NYT Crossword Answers — August 28, 2026
The NYT-style Mini for August 28, 2026 packs a full puzzle into a tiny grid, and today's solution set spans everyday vocabulary from TVS, DROOL, HOWTO, LOTTO. Today's mini features a LOOP theme, with the O's in the grid forming a loop. It includes a mix of common words, pop culture, and quick trivia. 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, TVS, is the kind of gimme that gives you crossing letters for the trickier fill, while the longest entry, DROOL, 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 LOOP theme, with the O's in the grid forming a loop. It includes a mix of common words, pop culture, and quick trivia.
Across
| Clue | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Household items that come with remotes | TVS | TVs are household items that commonly come with remote controls. |
| 4. String of saliva | DROOL | Drool is a string of saliva that can hang from the mouth. |
| 6. Self-help book genre | HOWTO | HOWTO is a genre of self-help books that provide instructions. |
| 7. Powerball or Mega Millions | LOTTO | LOTTO is a term for games like Powerball or Mega Millions. |
| 8. Emoji voiced by Sir Patrick Stewart in "The Emoji Movie" | POOP | POOP is the emoji voiced by Sir Patrick Stewart in The Emoji Movie. |
Down
| Clue | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Group of Girl Scouts | TROOP | TROOP is a group of Girl Scouts, a common unit name. |
| 2. Promise that one will | VOWTO | VOWTO means to promise that one will do something. |
| 3. ___ voce (under one's breath) | SOTTO | SOTTO is an Italian word meaning 'under' as in 'sotto voce'. |
| 4. Big name in shipping logistics | DHL | DHL is a major company in shipping and logistics. |
| 5. Shape formed by the O's in this puzzle | LOOP | LOOP is the shape formed by the O's in the puzzle grid. |
Every answer explained
TVS
Clue: Household items that come with remotes
TVs are household items that commonly come with remote controls. With 0 vowels across 3 letters, TVS is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
DROOL
Clue: String of saliva
Drool is a string of saliva that can hang from the mouth. DROOL is a tidy 5-letter fill (2 vowels); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
HOWTO
Clue: Self-help book genre
HOWTO is a genre of self-help books that provide instructions. With 2 vowels across 5 letters, HOWTO is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
LOTTO
Clue: Powerball or Mega Millions
LOTTO is a term for games like Powerball or Mega Millions. With 2 vowels across 5 letters, LOTTO is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
POOP
Clue: Emoji voiced by Sir Patrick Stewart in "The Emoji Movie"
POOP is the emoji voiced by Sir Patrick Stewart in The Emoji Movie. With 2 vowels across 4 letters, POOP is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
TROOP
Clue: Group of Girl Scouts
TROOP is a group of Girl Scouts, a common unit name. TROOP is a tidy 5-letter fill (2 vowels); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
VOWTO
Clue: Promise that one will
VOWTO means to promise that one will do something. With 2 vowels across 5 letters, VOWTO is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
SOTTO
Clue: ___ voce (under one's breath)
SOTTO is an Italian word meaning 'under' as in 'sotto voce'. SOTTO is a tidy 5-letter fill (2 vowels); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
DHL
Clue: Big name in shipping logistics
DHL is a major company in shipping and logistics. As a 3-letter word with 0 vowels, DHL interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
LOOP
Clue: Shape formed by the O's in this puzzle
LOOP is the shape formed by the O's in the puzzle grid. With 2 vowels across 4 letters, LOOP is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
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.