Mini Crossword Today: Clues, Hints and Answers for September 24

Updated for Thursday, September 24, 2026 · Constructed by Christina Iverson, edited by Joel Fagliano.

One stubborn square should not cost you the whole grid. Every clue here carries its own extra nudge, so you can open the entry you are stuck on and leave the rest alone.

Mini Crossword hints, one rung at a time

Five rungs, from grid facts to a per-clue nudge. This page remembers which ones you opened while this grid is current.

  1. Hint 1: Grid facts

    Counted off the grid, not guessed.

    Grid
    5 × 5
    Clues
    5 across, 5 down
    Answer lengths
    4–5 letters
  2. Hint 2: Across clues, with an extra nudge each

    Open only the one you are stuck on.

    1 Across — Attendees of the Jellicle Ball, on Broadway (4)

    Famous musical with feline characters

    5 Across — Topping on a pizza margherita (5)

    Herb commonly used in Italian cooking

    6 Across — President who said "The best way to not feel hopeless is to get up and do something" (5)

    US President known for inspirational quotes

    7 Across — Feature of many a smart toilet (5)

    Luxury feature in high-end bathrooms

    8 Across — Rattling kind of drum (5)

    Drum type that produces a sharp sound

  3. Hint 3: Down clues, with an extra nudge each

    Same treatment, the other way.

    1 Down — House in the woods (5)

    Cozy retreat in a wooded area

    2 Down — Carne ___ (beef dish) (5)

    Type of grilled beef popular in Mexican cuisine

    3 Down — Function in the Clock app (5)

    Clock app feature for setting intervals

    4 Down — Rock used in roofing (5)

    Material used for roofing due to durability

    5 Down — Moves up and down in the water (4)

    Action of floating gently in water

  4. Hint 4: First letter of every answer

    One letter each — the crossings do the rest.

    1 Across
    C… (4 letters)
    5 Across
    B… (5 letters)
    6 Across
    O… (5 letters)
    7 Across
    B… (5 letters)
    8 Across
    S… (5 letters)
    1 Down
    C… (5 letters)
    2 Down
    A… (5 letters)
    3 Down
    T… (5 letters)
    4 Down
    S… (5 letters)
    5 Down
    B… (4 letters)
  5. Hint 5: Where to start

    Last rung before the filled grid.

    Take 1 Across first: at 4 letters it is the shortest entry on the board, and every crossing it makes hands you a free letter somewhere else.

Today's Mini Crossword answers, clue by clue

Each clue opens on its own: the nudge first, the answer folded one level deeper.

Across

  • 1Attendees of the Jellicle Ball, on Broadway4

    Famous musical with feline characters

    Show answer

    CATS

  • 5Topping on a pizza margherita5

    Herb commonly used in Italian cooking

    Show answer

    BASIL

  • 6President who said "The best way to not feel hopeless is to get up and do something"5

    US President known for inspirational quotes

    Show answer

    OBAMA

  • 7Feature of many a smart toilet5

    Luxury feature in high-end bathrooms

    Show answer

    BIDET

  • 8Rattling kind of drum5

    Drum type that produces a sharp sound

    Show answer

    SNARE

Down

  • 1House in the woods5

    Cozy retreat in a wooded area

    Show answer

    CABIN

  • 2Carne ___ (beef dish)5

    Type of grilled beef popular in Mexican cuisine

    Show answer

    ASADA

  • 3Function in the Clock app5

    Clock app feature for setting intervals

    Show answer

    TIMER

  • 4Rock used in roofing5

    Material used for roofing due to durability

    Show answer

    SLATE

  • 5Moves up and down in the water4

    Action of floating gently in water

    Show answer

    BOBS

This grid by the numbers

Constructed by Christina Iverson, edited by Joel Fagliano.

Date
Thursday, September 24, 2026
Grid
5 × 5
Clues
10 — 5 across, 5 down
Answer lengths
4–5 letters
Difficulty
medium

The last board we archived

The newest archived page is Mini Crossword answers for Wednesday, September 23, 2026, created once its date stopped being current everywhere on Earth.

All Mini Crossword answers by date

More puzzles today

How the Mini works, in short

A five-by-five grid most solvers finish inside a minute. Fill what you are sure of first: every crossing hands you a letter the other way, so one confident across answer usually unlocks three down ones. Our full Mini Crossword guide covers the abbreviation and wordplay conventions that trip newcomers.

NYT Mini Crossword questions we get asked

When does a new NYT Mini Crossword appear?

Weekdays at 10pm Eastern for the following day, and 6pm Eastern on Saturday for Sunday. This page follows your own time zone once the puzzle is live.

Can I get one Mini clue hinted without seeing the grid solved?

Yes — that is what this page is for. Each clue carries its own nudge on its own rung, so you can open exactly the square you are stuck on and leave the rest alone.

How big is the Mini Crossword grid on September 24?

5 by 5, with 5 across clues and 5 down clues — 10 entries in all.

What are the Mini Crossword answers for September 24?

1 Across: CATS, 5 Across: BASIL, 6 Across: OBAMA, 7 Across: BIDET, 8 Across: SNARE, 1 Down: CABIN, 2 Down: ASADA, 3 Down: TIMER, 4 Down: SLATE, 5 Down: BOBS.

Is TodayHint affiliated with The New York Times?

No — TodayHint is independent. The Mini Crossword and NYT are trademarks of The New York Times Company. Clue text is reported as printed; the nudges around it are written for this site.