NYT Crossword Answers — June 22, 2026
The NYT-style Mini for June 22, 2026 packs a full puzzle into a tiny grid, and today's solution set spans everyday vocabulary from CLAP, OSLO, ATE, BLADE. Monday keeps it crisp with a Nordic capital and a sharp 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, ATE, is the kind of gimme that gives you crossing letters for the trickier fill, while the longest entry, BLADE, 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 crisp with a Nordic capital and a sharp 7-Across.
Across
| Clue | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Applaud | CLAP | To clap is to applaud with the hands. |
| 4. Capital of Norway | OSLO | Oslo is the capital of Norway. |
| 6. Consumed | ATE | Ate is the past tense of eat. |
| 7. Sharp cutting tool | BLADE | A blade is the sharp part of a cutting tool. |
| 8. Simple bed | COT | A cot is a simple, portable bed. |
Down
| Clue | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Cool, in slang | CLASS | Class can describe someone with cool style. |
| 2. Escape | LOOT | Loot is stolen goods or spoils. |
| 3. Precipitation | PATE | Pate refers to the top of the head. |
| 4. Cereal grain | OAT | Oats are a cereal grain. |
| 5. Not shut | OPEN | Open is the opposite of shut. |
Every answer explained
CLAP
Clue: Applaud
To clap is to applaud with the hands. As a 4-letter word with 1 vowel, CLAP interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
OSLO
Clue: Capital of Norway
Oslo is the capital of Norway. OSLO is a tidy 4-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.
BLADE
Clue: Sharp cutting tool
A blade is the sharp part of a cutting tool. As a 5-letter word with 2 vowels, BLADE interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
COT
Clue: Simple bed
A cot is a simple, portable bed. As a 3-letter word with 1 vowel, COT interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
CLASS
Clue: Cool, in slang
Class can describe someone with cool style. As a 5-letter word with 1 vowel, CLASS interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
LOOT
Clue: Escape
Loot is stolen goods or spoils. LOOT is a tidy 4-letter fill (2 vowels); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
PATE
Clue: Precipitation
Pate refers to the top of the head. PATE is a tidy 4-letter fill (2 vowels); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
OAT
Clue: Cereal grain
Oats are a cereal grain. With 2 vowels across 3 letters, OAT is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
OPEN
Clue: Not shut
Open is the opposite of shut. As a 4-letter word with 2 vowels, OPEN 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.