NYT Crossword Answers — July 22, 2026
The NYT-style Mini for July 22, 2026 packs a full puzzle into a tiny grid, and today's solution set spans everyday vocabulary from HEN, LADY, DANDY, AIDY. Today's mini features a chicken theme and a hint that the letters D and Y appear most often. 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, HEN, is the kind of gimme that gives you crossing letters for the trickier fill, while the longest entry, DANDY, 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
Today's mini features a chicken theme and a hint that the letters D and Y appear most often.
Across
| Clue | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Mother chicken | HEN | A mother chicken is called a hen. |
| 4. Word after "leading" and "first" | LADY | Common phrases include 'leading lady' and 'first lady'. |
| 5. Just peachy ... or a hint to the two letters that appear most often in this grid | DANDY | Dandy means excellent, and D and Y appear most in the grid. |
| 6. Bryant of "S.N.L." fame | AIDY | Aidy Bryant is a comedian known for 'S.N.L.'. |
| 7. Like overcooked chicken | DRY | Overcooked chicken becomes dry. |
Down
| Clue | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Helpful | HANDY | Something helpful is handy. |
| 2. Swirl of water | EDDY | A swirl of water is an eddy. |
| 3. The Yankees, on scoreboards | NYY | The New York Yankees' abbreviation is NYY. |
| 4. Supervillain's hideout | LAIR | A supervillain's hideout is a lair. |
| 5. ___ joke | DAD | A typical punny joke is a dad joke. |
Every answer explained
HEN
Clue: Mother chicken
A mother chicken is called a hen. With 1 vowel across 3 letters, HEN is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
LADY
Clue: Word after "leading" and "first"
Common phrases include 'leading lady' and 'first lady'. LADY is a tidy 4-letter fill (1 vowel); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
DANDY
Clue: Just peachy ... or a hint to the two letters that appear most often in this grid
Dandy means excellent, and D and Y appear most in the grid. With 1 vowel across 5 letters, DANDY is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
AIDY
Clue: Bryant of "S.N.L." fame
Aidy Bryant is a comedian known for 'S.N.L.'. AIDY is a tidy 4-letter fill (2 vowels); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
DRY
Clue: Like overcooked chicken
Overcooked chicken becomes dry. DRY is a tidy 3-letter fill (0 vowels); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
HANDY
Clue: Helpful
Something helpful is handy. With 1 vowel across 5 letters, HANDY is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
EDDY
Clue: Swirl of water
A swirl of water is an eddy. EDDY is a tidy 4-letter fill (1 vowel); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
NYY
Clue: The Yankees, on scoreboards
The New York Yankees' abbreviation is NYY. NYY is a tidy 3-letter fill (0 vowels); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
LAIR
Clue: Supervillain's hideout
A supervillain's hideout is a lair. LAIR is a tidy 4-letter fill (2 vowels); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
DAD
Clue: ___ joke
A typical punny joke is a dad joke. As a 3-letter word with 1 vowel, DAD interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
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.