NYT Crossword Answers — July 23, 2026
The NYT-style Mini for July 23, 2026 packs a full puzzle into a tiny grid, and today's solution set spans everyday vocabulary from BANJO, ALECK, STARE, HATED. Today's mini crossword features a mix of music, slang, and chess references, with no overarching theme. 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, ROW, is the kind of gimme that gives you crossing letters for the trickier fill, while the longest entry, BANJO, 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 crossword features a mix of music, slang, and chess references, with no overarching theme.
Across
| Clue | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Instrument in the bluegrass classic "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" | BANJO | BANJO is the instrument famously played in 'Foggy Mountain Breakdown.' |
| 6. Smart ___ (wise guy) | ALECK | ALECK is part of the phrase 'smart aleck,' meaning a wise guy. |
| 7. Compete in a contest that's lost by blinking | STARE | STARE means to compete in a staring contest, lost by blinking. |
| 8. Strongly disliked | HATED | HATED means strongly disliked. |
| 9. One of eight on a chessboard, or five in a Mini crossword | ROW | ROW refers to a horizontal line of squares on a chessboard or crossword. |
Down
| Clue | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Criticize harshly | BASH | BASH means to criticize harshly. |
| 2. Where wedding rings are exchanged | ALTAR | ALTAR is where wedding rings are exchanged. |
| 3. "Cool beans!" | NEATO | NEATO is slang meaning 'cool beans!' |
| 4. Preppy clothing brand | JCREW | JCREW is a preppy clothing brand. |
| 5. Gave the green light | OKED | OKED means gave the green light. |
Every answer explained
BANJO
Clue: Instrument in the bluegrass classic "Foggy Mountain Breakdown"
BANJO is the instrument famously played in 'Foggy Mountain Breakdown.' As a 5-letter word with 2 vowels, BANJO interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
ALECK
Clue: Smart ___ (wise guy)
ALECK is part of the phrase 'smart aleck,' meaning a wise guy. ALECK is a tidy 5-letter fill (2 vowels); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
STARE
Clue: Compete in a contest that's lost by blinking
STARE means to compete in a staring contest, lost by blinking. As a 5-letter word with 2 vowels, STARE interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
HATED
Clue: Strongly disliked
HATED means strongly disliked. HATED is a tidy 5-letter fill (2 vowels); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
ROW
Clue: One of eight on a chessboard, or five in a Mini crossword
ROW refers to a horizontal line of squares on a chessboard or crossword. As a 3-letter word with 1 vowel, ROW interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
BASH
Clue: Criticize harshly
BASH means to criticize harshly. As a 4-letter word with 1 vowel, BASH interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
ALTAR
Clue: Where wedding rings are exchanged
ALTAR is where wedding rings are exchanged. As a 5-letter word with 2 vowels, ALTAR interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
NEATO
Clue: "Cool beans!"
NEATO is slang meaning 'cool beans!' With 3 vowels across 5 letters, NEATO is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
JCREW
Clue: Preppy clothing brand
JCREW is a preppy clothing brand. JCREW is a tidy 5-letter fill (1 vowel); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
OKED
Clue: Gave the green light
OKED means gave the green light. As a 4-letter word with 2 vowels, OKED 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.