NYT Crossword Answers — August 31, 2026
The NYT-style Mini for August 31, 2026 packs a full puzzle into a tiny grid, and today's solution set spans everyday vocabulary from WEB, BEAU, TEARS, EARLY. Today's mini features common compound words with animal names, plus a few short classics. The theme is playful phrases ending with animals or animal-related terms. 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, WEB, is the kind of gimme that gives you crossing letters for the trickier fill, while the longest entry, TEARS, 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 common compound words with animal names, plus a few short classics. The theme is playful phrases ending with animals or animal-related terms.
Across
| Clue | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Spider ___ | WEB | WEB: In 'Spider Web,' the structure a spider spins to catch prey. |
| 4. Quaint term for a boyfriend, from the French | BEAU | BEAU: French-derived word for a boyfriend or male admirer. |
| 5. Crocodile ___ | TEARS | TEARS: 'Crocodile tears' are a false display of sorrow. |
| 6. ___ bird | EARLY | EARLY: In 'early bird,' the bird that gets up before others. |
| 7. ___ wolf | CRY | CRY: In 'cry wolf,' to raise a false alarm. |
Down
| Clue | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Feeling tired and worn out | WEARY | WEARY: Feeling tired, worn out, or exhausted. |
| 2. British noble title | EARL | EARL: A British noble rank, below a marquess and above a viscount. |
| 3. ___ bee | BUSY | BUSY: In 'busy bee,' a person who is industrious and active. |
| 4. Panda __ | BEAR | BEAR: 'Panda bear' is another name for the panda. |
| 5. Detective, in old shorthand | TEC | TEC: Old shorthand for detective, from the word 'detective.' |
Every answer explained
WEB
Clue: Spider ___
WEB: In 'Spider Web,' the structure a spider spins to catch prey. As a 3-letter word with 1 vowel, WEB interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
BEAU
Clue: Quaint term for a boyfriend, from the French
BEAU: French-derived word for a boyfriend or male admirer. As a 4-letter word with 3 vowels, BEAU interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
TEARS
Clue: Crocodile ___
TEARS: 'Crocodile tears' are a false display of sorrow. With 2 vowels across 5 letters, TEARS is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
EARLY
Clue: ___ bird
EARLY: In 'early bird,' the bird that gets up before others. With 2 vowels across 5 letters, EARLY is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
CRY
Clue: ___ wolf
CRY: In 'cry wolf,' to raise a false alarm. As a 3-letter word with 0 vowels, CRY interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
WEARY
Clue: Feeling tired and worn out
WEARY: Feeling tired, worn out, or exhausted. As a 5-letter word with 2 vowels, WEARY interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
EARL
Clue: British noble title
EARL: A British noble rank, below a marquess and above a viscount. As a 4-letter word with 2 vowels, EARL interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
BUSY
Clue: ___ bee
BUSY: In 'busy bee,' a person who is industrious and active. BUSY is a tidy 4-letter fill (1 vowel); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
BEAR
Clue: Panda __
BEAR: 'Panda bear' is another name for the panda. With 2 vowels across 4 letters, BEAR is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
TEC
Clue: Detective, in old shorthand
TEC: Old shorthand for detective, from the word 'detective.' With 1 vowel across 3 letters, TEC 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.