NYT Crossword Answers — June 24, 2026
The NYT-style Mini for June 24, 2026 packs a full puzzle into a tiny grid, and today's solution set spans everyday vocabulary from ISLE, EGYPT, ATE, FIELD. Wednesday tours the pyramids and lands on a grassy 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, ATE, is the kind of gimme that gives you crossing letters for the trickier fill, while the longest entry, EGYPT, 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
Wednesday tours the pyramids and lands on a grassy 7-Across.
Across
| Clue | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Small landmass | ISLE | An isle is a small island. |
| 4. Country home to the pyramids | EGYPT | The pyramids of Giza are in Egypt. |
| 6. Consumed | ATE | Ate is the past tense of eat. |
| 7. Grassy plot of play | FIELD | A field is an open grassy area for sports. |
| 8. Male deer | STAG | A stag is a male deer. |
Down
| Clue | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Frozen water sheet | IGLOO | An igloo is a dome of packed snow. |
| 2. Take a break | STAY | To stay is to remain in place. |
| 3. Ripped | LEG | A leg is a limb used for walking. |
| 4. Consumes food | EATS | Eats is the third-person form of eat. |
| 5. Curved shape | TIDE | A tide is the rise and fall of the sea. |
Every answer explained
ISLE
Clue: Small landmass
An isle is a small island. ISLE is a tidy 4-letter fill (2 vowels); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
EGYPT
Clue: Country home to the pyramids
The pyramids of Giza are in Egypt. EGYPT is a tidy 5-letter fill (1 vowel); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
ATE
Clue: Consumed
Ate is the past tense of eat. ATE is a tidy 3-letter fill (2 vowels); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
FIELD
Clue: Grassy plot of play
A field is an open grassy area for sports. FIELD is a tidy 5-letter fill (2 vowels); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
STAG
Clue: Male deer
A stag is a male deer. STAG is a tidy 4-letter fill (1 vowel); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
IGLOO
Clue: Frozen water sheet
An igloo is a dome of packed snow. IGLOO is a tidy 5-letter fill (3 vowels); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
STAY
Clue: Take a break
To stay is to remain in place. STAY is a tidy 4-letter fill (1 vowel); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
LEG
Clue: Ripped
A leg is a limb used for walking. As a 3-letter word with 1 vowel, LEG interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
EATS
Clue: Consumes food
Eats is the third-person form of eat. As a 4-letter word with 2 vowels, EATS interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
TIDE
Clue: Curved shape
A tide is the rise and fall of the sea. As a 4-letter word with 2 vowels, TIDE 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.