Superhero's alias, e.g. | MASK | A mask helps a superhero conceal their identity. |
| 8. Web spinner | SPIDER | A spider spins webs to catch prey. |
Down
| Clue | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. All-purpose truck, briefly | ELM | The elm is a common shade tree. |
| 2. Empty space | VOID | A void is an empty space. |
| 3. Chicken product | EGG | An egg is laid by a chicken. |
| 4. Automobile from Detroit | CAR | Detroit is famous for car manufacturing. |
| 5. Rows of seats | ROWS | Seating is arranged in rows. |
Every answer explained
EVE
Clue: Adam's partner
In Genesis, Eve is Adam's partner. As a 3-letter word with 2 vowels, EVE interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
CAIRO
Clue: Capital of Egypt
Cairo is the capital of Egypt. With 3 vowels across 5 letters, CAIRO is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
LIE
Clue: Untruth
A lie is an untrue statement. LIE is a tidy 3-letter fill (2 vowels); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
MASK
Clue: Superhero's alias, e.g.
A mask helps a superhero conceal their identity. MASK is a tidy 4-letter fill (1 vowel); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
SPIDER
Clue: Web spinner
A spider spins webs to catch prey. As a 6-letter word with 2 vowels, SPIDER interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
ELM
Clue: All-purpose truck, briefly
The elm is a common shade tree. With 1 vowel across 3 letters, ELM is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
VOID
Clue: Empty space
A void is an empty space. As a 4-letter word with 2 vowels, VOID interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
EGG
Clue: Chicken product
An egg is laid by a chicken. EGG is a tidy 3-letter fill (1 vowel); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
CAR
Clue: Automobile from Detroit
Detroit is famous for car manufacturing. CAR is a tidy 3-letter fill (1 vowel); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
ROWS
Clue: Rows of seats
Seating is arranged in rows. With 1 vowel across 4 letters, ROWS is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
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.