NYT Crossword Today's Hints and Answer
Jul 28, 2026
NYT Crossword Yesterday's Hints and Answer
27 July 2026 · 14x15 grid · 33 Across, 38 Down
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Answers for 27 July 2026
Spoiler belowAcross
1
Male deer
STAG
5
National sport of Japan
SUMO
9
Posh N.Y.C. neighborhood
SOHO
13
Post-it ___
NOTE
14
Privy to
INON
15
Mideast ruler
EMIR
16
"Either way is fine with me"
IDONTCARE
18
Prefix with hit or bit
MEGA
19
Citrusy Japanese sauce
PONZU
20
Manipulate into doubting one's memory or experience
GASLIGHT
22
Friendly emoticon
SMILEYFACE
24
Relieve, as pain
SOOTHE
28
Long-running forensics series
CSI
29
Only state with a nonrectangular flag
OHIO
30
Title for a married woman
MRS
33
Fairy tale opening word
ONCE
36
Country in Oceania named for a biblical king
SOLOMONISLANDS
40
"Star Wars" character ___ Ren
KYLO
41
___ Wednesday
ASH
42
Interlocking toy brand
LEGO
43
Four-wheeler, for short
ATV
45
Kicked out of office
OUSTED
47
Pet for Franklin Roosevelt or George W. Bush, informally
SCOTTIEDOG
52
As a precaution
TOBESAFE
53
Competitor at an esports tournament
GAMER
58
All tied up
EVEN
59
Smartphone setting that removes all color from the screen ... or a feature of this puzzle?
GRAYSCALE
61
Currency in Chihuahua
PESO
62
Job for an actor
ROLE
63
Run in neutral
IDLE
64
Ruminate (over)
STEW
65
"A Bug's Life" bugs
ANTS
66
Out of battery
DEAD
Down
1
Scissors sound
SNIP
2
Heading on a list of tasks
TODO
3
Lots and lots
ATON
4
Age group that includes 2000s kids
GENZ
5
[Yes, I know that's a typo]
SIC
6
Eel, at a Japanese restaurant
UNAGI
7
Fable's takeaway
MORAL
8
"Just a moment!"
ONESEC
9
Penultimate tournament round
SEMIFINALS
10
Last Greek letter
OMEGA
11
Pitch that's hard to hit?
HIGHC
12
Give a formal speech
ORATE
17
Heinie
TUSH
21
Sprayable disinfectant brand
LYSOL
23
Officewide message
MEMO
24
Signal at sea
SOS
25
"Um, sure"
OHOK
26
Covered in grease
OILY
27
"You missed your chance"
TOOLATENOW
31
Single-stranded molecule
RNA
32
Palindromic sib
SIS
34
Tech review site
CNET
35
Living on the ___
EDGE
37
Big name in applesauce
MOTTS
38
"Go away, fly!"
SHOO
39
Grass bought in rolls
SOD
44
"The little blue pill"
VIAGRA
46
Branded fluffy slippers
UGGS
47
Things taken on a walk?
STEPS
48
Violate the Tenth Commandment
COVET
49
Like many bodybuilders, according to B.M.I. alone
OBESE
50
Zac of "High School Musical"
EFRON
51
Handed out, as playing cards
DEALT
54
Low scorer on a pH test
ACID
55
Constructed
MADE
56
Name that can be parsed as "the the" in Spanish
ELLA
57
Portland college attended by Steve Jobs
REED
60
"Certainly!"
YES
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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