NYT Crossword Answers — September 1, 2026
The NYT-style Mini for September 1, 2026 packs a full puzzle into a tiny grid, and today's solution set spans everyday vocabulary from EYES, XOXO, BUYIN, IDOS. Simple, everyday words and common phrases, with a few wedding and baby-related clues. 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, SON, is the kind of gimme that gives you crossing letters for the trickier fill, while the longest entry, BUYIN, 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
Simple, everyday words and common phrases, with a few wedding and baby-related clues.
Across
| Clue | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Peering pair | EYES | The pair of organs used for seeing. |
| 5. "Hugs and kisses" sign-off | XOXO | Common abbreviation for hugs and kisses in text. |
| 6. Support, as for a corporate plan | BUYIN | Support or agreement, as in buying into a plan. |
| 7. Words exchanged at the wedding altar | IDOS | The vows spoken by the couple during a wedding. |
| 8. Email sign-off | BEST | A common polite way to end an email. |
Down
| Clue | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Give off strongly | EXUDE | To emit or release something strongly, like an odor. |
| 2. Toys on strings | YOYOS | Toys that spin up and down on a string. |
| 3. Be in the world | EXIST | To have life or be alive. |
| 4. Prince Archie, to Harry and Meghan | SON | Archie is the male child of Harry and Meghan. |
| 6. Neckwear for a baby | BIB | A cloth fastened under a baby's chin to catch spills. |
Every answer explained
EYES
Clue: Peering pair
The pair of organs used for seeing. As a 4-letter word with 2 vowels, EYES interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
XOXO
Clue: "Hugs and kisses" sign-off
Common abbreviation for hugs and kisses in text. As a 4-letter word with 2 vowels, XOXO interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
BUYIN
Clue: Support, as for a corporate plan
Support or agreement, as in buying into a plan. BUYIN is a tidy 5-letter fill (2 vowels); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
IDOS
Clue: Words exchanged at the wedding altar
The vows spoken by the couple during a wedding. With 2 vowels across 4 letters, IDOS is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
BEST
Clue: Email sign-off
A common polite way to end an email. As a 4-letter word with 1 vowel, BEST interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
EXUDE
Clue: Give off strongly
To emit or release something strongly, like an odor. As a 5-letter word with 3 vowels, EXUDE interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
YOYOS
Clue: Toys on strings
Toys that spin up and down on a string. YOYOS is a tidy 5-letter fill (2 vowels); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
EXIST
Clue: Be in the world
To have life or be alive. EXIST is a tidy 5-letter fill (2 vowels); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
SON
Clue: Prince Archie, to Harry and Meghan
Archie is the male child of Harry and Meghan. With 1 vowel across 3 letters, SON is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
BIB
Clue: Neckwear for a baby
A cloth fastened under a baby's chin to catch spills. BIB is a tidy 3-letter fill (1 vowel); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
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.