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Idioms dominate today's grid: crocodile tears, cry wolf, early bird and busy bee all appear.
BEAU brings French roots; TEC revives old detective slang rarely seen today.
The five-by-five puzzle resets nightly, testing phrase recognition over plain definitions.
The NYT Mini Crossword returns with another quick challenge on Monday, August 31, 2026. This small grid mixes everyday phrases with a few playful twists, giving solvers a short but satisfying break. A handful of clues lean on common word pairings, while others dip into old slang and a touch of French.
The puzzle stays true to its five-by-five format. Ten clues fill the grid today, split evenly between across and down. Solvers who breeze through half the board can still get stuck on one stubborn entry, since short clues often hide more than one meaning.
Anyone stuck on a square or just double-checking the answers can look for the August 31 NYT Mini Crossword.
Five clues run across and five run down. Answers stretch from a common web reference to a French-rooted word for a romantic partner.
The across section opens with a spooky word pairing before moving into romance, reptiles, birds and wolves.
1A: Spider ___
WEB
The answer is WEB. A spider spins a web to catch prey, and the phrase pairs naturally with the eight-legged creature. This clue eases solvers into the grid with a familiar image.
4A: Quaint term for a boyfriend, from the French
BEAU
The answer is BEAU. French gave English this word for a male romantic partner, and it still shows up in older or playful writing. The clue nods to its European roots.
5A: Crocodile ___
TEARS
The answer is TEARS. Crocodile tears describe fake sadness, a phrase tied to the old belief that crocodiles cry while eating prey. The pairing turns a simple animal clue into an idiom.
6A: ___ bird
EARLY
The answer is EARLY. The early bird catches the worm, a saying about the benefits of getting a head start. The blank works before "bird" rather than after, adding a small twist.
7A: ___ wolf
CRY
The answer is CRY. To cry wolf means to raise a false alarm, based on the old fable about a shepherd boy. This clue closes the across section with another idiom-based answer.
The down clues shift into exhaustion, nobility, insects, pandas, and old detective slang.
1D: Feeling tired and worn out
WEARY The answer is WEARY. Weary describes deep tiredness, whether from physical effort or a long stretch of stress. The clue stays direct and needs little guesswork.
2D: British noble title
EARL
The answer is EARL. An earl ranks among British nobility, sitting below a marquess and above a viscount. The clue borrows from centuries-old aristocratic tradition.
3D: ___ bee
BUSY
The answer is BUSY. Busy bee describes someone who stays constantly active, a phrase drawn from how bees never seem to stop moving. The blank comes before "bee" here.
4D: Panda ___
BEAR
The answer is BEAR. Panda bear names the black-and-white animal, though many just say panda alone. The clue keeps the full term for clarity.
5D: Detective, in old shorthand
TEC
The answer is TEC. Tec served as slang for detective in older crime fiction and pulp novels. The short, clipped word fits the compact down slot perfectly.
Today's puzzle leans heavily on familiar sayings. Crocodile tears, cry wolf, early bird, and busy bee all pull from everyday idiom rather than plain definitions. That pattern gives the small grid a storytelling feel, even with just ten answers.
BEAU adds a language twist, borrowing directly from French. TEC reaches further back, pulling from vintage detective slang that rarely appears in casual conversation now. EARL brings a bit of British history into the mix, rounding out a grid that touches romance, wildlife, class structure, and old-fashioned wordplay.
The NYT Mini Crossword keeps its five-by-five shape daily, built for a fast solve. Size never guarantees ease, though. Idiom-heavy grids like today's can trip up solvers who read clues too literally instead of thinking in phrases.
The puzzle resets nightly, bringing a fresh set of words and references each time. That daily rhythm makes it easy to squeeze into a coffee break while still offering real mental engagement.
For August 31, the mix feels tied together by theme. Idioms carry the across section, while the down clues add nobility, insects, and vintage slang. A new NYT Mini Crossword challenge arrives again tomorrow, bringing another fresh set of clues to solve.
Also Read: Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers for August 30, 2026
