NYT Crossword Answers — September 7, 2026
The NYT-style Mini for September 7, 2026 packs a full puzzle into a tiny grid, and today's solution set spans everyday vocabulary from SAW, EIGHT, ADIEU, RELAX. Today's mini is straightforward, mixing tools, numbers, common words, and wedding attire, with a slight nod to games. 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, SAW, is the kind of gimme that gives you crossing letters for the trickier fill, while the longest entry, EIGHT, 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 is straightforward, mixing tools, numbers, common words, and wedding attire, with a slight nod to games.
Across
| Clue | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Tool with teeth | SAW | A saw has a toothed edge used for cutting. |
| 4. Number of rows on a chessboard | EIGHT | A chessboard has 8 rows and 8 columns. |
| 6. Common Wordle starting word | ADIEU | ADIEU is a popular starting word in Wordle for its vowels. |
| 7. Kick back | RELAX | To kick back means to relax and unwind. |
| 8. Band's grouping of songs | SET | A set is a sequence of songs played by a band. |
Down
| Clue | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. French fries and coleslaw, for two | SIDES | French fries and coleslaw are common side dishes. |
| 2. Fleet of foot | AGILE | Agile means quick and light on one's feet. |
| 3. Resource in the game Catan | WHEAT | In Catan, wheat is one of the five resource types. |
| 4. Body part in the heart of "heart" | EAR | The word 'heart' contains 'ear' as a hidden body part. |
| 5. Attire for a black-tie wedding | TUX | Tux is short for tuxedo, worn at formal events. |
Every answer explained
SAW
Clue: Tool with teeth
A saw has a toothed edge used for cutting. SAW is a tidy 3-letter fill (1 vowel); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
EIGHT
Clue: Number of rows on a chessboard
A chessboard has 8 rows and 8 columns. As a 5-letter word with 2 vowels, EIGHT interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
ADIEU
Clue: Common Wordle starting word
ADIEU is a popular starting word in Wordle for its vowels. As a 5-letter word with 4 vowels, ADIEU interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
RELAX
Clue: Kick back
To kick back means to relax and unwind. As a 5-letter word with 2 vowels, RELAX interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
SET
Clue: Band's grouping of songs
A set is a sequence of songs played by a band. With 1 vowel across 3 letters, SET is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
SIDES
Clue: French fries and coleslaw, for two
French fries and coleslaw are common side dishes. With 2 vowels across 5 letters, SIDES is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
AGILE
Clue: Fleet of foot
Agile means quick and light on one's feet. With 3 vowels across 5 letters, AGILE is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
WHEAT
Clue: Resource in the game Catan
In Catan, wheat is one of the five resource types. WHEAT is a tidy 5-letter fill (2 vowels); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
EAR
Clue: Body part in the heart of "heart"
The word 'heart' contains 'ear' as a hidden body part. With 2 vowels across 3 letters, EAR is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
TUX
Clue: Attire for a black-tie wedding
Tux is short for tuxedo, worn at formal events. With 1 vowel across 3 letters, TUX 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.