NYT Crossword Answers — June 27, 2026
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 is a crossword-friendly entry — its letters interlock easily, which is why it turns up in grids so often.
DOHA
Clue: Capital of Qatar
Doha is the capital of Qatar. As a 4-letter word with 2 vowels, DOHA is a crossword-friendly entry — its letters interlock easily, which is why it turns up in grids so often.
ATE
Clue: Consumed
Ate is the past tense of eat. As a 3-letter word with 2 vowels, ATE is a crossword-friendly entry — its letters interlock easily, which is why it turns up in grids so often.
SUGAR
Clue: Sweet crystals in coffee
Sugar is added to sweeten coffee. As a 5-letter word with 2 vowels, SUGAR is a crossword-friendly entry — its letters interlock easily, which is why it turns up in grids so often.
HAD
Clue: Owned
Had is the past tense of have. As a 3-letter word with 1 vowel, HAD is a crossword-friendly entry — its letters interlock easily, which is why it turns up in grids so often.
SETTLE
Clue: Sink slowly
To settle is to sink and come to rest. As a 6-letter word with 2 vowels, SETTLE is a crossword-friendly entry — its letters interlock easily, which is why it turns up in grids so often.
UTU
Clue: Consume
Utu is a Maori concept of balance. As a 3-letter word with 2 vowels, UTU is a crossword-friendly entry — its letters interlock easily, which is why it turns up in grids so often.
BEGUN
Clue: Not off
Begun means started or under way. As a 5-letter word with 2 vowels, BEGUN is a crossword-friendly entry — its letters interlock easily, which is why it turns up in grids so often.
SAAB
Clue: Automobile
Saab is a Swedish car brand. As a 4-letter word with 2 vowels, SAAB is a crossword-friendly entry — its letters interlock easily, which is why it turns up in grids so often.
HERD
Clue: Frozen water
A herd is a group of grazing animals. As a 4-letter word with 1 vowel, HERD is a crossword-friendly entry — its letters interlock easily, which is why it turns up in grids so often.
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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.