NYT Crossword Answers — June 14, 2026
The NYT-style Mini for June 14, 2026 packs a full puzzle into a tiny grid, and today's solution set spans everyday vocabulary from MAT, MADRID, GAS, POOH. Sunday keeps it cozy with a Winnie the Pooh fill-in-the-blank. 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, MAT, is the kind of gimme that gives you crossing letters for the trickier fill, while the longest entry, MADRID, 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
Sunday keeps it cozy with a Winnie the Pooh fill-in-the-blank.
Across
| Clue | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Small rug | MAT | A mat is a small rug or floor covering. |
| 4. Capital of Spain | MADRID | Madrid is the capital of Spain. |
| 6. Automobile fuel | GAS | Gasoline, or gas, fuels most automobiles. |
| 7. Winnie the ___ | POOH | Winnie the Pooh is a beloved storybook bear. |
| 8. Requests | BEGS | To beg is to request earnestly. |
Down
| Clue | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Postal item | Mail is delivered by the postal service. | |
| 2. Field of study | AREA | An area can mean a field or domain of study. |
| 3. Wooden barrier | TASK | A task is a piece of work to be done. |
| 4. Playful mammal in water | OTTER | Otters are playful aquatic mammals. |
| 5. Sudden pull | DRAG | To drag is to pull with force. |
Every answer explained
MAT
Clue: Small rug
A mat is a small rug or floor covering. As a 3-letter word with 1 vowel, MAT interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
MADRID
Clue: Capital of Spain
Madrid is the capital of Spain. MADRID is a tidy 6-letter fill (2 vowels); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
GAS
Clue: Automobile fuel
Gasoline, or gas, fuels most automobiles. As a 3-letter word with 1 vowel, GAS interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
POOH
Clue: Winnie the ___
Winnie the Pooh is a beloved storybook bear. As a 4-letter word with 2 vowels, POOH interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
BEGS
Clue: Requests
To beg is to request earnestly. With 1 vowel across 4 letters, BEGS is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
Clue: Postal item
Mail is delivered by the postal service. As a 4-letter word with 2 vowels, MAIL interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
AREA
Clue: Field of study
An area can mean a field or domain of study. AREA is a tidy 4-letter fill (3 vowels); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
TASK
Clue: Wooden barrier
A task is a piece of work to be done. With 1 vowel across 4 letters, TASK is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
OTTER
Clue: Playful mammal in water
Otters are playful aquatic mammals. With 2 vowels across 5 letters, OTTER is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
DRAG
Clue: Sudden pull
To drag is to pull with force. As a 4-letter word with 1 vowel, DRAG interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
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.