NYT Crossword Answers — August 17, 2026
The NYT-style Mini for August 17, 2026 packs a full puzzle into a tiny grid, and today's solution set spans everyday vocabulary from EGGS, SQUAT, PUTTY, EASEL. Today's mini has no overarching theme, but features common words and a classic crime couple. 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, EGGS, is the kind of gimme that gives you crossing letters for the trickier fill, while the longest entry, SQUAT, 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 has no overarching theme, but features common words and a classic crime couple.
Across
| Clue | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Brownie ingredients | EGGS | Brownies typically require eggs as a binding and leavening ingredient. |
| 5. Gym rep on leg day | SQUAT | A squat is a common leg exercise performed in the gym. |
| 6. "Silly" stuff | PUTTY | Silly Putty is a brand of silicone-based putty often used as a toy. |
| 7. Stand for a painter | EASEL | An easel is a stand used by painters to hold their canvas. |
| 8. Bonnie and ___, classic crime couple | CLYDE | Bonnie and Clyde were a notorious American criminal couple in the 1930s. |
Down
| Clue | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. = | EQUAL | The symbol "=" means "equal" in mathematics. |
| 2. Courageous | GUTSY | Gutsy means having courage or bravery, often in a daring way. |
| 3. Fenced in, as a private community | GATED | Gated communities are residential areas enclosed by fences or walls. |
| 4. What "each of us already has, all we need to do is find it," per Diane von Furstenberg | STYLE | Diane von Furstenberg famously said style is something everyone has and can find. |
| 5. Contractor's detail, for short | SPEC | Spec is short for specification, a detailed description in contracting. |
Every answer explained
EGGS
Clue: Brownie ingredients
Brownies typically require eggs as a binding and leavening ingredient. With 1 vowel across 4 letters, EGGS is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
SQUAT
Clue: Gym rep on leg day
A squat is a common leg exercise performed in the gym. SQUAT is a tidy 5-letter fill (2 vowels); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
PUTTY
Clue: "Silly" stuff
Silly Putty is a brand of silicone-based putty often used as a toy. As a 5-letter word with 1 vowel, PUTTY interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
EASEL
Clue: Stand for a painter
An easel is a stand used by painters to hold their canvas. EASEL is a tidy 5-letter fill (3 vowels); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
CLYDE
Clue: Bonnie and ___, classic crime couple
Bonnie and Clyde were a notorious American criminal couple in the 1930s. As a 5-letter word with 1 vowel, CLYDE interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
EQUAL
Clue: =
The symbol "=" means "equal" in mathematics. As a 5-letter word with 3 vowels, EQUAL interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
GUTSY
Clue: Courageous
Gutsy means having courage or bravery, often in a daring way. As a 5-letter word with 1 vowel, GUTSY interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
GATED
Clue: Fenced in, as a private community
Gated communities are residential areas enclosed by fences or walls. GATED is a tidy 5-letter fill (2 vowels); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
STYLE
Clue: What "each of us already has, all we need to do is find it," per Diane von Furstenberg
Diane von Furstenberg famously said style is something everyone has and can find. With 1 vowel across 5 letters, STYLE is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
SPEC
Clue: Contractor's detail, for short
Spec is short for specification, a detailed description in contracting. As a 4-letter word with 1 vowel, SPEC 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.