Today's Mini touches Amazon tech, golf scoring, and classic pop bands across ten total clues.
ALEXA, BOGEY, and AXEL stand out as the trickiest answers to nail down quickly.
The grid resets nightly at 10 p.m. Eastern, ahead of most other NYT daily games.
The New York Times Mini Crossword returns with a new set of clues for Tuesday, September 8, 2026. The grid keeps its familiar shape, but today's theme moves across national symbols, kitchen prep, and pop culture callbacks.
Solvers get six words to piece together, and nothing here demands legal jargon or technical language. The puzzle stays light and quick for a Tuesday, though a couple of clues need a second look before the pieces click.
Spoiler-free clues appear first for anyone chasing a solve without full answers.
Across Hints: The first clue is a national symbol, and the answer starts with "F." The next names a wake word tied to a popular smart speaker, ending in "A." A golf scoring term follows, ending in "Y." A kitchen instruction about pasta water comes next, starting with "B." The final Across clue touches home decor, ending in "T."
Down Hints: The first Down clue involves a building feature, ending in "R." Right after, a casual phrase meaning authentic ends in "T." A skating move starts with "A." A blended word tied to neighborhoods ends in "Y." The last Down clue names a legendary band, starting with "A."
A steady approach beats guesswork on any Mini grid. Short clues deserve attention first, since three and four-letter answers narrow the field fast. Cross-checking letters between Across and Down entries helps before committing to a full word. Music and pop culture clues often unlock neighboring boxes, so those pay off early.
Today's puzzle rewards recognition of brand names and casual slang over formal vocabulary, which keeps the solve friendly.
Answers for the September 8, 2026 puzzle appear below. Anyone still solving should stop scrolling here.
Across Answers
1A: The Stars and Stripes, e.g.
FLAG
5A: Wake word for an Amazon device
ALEXA
6A: +1 score in golf
BOGEY
7A: Prepare water for pasta
BOIL
8A: Some wall decorations
ART
Down Answers
1D: Elevator selection
FLOOR
2D: Not phony, informally
LEGIT
3D: Figure skating jump
AXEL
4D: Half of a portmanteau combined with "-borhood"
GAY
5D: "Dancing Queen" band
ABBA
Also Read: Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for September 7, 2026
FLAG opens the grid with a nod to national pride, while ALEXA points to everyday smart-home tech. BOGEY brings golf scoring into the mix, and BOIL keeps things grounded in the kitchen. ART rounds out the Across row with a simple decor reference.
On the Down side, FLOOR ties back to elevator buttons, and LEGIT captures casual speech about authenticity. AXEL calls out a signature figure skating jump named after a Norwegian skater.
GAY completes the "gayborhood" portmanteau, a term for neighborhoods known for LGBTQ+ community and culture. ABBA closes the puzzle with a callback to the Swedish pop group behind "Dancing Queen."
Tuesday's grid mixes categories well. Tech, sports, food prep, and music trivia each get a moment, keeping the theme from leaning too hard into one lane.
Nothing here requires specialist knowledge, though ALEXA and AXEL might trip up players unfamiliar with tech brand names or skating terms. The mix keeps difficulty at a gentle mid-week level, a slight step up from Monday's usual ease.
The Mini Crossword uses a compact five-by-five grid instead of the larger weekday and Sunday puzzles. Ten clues total, split evenly between Across and Down, fill the entire board. The puzzle resets daily at 10 p.m. Eastern, earlier than most other NYT Games that switch over at midnight.
Letters go directly into the grid, and cross-references between Across and Down answers confirm each guess. Speed matters for competitive solvers, since many track personal best times.
After wrapping up the Mini, plenty of solvers move on to Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition, and Strands. Each game tests a different skill, from vocabulary guessing to pattern recognition, rounding out the daily NYT Games lineup.
Another fresh Mini Crossword arrives tomorrow with ten brand-new clues.