NYT Crossword Answers — August 14, 2026
The NYT-style Mini for August 14, 2026 packs a full puzzle into a tiny grid, and today's solution set spans everyday vocabulary from MOBS, MONEY, OCEAN, SHORE. A beach-themed mini with money slang and pirate references. The three 8A clues all point to things found at the shore. 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, MOBS, is the kind of gimme that gives you crossing letters for the trickier fill, while the longest entry, MONEY, 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
A beach-themed mini with money slang and pirate references. The three 8A clues all point to things found at the shore.
Across
| Clue | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Unruly crowds | MOBS | Unruly crowds are often called mobs, meaning disorderly groups. |
| 5. What "clams" and "cheddar" are slang for | MONEY | Clams and cheddar are both slang terms for money in informal speech. |
| 6. This, at the beach | OCEAN | The ocean is the large body of water you see at the beach. |
| 7. This, at the beach | SHORE | Shore refers to the land along the edge of the ocean at the beach. |
| 8. This, at the beach | SAND | Sand is the granular material covering the beach floor. |
Down
| Clue | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Chocolaty coffee drink | MOCHA | Mocha is a chocolate-flavored coffee drink. |
| 2. Pull a fast ___ (trick) | ONEON | Pull a fast one means to trick someone; ONE fits after 'fast'. |
| 3. "Black" facial feature for pirate Edward Teach | BEARD | Blackbeard the pirate was famously known for his black beard. |
| 4. "Auld Lang ___" | SYNE | 'Auld Lang Syne' is a traditional song sung at New Year's. |
| 5. Growth at the base of a tree | MOSS | Moss is a small green plant that often grows at the base of trees. |
Every answer explained
MOBS
Clue: Unruly crowds
Unruly crowds are often called mobs, meaning disorderly groups. MOBS is a tidy 4-letter fill (1 vowel); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
MONEY
Clue: What "clams" and "cheddar" are slang for
Clams and cheddar are both slang terms for money in informal speech. With 2 vowels across 5 letters, MONEY is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
OCEAN
Clue: This, at the beach
The ocean is the large body of water you see at the beach. OCEAN is a tidy 5-letter fill (3 vowels); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
SHORE
Clue: This, at the beach
Shore refers to the land along the edge of the ocean at the beach. SHORE is a tidy 5-letter fill (2 vowels); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
SAND
Clue: This, at the beach
Sand is the granular material covering the beach floor. SAND is a tidy 4-letter fill (1 vowel); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
MOCHA
Clue: Chocolaty coffee drink
Mocha is a chocolate-flavored coffee drink. As a 5-letter word with 2 vowels, MOCHA interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
ONEON
Clue: Pull a fast ___ (trick)
Pull a fast one means to trick someone; ONE fits after 'fast'. With 3 vowels across 5 letters, ONEON is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
BEARD
Clue: "Black" facial feature for pirate Edward Teach
Blackbeard the pirate was famously known for his black beard. As a 5-letter word with 2 vowels, BEARD interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
SYNE
Clue: "Auld Lang ___"
'Auld Lang Syne' is a traditional song sung at New Year's. SYNE is a tidy 4-letter fill (1 vowel); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
MOSS
Clue: Growth at the base of a tree
Moss is a small green plant that often grows at the base of trees. With 1 vowel across 4 letters, MOSS 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.