NYT Crossword Answers — September 10, 2026
The NYT-style Mini for September 10, 2026 packs a full puzzle into a tiny grid, and today's solution set spans everyday vocabulary from DNA, JEANS, UNITE, DIVOT. Today's mini has a denim/jeans theme, with 4-Across (JEANS) and 1-Down (DENIM) cross-referencing each other, plus assorted general-knowledge 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, DNA, is the kind of gimme that gives you crossing letters for the trickier fill, while the longest entry, JEANS, 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 a denim/jeans theme, with 4-Across (JEANS) and 1-Down (DENIM) cross-referencing each other, plus assorted general-knowledge clues.
Across
| Clue | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Humans share about 99% of it with chimps | DNA | Chimps and humans share roughly 99% of their DNA. |
| 4. Blue attire made of 1-Down | JEANS | Jeans are blue pants typically made of denim. |
| 6. Bring together | UNITE | To unite is to bring people or things together. |
| 7. Chunk taken out of a golf fairway | DIVOT | A divot is a chunk of turf cut from a fairway. |
| 8. Foreboding signs | OMENS | Omens are signs that foretell future events. |
Down
| Clue | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Blue material in 4-Across | DENIM | Denim is the blue fabric used to make jeans. |
| 2. Gullible | NAIVE | Naive means easily fooled or gullible. |
| 3. ___ Chigurh, Javier Bardem's Oscar-winning role in "No Country for Old Men" | ANTON | Anton Chigurh was Javier Bardem's Oscar-winning role. |
| 4. Olympic martial art | JUDO | Judo is a Japanese martial art featured in the Olympics. |
| 5. Theater backdrops | SETS | Sets are the backdrops and scenery on a theater stage. |
Every answer explained
DNA
Clue: Humans share about 99% of it with chimps
Chimps and humans share roughly 99% of their DNA. DNA is a tidy 3-letter fill (1 vowel); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
JEANS
Clue: Blue attire made of 1-Down
Jeans are blue pants typically made of denim. With 2 vowels across 5 letters, JEANS is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
UNITE
Clue: Bring together
To unite is to bring people or things together. UNITE is a tidy 5-letter fill (3 vowels); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
DIVOT
Clue: Chunk taken out of a golf fairway
A divot is a chunk of turf cut from a fairway. As a 5-letter word with 2 vowels, DIVOT interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
OMENS
Clue: Foreboding signs
Omens are signs that foretell future events. With 2 vowels across 5 letters, OMENS is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
DENIM
Clue: Blue material in 4-Across
Denim is the blue fabric used to make jeans. DENIM is a tidy 5-letter fill (2 vowels); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
NAIVE
Clue: Gullible
Naive means easily fooled or gullible. NAIVE is a tidy 5-letter fill (3 vowels); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
ANTON
Clue: ___ Chigurh, Javier Bardem's Oscar-winning role in "No Country for Old Men"
Anton Chigurh was Javier Bardem's Oscar-winning role. With 2 vowels across 5 letters, ANTON is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
JUDO
Clue: Olympic martial art
Judo is a Japanese martial art featured in the Olympics. With 2 vowels across 4 letters, JUDO is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
SETS
Clue: Theater backdrops
Sets are the backdrops and scenery on a theater stage. As a 4-letter word with 1 vowel, SETS 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.