NYT Crossword Answers — September 9, 2026
The NYT-style Mini for September 9, 2026 packs a full puzzle into a tiny grid, and today's solution set spans everyday vocabulary from PATS, HITUP, EXTRA, HAWKS. Today's mini has no overarching theme, mixing common verbs, nouns, and pop culture references. 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, PATS, is the kind of gimme that gives you crossing letters for the trickier fill, while the longest entry, HITUP, 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 has no overarching theme, mixing common verbs, nouns, and pop culture references.
Across
| Clue | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Gentle, comforting touches | PATS | Light, affectionate touches with the hand are called pats. |
| 5. Give a call or text, informally | HITUP | "Hit up" informally means to contact someone by call or text. |
| 6. Background actor | EXTRA | A background actor is an extra in a film or show. |
| 7. Avid war advocates | HAWKS | Hawks are people who aggressively support war or military action. |
| 8. Greek god of love | EROS | Eros is the Greek god of love and desire. |
Down
| Clue | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Studio behind "Coco" and "Cars" | PIXAR | Pixar is the animation studio that made both "Coco" and "Cars". |
| 2. When some late lunches begin | ATTWO | "At two" is when some late lunches begin, written as ATTWO. |
| 3. ___ and Caicos | TURKS | Turks and Caicos is a British territory in the Caribbean. |
| 4. Luxury health retreats | SPAS | Spas are luxury retreats offering health and relaxation treatments. |
| 5. Snickering laugh | HEHE | "Hehe" is a snickering or quiet laugh written out. |
Every answer explained
PATS
Clue: Gentle, comforting touches
Light, affectionate touches with the hand are called pats. With 1 vowel across 4 letters, PATS is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
HITUP
Clue: Give a call or text, informally
"Hit up" informally means to contact someone by call or text. With 2 vowels across 5 letters, HITUP is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
EXTRA
Clue: Background actor
A background actor is an extra in a film or show. As a 5-letter word with 2 vowels, EXTRA interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
HAWKS
Clue: Avid war advocates
Hawks are people who aggressively support war or military action. HAWKS is a tidy 5-letter fill (1 vowel); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
EROS
Clue: Greek god of love
Eros is the Greek god of love and desire. With 2 vowels across 4 letters, EROS is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
PIXAR
Clue: Studio behind "Coco" and "Cars"
Pixar is the animation studio that made both "Coco" and "Cars". PIXAR is a tidy 5-letter fill (2 vowels); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
ATTWO
Clue: When some late lunches begin
"At two" is when some late lunches begin, written as ATTWO. With 2 vowels across 5 letters, ATTWO is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
TURKS
Clue: ___ and Caicos
Turks and Caicos is a British territory in the Caribbean. With 1 vowel across 5 letters, TURKS is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
SPAS
Clue: Luxury health retreats
Spas are luxury retreats offering health and relaxation treatments. SPAS is a tidy 4-letter fill (1 vowel); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
HEHE
Clue: Snickering laugh
"Hehe" is a snickering or quiet laugh written out. As a 4-letter word with 2 vowels, HEHE 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.