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Today's Mini pairs JEANS and DENIM, linking two clues directly through fabric.
Sport appears twice, through golf's DIVOT and Olympic JUDO.
Film trivia returns via ANTON, Javier Bardem's Oscar-winning role.
The NYT Mini Crossword returns with another small grid on Thursday, September 10, 2026. Five clues run across. Five more run down. Together, they form a puzzle that solvers usually finish within a few minutes.
This edition leans on a mix of biology, clothing, sport, and cinema. Two answers connect directly, since one clue defines the material and another clue defines the item made from that same material. That kind of link often shows up in the Mini, and it adds a small logical puzzle inside the larger grid.
Anyone stuck on a square, or anyone who wants to confirm a finished grid, can check every answer below.
The grid carries 10 clues in total. Five sit across the puzzle. Five sit down. The answers stretch from human genetics to a term borrowed from golf courses.
The across section starts with a science clue, moves into fashion, then closes with sport and a warning-related term.
1A: Humans share about 99% of it with chimps
DNA
The answer is DNA. Genetic material links humans and chimpanzees closely, and shared DNA sits near the top of common trivia facts about human origins. The clue keeps things brief but leans on real biology.
4A: Blue attire made of 1-Down
JEANS
The answer is JEANS. Denim forms the fabric behind blue jeans, and this clue ties directly back to 1-Down. The connection between the two answers gives the grid a small built-in puzzle beyond the individual definitions.
6A: Bring together
UNITE
The answer is UNITE. Bringing people or groups into one place or cause describes the basic meaning of the word. The clue stays simple, though the crossing letters help confirm the spelling.
7A: Chunk taken out of a golf fairway
DIVOT
The answer is DIVOT. Golfers create a divot whenever a swing removes a patch of turf from the ground. Course etiquette usually asks players to replace it, and the term appears often in golf coverage.
8A: Foreboding signs
OMENS
The answer is OMENS. An omen signals that something, often negative, may happen soon. The plural form fits the clue and closes out the across section.
The down clues shift into fabric, character traits, film and an Olympic sport.
1D: Blue material in 4-Across
DENIM
The answer is DENIM. This clue mirrors 4-Across, since denim becomes the fabric used to make blue jeans. Solvers who catch this link early can often fill both answers together.
2D: Gullible
NAIVE
The answer is NAIVE. Someone naive tends to trust too easily or lacks experience with deception. The clue uses a familiar personality trait to test vocabulary recall.
3D: _ Chigurh, Javier Bardem's Oscar-winning role in "No Country for Old Men"
ANTON
The answer is ANTON. Javier Bardem played Anton Chigurh in the 2007 film, and the role earned him an Academy Award. Film trivia clues like this one often reward solvers who follow award-season history.
4D: Olympic martial art
JUDO
The answer is JUDO. Judo holds a permanent place in the Olympic program and focuses on grappling and throwing techniques. The clue stays direct, and the crossing letters narrow the options quickly.
5D: Theater backdrops
SETS
The answer is SETS. Stage backdrops and scenery pieces fall under the general term "sets" in theater production. The plural form matches the clue's phrasing.
The September 10 puzzle packs several subjects into a tight five-by-five space. Science opens the grid through DNA. Fashion follows through JEANS and its material partner, DENIM. Sport enters twice, first through DIVOT and again through JUDO, covering both golf and combat sport in a single grid.
Film trivia adds another layer through ANTON, a clue that rewards solvers familiar with award-winning performances. NAIVE and OMENS round out the personality and language side of the puzzle, while SETS brings theater into the mix.
The pairing between JEANS and DENIM stands out most. Many Mini grids include at least one linked pair, where solving one answer offers a strong hint toward the other. Thursday's puzzle uses that trick well, giving newer solvers a helpful foothold partway through the grid.
The NYT Mini Crossword keeps a small five-by-five format built for quick solving. That size rarely means an easy puzzle, though. Short clues sometimes carry double meanings, and a single tricky answer can slow down even a fast solver.
The Mini also refreshes daily, unlike the standard NYT Crossword, which sits behind a subscription. This version resets each day and stays free to play, drawing in solvers who want a short mental break rather than a lengthy session.
For September 10, the mix runs from human genetics to denim, golf terminology, Olympic sport and a well-known film role. The down clues continue that spread through personality traits, theater terms and character trivia.
That range keeps the small grid from feeling repetitive day to day. A fresh NYT Mini Crossword challenge arrives again tomorrow, bringing another set of clues and answers for solvers to work through.
Also Read: Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for September 9, 2026
