NYT Crossword Answers — August 9, 2026
The NYT-style Mini for August 9, 2026 packs a full puzzle into a tiny grid, and today's solution set spans everyday vocabulary from SMUSH, HIPPO, UNTIL, STOKE. Today's mini is straightforward, with a mix of informal verbs, a large mammal, and common phrases, no overarching theme. 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, SMUSH, is the kind of gimme that gives you crossing letters for the trickier fill, while the longest entry, SMUSH, 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 is straightforward, with a mix of informal verbs, a large mammal, and common phrases, no overarching theme.
Across
| Clue | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Flatten, informally | SMUSH | SMUSH means to flatten or crush, informally. |
| 6. African mammal that can weigh up to 10,000 pounds | HIPPO | HIPPO is a large African mammal, often weighing up to 10,000 pounds. |
| 7. "___ next time!" | UNTIL | UNTIL completes the phrase 'Until next time!' as a farewell. |
| 8. Add fuel to, as a fire | STOKE | STOKE means to add fuel to a fire to keep it burning. |
| 9. Really talked (up) | HYPED | HYPED is informal for talking something up with enthusiasm. |
Down
| Clue | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. "Quiet!" | SHUSH | SHUSH is a quieting exclamation meaning 'Quiet!' |
| 2. Like many green mouthwashes | MINTY | MINTY describes the green color and flavor of many mouthwashes. |
| 3. Request that precedes "down low ... too slow!" | UPTOP | UPTOP is the phrase said before 'down low... too slow!' in a handshake game. |
| 4. Powerful volleyball hit | SPIKE | SPIKE is a powerful hit in volleyball, driving the ball downward. |
| 5. Sank, as a putt | HOLED | HOLED means sank, as in the golf term for sinking a putt. |
Every answer explained
SMUSH
Clue: Flatten, informally
SMUSH means to flatten or crush, informally. SMUSH is a tidy 5-letter fill (1 vowel); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
HIPPO
Clue: African mammal that can weigh up to 10,000 pounds
HIPPO is a large African mammal, often weighing up to 10,000 pounds. With 2 vowels across 5 letters, HIPPO is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
UNTIL
Clue: "___ next time!"
UNTIL completes the phrase 'Until next time!' as a farewell. UNTIL is a tidy 5-letter fill (2 vowels); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
STOKE
Clue: Add fuel to, as a fire
STOKE means to add fuel to a fire to keep it burning. With 2 vowels across 5 letters, STOKE is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
HYPED
Clue: Really talked (up)
HYPED is informal for talking something up with enthusiasm. With 1 vowel across 5 letters, HYPED is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
SHUSH
Clue: "Quiet!"
SHUSH is a quieting exclamation meaning 'Quiet!' As a 5-letter word with 1 vowel, SHUSH interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
MINTY
Clue: Like many green mouthwashes
MINTY describes the green color and flavor of many mouthwashes. MINTY is a tidy 5-letter fill (1 vowel); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
UPTOP
Clue: Request that precedes "down low ... too slow!"
UPTOP is the phrase said before 'down low... too slow!' in a handshake game. As a 5-letter word with 2 vowels, UPTOP interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
SPIKE
Clue: Powerful volleyball hit
SPIKE is a powerful hit in volleyball, driving the ball downward. As a 5-letter word with 2 vowels, SPIKE interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
HOLED
Clue: Sank, as a putt
HOLED means sank, as in the golf term for sinking a putt. As a 5-letter word with 2 vowels, HOLED interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
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.