NYT Crossword Yesterday's Hints and Answer
Jul 27, 2026
NYT Crossword Today's Hints and Answer
28 July 2026 · 15x15 grid · 36 Across, 38 Down
Play on NYT
Answers for 28 July 2026
Spoiler belowAcross
1
Insolence
SASS
5
Scott ___, author of "Island of the Blue Dolphins"
ODELL
10
Be in need of ibuprofen, say
ACHE
14
Word with cap or socks
KNEE
15
Diet that eschews processed food
PALEO
16
In a minute
SOON
17
With 58-Across, dad-joke response to the answers for each of this puzzle's starred clues
ITSNOTHING
19
Massage gun target
KNOT
20
Wyoming mountain range
TETONS
21
"Out with ya now!"
GIT
23
Tax pro
CPA
24
Primer mes del año
ENERO
25
*Essential oil with a musky scent
PATCHOULI
28
Myrmecology subject
ANT
29
Bonfire remains
ASH
30
Concerning hearing
AURAL
31
*Home of the lowest town-level ZIP code in the continental U.S. (01001)
MASSACHUSETTS
36
Ruminant's mouthful
CUD
37
Secondary social media account
ALT
38
*"Until next time!"
CATCHYOULATER
45
United
ASONE
47
Preposition in "The Star-Spangled Banner"
OER
48
Palindromic kitchen brand
OXO
49
*Academy Award, e.g.
STATUETTE
51
___ Taco (ice cream treat)
CHOCO
53
The "S" of macOS: Abbr.
SYS
54
Beam
RAY
55
Bubble tea bubbles
PEARLS
56
Some first responders, for short
EMTS
58
See 17-Across
TOSNEEZEAT
61
Director Johnson of the "Knives Out" movies
RIAN
62
Once more
AGAIN
63
Spot to huddle under during a rainstorm
EAVE
64
Rat (on)
TELL
65
Packs (down), as tobacco in a pipe
TAMPS
66
Iditarod conveyance
SLED
Down
1
Sporting group at a cold-weather school
SKITEAM
2
Insect's feeler
ANTENNA
3
Six-line poems
SESTETS
4
Honorific for many Spanish teachers
SENOR
5
Finishes deliberating
OPTS
6
"Well, lah-di-___!"
DAH
7
Name that's an anagram of an untruth
ELI
8
Units in horse racing
LENGTHS
9
Skill needed to solve a sudoku puzzle
LOGIC
10
Query
ASK
11
Plays the yes-man
CONCURS
12
Muss and fuss
HOOPLA
13
Involve
ENTAIL
18
1969 "bed-in" participant
ONO
22
"___ be the day!"
THATLL
25
Expression of disgust that sounds like a family member
PAH
26
Sun Devils' sch.
ASU
27
"Straight ___ Compton" (1989 N.W.A album)
OUTTA
32
Triflingly little
SCANT
33
Artistic visionary
AUTEUR
34
Org. mentioned in many zombie movies
CDC
35
Evian, Perrier or Badoit
EAU
38
Along a gulf, say
COASTAL
39
Sweaty stretching session
HOTYOGA
40
Up to this point
YET
41
Mined find
ORE
42
"Oof, painfully true"
TOOREAL
43
Part of a country located entirely within another country
EXCLAVE
44
Landed for the night
ROOSTED
45
Claim to be true
ASSERT
46
Hinder
STYMIE
50
Bother, as one's conscience
EATAT
51
Letter that can take a cedilla
CEE
52
Puts through a harsh initiation
HAZES
55
Items sometimes chained to a desk
PENS
57
Its alums include Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, in brief
SNL
59
Rock singer ___ Fender
SAM
60
Alcoholic equivalent of a fun-size candy bar
NIP
NYT Mini Crossword Strategy Tips
Solve the 5x5 grid faster with these techniques.
Fill-in-the-blank clues first
Clues like "___ of the century" or "Pop ___" have a single obvious answer. Solve all fill-in-the-blank clues before tackling definition or wordplay clues. They plant anchor letters throughout the grid instantly.
Use crossing letters aggressively
In a 5x5 grid, every letter is shared by one Across and one Down answer. One solved word constrains up to 5 crossing answers. Do not guess a clue in isolation when letters from other entries can confirm it.
Watch for wordplay and double meanings
Mini clues love misdirection. "Runs in the family?" could be a DNA reference, not sprinting. A question mark at the end of a clue almost always signals a pun or a non-literal meaning.
Know the common 3-letter standbys
ERA, ORE, ALE, OAR, EEL, APE, ADE, and other short words appear repeatedly in Mini grids. When a clue is vague and the crossing letters leave only 3-letter gaps, cycle through common options.
Abbreviations signal abbreviation answers
If a clue includes "Abbr.", "for short", or lists something like "Mon. or Tue.", the answer is an abbreviation. Abbreviation answers often end in odd letter combinations that would otherwise be tricky.
The Mini refreshes at midnight ET
A new Mini Crossword goes live every day at 12:00 AM Eastern Time. If you are trying to solve on the same day it was published, check back after midnight if the puzzle is not yet showing.
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