NYT Crossword Answers — June 5, 2026
The NYT-style Mini for June 5, 2026 packs a full puzzle into a tiny grid, and today's solution set spans everyday vocabulary from NIP, PLACID, SPA, HELLO. A calm-and-cool vibe and an Adele earworm keep Friday feeling light and musical. 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, NIP, is the kind of gimme that gives you crossing letters for the trickier fill, while the longest entry, PLACID, 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 calm-and-cool vibe and an Adele earworm keep Friday feeling light and musical.
Across
| Clue | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Small bite | NIP | A nip is a small bite or pinch. |
| 4. Peaceful and calm | PLACID | Placid means peaceful and calm. |
| 6. Health resort | SPA | A spa is a resort offering health and beauty treatments. |
| 7. Adele hit ___ You | HELLO | Hello is a chart-topping single by Adele. |
| 8. Deep hole | PIT | A pit is a deep hole in the ground. |
Down
| Clue | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Wear away | NAG | To nag is to wear away at someone with pestering. |
| 2. Frozen rain | ICE | Ice is frozen precipitation. |
| 3. Camera flash color | PALE | A camera flash can wash colors out to a pale tone. |
| 4. Mother pig | PIG | A pig is the animal referenced; a sow is female. |
| 5. Wander aimlessly | COAST | To coast is to move along with little effort. |
Every answer explained
NIP
Clue: Small bite
A nip is a small bite or pinch. NIP is a tidy 3-letter fill (1 vowel); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
PLACID
Clue: Peaceful and calm
Placid means peaceful and calm. PLACID is a tidy 6-letter fill (2 vowels); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
SPA
Clue: Health resort
A spa is a resort offering health and beauty treatments. With 1 vowel across 3 letters, SPA is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
HELLO
Clue: Adele hit ___ You
Hello is a chart-topping single by Adele. As a 5-letter word with 2 vowels, HELLO interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
PIT
Clue: Deep hole
A pit is a deep hole in the ground. With 1 vowel across 3 letters, PIT is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
NAG
Clue: Wear away
To nag is to wear away at someone with pestering. As a 3-letter word with 1 vowel, NAG interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
ICE
Clue: Frozen rain
Ice is frozen precipitation. With 2 vowels across 3 letters, ICE is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
PALE
Clue: Camera flash color
A camera flash can wash colors out to a pale tone. PALE is a tidy 4-letter fill (2 vowels); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
PIG
Clue: Mother pig
A pig is the animal referenced; a sow is female. With 1 vowel across 3 letters, PIG is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
COAST
Clue: Wander aimlessly
To coast is to move along with little effort. COAST is a tidy 5-letter fill (2 vowels); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
Explore clues from this puzzle
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.