NYT Mini hints
June 27, 2026Hint 1 of 21-Across is “Applaud”, 3 letters.
NYT Mini Crossword Answers — June 27, 2026
Today's Mini Crossword (June 27, 2026) has 5 across clues and 5 down clues. Get a nudge from the hints below, or open the full answer list with an explanation for every clue.
Show every answer and explanation
The NYT-style Mini for June 27, 2026 packs a full puzzle into a tiny grid, and today's solution set spans everyday vocabulary from SUB, DOHA, ATE, SUGAR. Saturday sweetens things with a Gulf capital and a sugary 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, SUB, is the kind of gimme that gives you crossing letters for the trickier fill, while the longest entry, SETTLE, 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
Saturday sweetens things with a Gulf capital and a sugary 7-Across.
Across
| Clue | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Applaud | SUB | A sub is a substitute or a sandwich. |
| 4. Capital of Qatar | DOHA | Doha is the capital of Qatar. |
| 6. Consumed | ATE | Ate is the past tense of eat. |
| 7. Sweet crystals in coffee | SUGAR | Sugar is added to sweeten coffee. |
| 8. Owned | HAD | Had is the past tense of have. |
Down
| Clue | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sink slowly | SETTLE | To settle is to sink and come to rest. |
| 2. Consume | UTU | Utu is a Maori concept of balance. |
| 3. Not off | BEGUN | Begun means started or under way. |
| 4. Automobile | SAAB | Saab is a Swedish car brand. |
| 5. Frozen water | HERD | A herd is a group of grazing animals. |
Every answer explained
SUB
Clue: Applaud
A sub is a substitute or a sandwich. As a 3-letter word with 1 vowel, SUB interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
DOHA
Clue: Capital of Qatar
Doha is the capital of Qatar. With 2 vowels across 4 letters, DOHA is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
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.
SUGAR
Clue: Sweet crystals in coffee
Sugar is added to sweeten coffee. With 2 vowels across 5 letters, SUGAR is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
HAD
Clue: Owned
Had is the past tense of have. With 1 vowel across 3 letters, HAD is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
SETTLE
Clue: Sink slowly
To settle is to sink and come to rest. As a 6-letter word with 2 vowels, SETTLE interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
UTU
Clue: Consume
Utu is a Maori concept of balance. With 2 vowels across 3 letters, UTU is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
BEGUN
Clue: Not off
Begun means started or under way. With 2 vowels across 5 letters, BEGUN is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
SAAB
Clue: Automobile
Saab is a Swedish car brand. As a 4-letter word with 2 vowels, SAAB interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
HERD
Clue: Frozen water
A herd is a group of grazing animals. HERD is a tidy 4-letter fill (1 vowel); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
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.
The quickest way to get faster is to solve more grids. Funzzle's free Mini Crossword is a new 5×5 every day, and the full-size Daily Crossword is there when you want a longer solve.
Questions people ask
What are the Mini Crossword answers for June 27, 2026?
Across: 1 SUB, 4 DOHA, 6 ATE, 7 SUGAR, 8 HAD. Down: 1 SETTLE, 2 UTU, 3 BEGUN, 4 SAAB, 5 HERD.
What is 1-Across in today's Mini, "Applaud"?
1-Across, "Applaud", is SUB.
What time does the NYT Mini come out?
The Mini for the next day is released at 10 p.m. Eastern on weekdays and 6 p.m. Eastern on weekends. Funzzle posts hints and answers as soon as it's out.
How long does the Mini Crossword take?
Most people finish the 5×5 Mini in one to three minutes. Saturday's Mini is often a larger grid and takes a little longer.