NYT Crossword Answers — June 19, 2026
The NYT-style Mini for June 19, 2026 packs a full puzzle into a tiny grid, and today's solution set spans everyday vocabulary from TAR, BRAZIL, ATE, SNAKE. Friday jets to Brazil with a geography clue at 4-Across and a slithery 7-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, TAR, is the kind of gimme that gives you crossing letters for the trickier fill, while the longest entry, BRAZIL, 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
Friday jets to Brazil with a geography clue at 4-Across and a slithery 7-Across.
Across
| Clue | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sticky black stuff | TAR | Tar is a thick, sticky black substance. |
| 4. Country of Rio de Janeiro | BRAZIL | Rio de Janeiro is a major city in Brazil. |
| 6. Consumed | ATE | Ate is the past tense of eat. |
| 7. Reptile that slithers | SNAKE | A snake is a legless reptile that slithers. |
| 8. Vote in favor | YEA | Yea is a vote in favor. |
Down
| Clue | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Twist tightly | TWIST | To twist is to turn something tightly. |
| 2. Curved fruit peel | AURA | An aura is an atmosphere surrounding a person. |
| 3. Frozen treat | REST | To rest is to relax or pause. |
| 4. Distant | AFAR | Afar means at a distance. |
| 5. Peel, as skin | AYE | Aye is a word meaning yes. |
Every answer explained
TAR
Clue: Sticky black stuff
Tar is a thick, sticky black substance. As a 3-letter word with 1 vowel, TAR interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
BRAZIL
Clue: Country of Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro is a major city in Brazil. BRAZIL is a tidy 6-letter fill (2 vowels); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
ATE
Clue: Consumed
Ate is the past tense of eat. ATE is a tidy 3-letter fill (2 vowels); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
SNAKE
Clue: Reptile that slithers
A snake is a legless reptile that slithers. With 2 vowels across 5 letters, SNAKE is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
YEA
Clue: Vote in favor
Yea is a vote in favor. As a 3-letter word with 2 vowels, YEA interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
TWIST
Clue: Twist tightly
To twist is to turn something tightly. TWIST is a tidy 5-letter fill (1 vowel); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
AURA
Clue: Curved fruit peel
An aura is an atmosphere surrounding a person. AURA is a tidy 4-letter fill (3 vowels); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
REST
Clue: Frozen treat
To rest is to relax or pause. With 1 vowel across 4 letters, REST is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
AFAR
Clue: Distant
Afar means at a distance. With 2 vowels across 4 letters, AFAR is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
AYE
Clue: Peel, as skin
Aye is a word meaning yes. As a 3-letter word with 2 vowels, AYE 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.