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September 28’s NYT Mini features 10 clues across sports, slang, brands and wordplay.
Key answers include RORY, MOVIE, ELIZA, GENZ, AXE, ROLEX, OVINE, RIZZ, YEA and MEGA.
Short entries and crossing letters can help solve tougher clues quickly.
The NYT Mini Crossword returns on Monday, September 28, 2026, with a fresh set of clues and answers. A new grid arrives every day, and each one offers a quick burst of wordplay. Today's puzzle leans on sports, slang, luxury brands, and word roots. The mix suits a Monday well, since the answers stay friendly and the twists stay small.
The Mini keeps its format simple. The 5x5 grid holds a handful of clues, and most solves take only minutes. Short clues still hide surprising meanings, so one stubborn square can slow down any solver. Parade reports that the Mini resets at 10 p.m. Eastern, earlier than several other NYT games.
Today's grid features 10 clues in total. Five run across and five run down. The answers travel from a Northern Irish golfer to a slang word for charisma. Solvers who need a final check can use the full list below.
The across section opens with golf, then moves through film, nicknames, generations and outdoor work.
1A: Golfer McIlroy
RORY
The answer is RORY. Rory McIlroy is a Northern Irish golfer with several major titles. The clue gives only the surname, so the first name fills the grid.
5A: What a best-selling book might be adapted into
MOVIE
The answer is MOVIE. Studios often buy the film rights to popular novels. The clue stays broad, so crossing letters help confirm the fit.
6A: Nickname that drops "beth"
ELIZA
The answer is ELIZA. Remove the final syllable from Elizabeth, and ELIZA remains. The clue works like a small subtraction puzzle.
7A: Early 2000s babies are part of it
GENZ
The answer is GENZ. Gen Z covers people born from the late 1990s to the early 2010s. Babies from the early 2000s sit near the middle of that range. The grid needs the term written as one word.
8A: Tools for a lumberjack
AXE
The answer is AXE. An axe is the classic tool for felling trees. The three-letter entry offers an easy win after the longer words.
The down clues cover luxury watches, animal adjectives, modern slang, voting and prefixes.
1D: Watch brand with crown logo
ROLEX
The answer is ROLEX. The Swiss watchmaker uses a crown as its logo. The clue describes the emblem instead of naming the brand, which adds a visual twist.
2D: Word like equine, feline or canine, but for sheep
OVINE
The answer is OVINE. The word describes anything related to sheep. The clue lists three familiar examples and leaves the rarer one to the solver.
3D: Charisma, in slang
RIZZ
The answer is RIZZ. The slang term is a clipped form of charisma. Oxford University Press named it Word of the Year in 2023. The double Z makes it a handy anchor for crossing entries.
4D: Opposite of "nay"
YEA
The answer is YEA. Yea means yes in a spoken vote. Legislatures and committees still pair the two words. The short entry rewards quick thinking.
5D: "Big" prefix
MEGA
The answer is MEGA. The prefix means large or huge. Megabyte and megastar both use it. The four-letter fill closes out the grid.
Today's Mini sets old vocabulary beside fresh internet language. OVINE and YEA come from a formal, traditional side of English. RIZZ and GENZ belong to the social media era. The contrast gives the small grid a lively feel.
Two entries also show how crossword clues shrink big ideas. ELIZA needs a syllable removed. ROLEX needs a logo recognized. Neither clue names the answer, yet both stay fair.
Prefix and suffix clues often offer the fastest start. MEGA and OVINE both follow familiar patterns. Slang answers like RIZZ can look odd, so crossing letters help settle them. Names such as RORY fill quickly once one letter lands.
Solvers who feel stuck can skip to the shortest clue. Three-letter answers like AXE and YEA often unlock the longer words. A single confirmed letter can reopen an entire row.
Another set of clues, hints, and answers arrives with the next daily NYT Mini Crossword.
Also Read: Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for September 25, 2026
