NYT Crossword Answers — June 23, 2026
The NYT-style Mini for June 23, 2026 packs a full puzzle into a tiny grid, and today's solution set spans everyday vocabulary from CAP, LIMA, ICE, CROWN. Tuesday visits Peru and crowns the puzzle with a regal 7-Across. 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, CAP, is the kind of gimme that gives you crossing letters for the trickier fill, while the longest entry, CICADA, 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
Tuesday visits Peru and crowns the puzzle with a regal 7-Across.
Across
| Clue | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Baseball hat | CAP | A cap is a soft hat, common in baseball. |
| 4. Capital of Peru | LIMA | Lima is the capital of Peru. |
| 6. Frozen water | ICE | Ice is frozen water. |
| 7. Royal headwear | CROWN | A crown is worn by a king or queen. |
| 8. Curved fruit | PEAR | A pear is a sweet, bell-shaped fruit. |
Down
| Clue | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Baby cat | CICADA | A cicada is a loud summer insect. |
| 2. Rescue | AICO | Aid is help given to those in need. |
| 3. Consume | PEN | A pen is a writing instrument. |
| 4. Not truth | LIE | A lie is an untruth. |
| 5. Prospector's find | MOTOR | A motor is a machine that produces motion. |
Every answer explained
CAP
Clue: Baseball hat
A cap is a soft hat, common in baseball. As a 3-letter word with 1 vowel, CAP interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
LIMA
Clue: Capital of Peru
Lima is the capital of Peru. With 2 vowels across 4 letters, LIMA is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
ICE
Clue: Frozen water
Ice is frozen water. With 2 vowels across 3 letters, ICE is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
CROWN
Clue: Royal headwear
A crown is worn by a king or queen. With 1 vowel across 5 letters, CROWN is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
PEAR
Clue: Curved fruit
A pear is a sweet, bell-shaped fruit. PEAR is a tidy 4-letter fill (2 vowels); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
CICADA
Clue: Baby cat
A cicada is a loud summer insect. As a 6-letter word with 3 vowels, CICADA interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
AICO
Clue: Rescue
Aid is help given to those in need. With 3 vowels across 4 letters, AICO is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
PEN
Clue: Consume
A pen is a writing instrument. As a 3-letter word with 1 vowel, PEN interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
LIE
Clue: Not truth
A lie is an untruth. LIE is a tidy 3-letter fill (2 vowels); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
MOTOR
Clue: Prospector's find
A motor is a machine that produces motion. As a 5-letter word with 2 vowels, MOTOR interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
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.