NYT Crossword Answers — August 4, 2026
The NYT-style Mini for August 4, 2026 packs a full puzzle into a tiny grid, and today's solution set spans everyday vocabulary from GRIND, AUDIO, FLIES, FENCE. Today's mini crossword theme touches on work, media, and everyday objects. Each answer directly fits its clue with straightforward definitions. 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, GRIND, is the kind of gimme that gives you crossing letters for the trickier fill, while the longest entry, GRIND, 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
Today's mini crossword theme touches on work, media, and everyday objects. Each answer directly fits its clue with straightforward definitions.
Across
| Clue | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Put in persistent hard work | GRIND | To grind is to work hard persistently, as in putting in long hours. |
| 6. The "A" of A/V | AUDIO | In audio/video, A stands for audio, the sound component. |
| 7. Buzzers by the trash | FLIES | Flies are insects often found buzzing near trash. |
| 8. What was always seen blocking Wilson's face, on "Home Improvement" | FENCE | The fence on 'Home Improvement' blocked Wilson's face, showing only his eyes. |
| 9. Outer boundaries | EDGES | Edges are the outer boundaries or limits of an object or area. |
Down
| Clue | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Politician's stumble | GAFFE | A politician's stumble is a gaffe, a social or verbal mistake. |
| 2. Was totally awesome | RULED | Ruled means to be dominant or excellent, as in 'was totally awesome'. |
| 3. What bar bouncers spend all night doing | IDING | Bouncers spend the night IDing, checking identification to verify age. |
| 4. Nephew's sister | NIECE | A niece is the daughter of one's sibling; the nephew's sister is a niece. |
| 5. Units of a vaccine | DOSES | Vaccine units are doses, each containing a specific amount of the vaccine. |
Every answer explained
GRIND
Clue: Put in persistent hard work
To grind is to work hard persistently, as in putting in long hours. With 1 vowel across 5 letters, GRIND is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
AUDIO
Clue: The "A" of A/V
In audio/video, A stands for audio, the sound component. With 4 vowels across 5 letters, AUDIO is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
FLIES
Clue: Buzzers by the trash
Flies are insects often found buzzing near trash. As a 5-letter word with 2 vowels, FLIES interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
FENCE
Clue: What was always seen blocking Wilson's face, on "Home Improvement"
The fence on 'Home Improvement' blocked Wilson's face, showing only his eyes. FENCE is a tidy 5-letter fill (2 vowels); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
EDGES
Clue: Outer boundaries
Edges are the outer boundaries or limits of an object or area. With 2 vowels across 5 letters, EDGES is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
GAFFE
Clue: Politician's stumble
A politician's stumble is a gaffe, a social or verbal mistake. GAFFE is a tidy 5-letter fill (2 vowels); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
RULED
Clue: Was totally awesome
Ruled means to be dominant or excellent, as in 'was totally awesome'. With 2 vowels across 5 letters, RULED is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
IDING
Clue: What bar bouncers spend all night doing
Bouncers spend the night IDing, checking identification to verify age. With 2 vowels across 5 letters, IDING is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
NIECE
Clue: Nephew's sister
A niece is the daughter of one's sibling; the nephew's sister is a niece. As a 5-letter word with 3 vowels, NIECE interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
DOSES
Clue: Units of a vaccine
Vaccine units are doses, each containing a specific amount of the vaccine. With 2 vowels across 5 letters, DOSES is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
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.