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The NYT Mini Crossword returns with another fresh set of clues on Thursday, August 20, 2026. This small grid mixes cartoon nostalgia with music references and playful language. A few clues carry double meanings, keeping the short solve from feeling too easy.
The puzzle stays true to its five-by-five format. Even so, certain entries need a second look before the answer clicks into place. Attention to phrasing often makes the difference between a fast finish and a stuck square.
Ten clues fill today's grid. Five run across and five run down. Answers stretch from a beloved comic strip character to a musical note, with animal hideouts and gym-style motivation along the way.
Solvers checking a tricky answer or confirming a finished grid can find every clue below.
The across section starts in a laboratory before moving through cartoons, attitude, animals and effort.
1A: Scientist's workplace
LAB The answer is LAB. Laboratories serve as the standard setting for scientific work and experiments. This short, direct clue offers an easy entry point into the puzzle.
4A: Best friend of Charlie Brown
LINUS The answer is LINUS. Linus van Pelt appears throughout the Peanuts comic strip as Charlie Brown's loyal companion, known for his blanket and philosophical musings. Fans of the classic strip should recognize this one quickly.
6A: Looking for a fight, informally
AGGRO The answer is AGGRO. This slang term describes an aggressive or combative attitude, often used casually in everyday conversation. The informal tone signals a shorter, punchier answer.
7A: Turtle's hiding place
SHELL The answer is SHELL. A turtle's shell provides natural protection and serves as its retreat from danger. The clue stays simple but fits neatly into the grid.
8A: Give an effort
TRY The answer is TRY. This clue points toward putting in effort or making an attempt at something. Its brevity makes it a fitting close to the across section.
Also Read: Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for August 19, 2026
The down clues shift into wordplay, music, physicality, geography and solfège.
1D: Plant food?
Ans. LIGHT The answer is LIGHT. Sunlight fuels photosynthesis, the process plants rely on for energy. The question mark in the clue signals a playful twist rather than a literal food reference.
2D: "Don't Look Back in ___" (Oasis hit
ANGER The answer is ANGER. Oasis released this well-known track as part of their 1995 album, and the title remains widely recognized among fans of 90s rock. The clue leans on pop culture memory.
3D: Large and muscular
BURLY The answer is BURLY. This word describes someone physically strong and sturdily built. The straightforward definition makes the crossing letters especially helpful.
4D: ___ Vegas
LAS The answer is LAS. This fill-in-the-blank clue completes the name of the well-known Nevada city. Short geographic clues like this often appear in Mini grids.
5D: Note after do, re, mi, fa
SOL The answer is SOL. Solfège syllables follow a fixed order, and SOL comes right after fa in the traditional scale. Musical training helps solvers spot this one fast.
Thursday's puzzle blends nostalgia with everyday language in a small space. LINUS brings comic strip history into the mix, while ANGER nods toward 90s music. LAB and SHELL keep things grounded in simple, familiar territory.
AGGRO and BURLY add texture through informal and descriptive language. Meanwhile, LIGHT and SOL introduce wordplay and musical knowledge, giving the down clues a slightly trickier edge than the across section.
The NYT Mini Crossword continues to prove that a five-by-five grid can still challenge sharp solvers. Short clues often hide more than one meaning, and today's puzzle uses that trick well with entries like LIGHT and AGGRO.
Every day brings a new combination of themes, references and language quirks. Thursday's edition moves from science labs to Peanuts, Britpop, animal anatomy and music theory, proving the small format rarely runs out of variety.
The next NYT Mini Crossword arrives tomorrow, bringing another set of clues and answers for solvers to work through.
