NYT Crossword Answers — June 16, 2026
The NYT-style Mini for June 16, 2026 packs a full puzzle into a tiny grid, and today's solution set spans everyday vocabulary from LIE, MOSCOW, NOOK, TONY. A Marvel clue and a Russian capital keep Tuesday globe-trotting. 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, LIE, is the kind of gimme that gives you crossing letters for the trickier fill, while the longest entry, MOSCOW, 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 Marvel clue and a Russian capital keep Tuesday globe-trotting.
Across
| Clue | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Fib | LIE | A lie is a small fib or untruth. |
| 4. Capital of Russia | MOSCOW | Moscow is the capital of Russia. |
| 6. Cozy corner | NOOK | A nook is a cozy, secluded corner. |
| 7. Marvel hero Stark | TONY | Tony Stark is Iron Man in the Marvel universe. |
| 8. Snake sound | HISS | A hiss is the sound a snake makes. |
Down
| Clue | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Not high | LOW | Low is the opposite of high. |
| 2. Frozen wonderland movie | IONIC | Ionic describes a type of chemical bond. |
| 3. Colorful arc after rain | ECHO | An echo is a repeated sound, common in canyons. |
| 4. Tiny insect on a picnic | MOTH | A moth is a small winged insect drawn to light. |
| 5. Winter vehicle | WAGON | A wagon is a wheeled vehicle for hauling. |
Every answer explained
LIE
Clue: Fib
A lie is a small fib or untruth. As a 3-letter word with 2 vowels, LIE is a crossword-friendly entry — its letters interlock easily, which is why it turns up in grids so often.
MOSCOW
Clue: Capital of Russia
Moscow is the capital of Russia. As a 6-letter word with 2 vowels, MOSCOW is a crossword-friendly entry — its letters interlock easily, which is why it turns up in grids so often.
NOOK
Clue: Cozy corner
A nook is a cozy, secluded corner. As a 4-letter word with 2 vowels, NOOK is a crossword-friendly entry — its letters interlock easily, which is why it turns up in grids so often.
TONY
Clue: Marvel hero Stark
Tony Stark is Iron Man in the Marvel universe. As a 4-letter word with 1 vowel, TONY is a crossword-friendly entry — its letters interlock easily, which is why it turns up in grids so often.
HISS
Clue: Snake sound
A hiss is the sound a snake makes. As a 4-letter word with 1 vowel, HISS is a crossword-friendly entry — its letters interlock easily, which is why it turns up in grids so often.
LOW
Clue: Not high
Low is the opposite of high. As a 3-letter word with 1 vowel, LOW is a crossword-friendly entry — its letters interlock easily, which is why it turns up in grids so often.
IONIC
Clue: Frozen wonderland movie
Ionic describes a type of chemical bond. As a 5-letter word with 3 vowels, IONIC is a crossword-friendly entry — its letters interlock easily, which is why it turns up in grids so often.
ECHO
Clue: Colorful arc after rain
An echo is a repeated sound, common in canyons. As a 4-letter word with 2 vowels, ECHO is a crossword-friendly entry — its letters interlock easily, which is why it turns up in grids so often.
MOTH
Clue: Tiny insect on a picnic
A moth is a small winged insect drawn to light. As a 4-letter word with 1 vowel, MOTH is a crossword-friendly entry — its letters interlock easily, which is why it turns up in grids so often.
WAGON
Clue: Winter vehicle
A wagon is a wheeled vehicle for hauling. As a 5-letter word with 2 vowels, WAGON 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.