Mini Crossword Today: Clues, Hints and Answers for September 11
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.
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Hint 1: Grid facts
Counted off the grid, not guessed.
- Grid
- 5 × 5
- Clues
- 5 across, 5 down
- Answer lengths
- 3–5 letters
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Hint 2: Across clues, with an extra nudge each
Open only the one you are stuck on.
1 Across — Picture puzzle where 👁️ + ❤️ + 🐑 means "I love you" (5)
Visual puzzle using symbols and images
6 Across — Its license plates read "Famous Potatoes" (5)
US state known for potatoes and farming
7 Across — After-dinner coffee order (5)
Type of coffee with low caffeine content
8 Across — Distinctive feature of an aardvark (5)
Aardvark's long, pointed facial feature
9 Across — Long-running show with a cold open, familiarly (3)
Saturday night TV staple with comedic sketches
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Hint 3: Down clues, with an extra nudge each
Same treatment, the other way.
1 Down — Frees (of) (4)
Verb meaning to free or relieve from something
2 Down — Utopian places (5)
Imaginary places of perfect happiness and peace
3 Down — "I'll bring home the turkey if you bring home the ___" (Weezer lyric) (5)
Food often paired with turkey in meals and songs
4 Down — Big name in moving trucks (5)
Popular brand of rental trucks for moving homes
5 Down — Word before ware or ball (4)
Word describing a type of ball or ware material
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Hint 4: First letter of every answer
One letter each — the crossings do the rest.
- 1 Across
- R… (5 letters)
- 6 Across
- I… (5 letters)
- 7 Across
- D… (5 letters)
- 8 Across
- S… (5 letters)
- 9 Across
- S… (3 letters)
- 1 Down
- R… (4 letters)
- 2 Down
- E… (5 letters)
- 3 Down
- B… (5 letters)
- 4 Down
- U… (5 letters)
- 5 Down
- S… (4 letters)
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Hint 5: Where to start
Last rung before the filled grid.
Take 9 Across first: at 3 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
1Picture puzzle where 👁️ + ❤️ + 🐑 means "I love you"5
Visual puzzle using symbols and images
Show answer
REBUS
6Its license plates read "Famous Potatoes"5
US state known for potatoes and farming
Show answer
IDAHO
7After-dinner coffee order5
Type of coffee with low caffeine content
Show answer
DECAF
8Distinctive feature of an aardvark5
Aardvark's long, pointed facial feature
Show answer
SNOUT
9Long-running show with a cold open, familiarly3
Saturday night TV staple with comedic sketches
Show answer
SNL
Down
1Frees (of)4
Verb meaning to free or relieve from something
Show answer
RIDS
2Utopian places5
Imaginary places of perfect happiness and peace
Show answer
EDENS
3"I'll bring home the turkey if you bring home the ___" (Weezer lyric)5
Food often paired with turkey in meals and songs
Show answer
BACON
4Big name in moving trucks5
Popular brand of rental trucks for moving homes
Show answer
UHAUL
5Word before ware or ball4
Word describing a type of ball or ware material
Show answer
SOFT
This grid by the numbers
Constructed by Wyna Liu, edited by Joel Fagliano.
- Date
- Friday, September 11, 2026
- Grid
- 5 × 5
- Clues
- 10 — 5 across, 5 down
- Answer lengths
- 3–5 letters
- Difficulty
- easy
The last board we archived
The newest archived page is Mini Crossword answers for Wednesday, September 9, 2026, created once its date stopped being current everywhere on Earth.
More puzzles today
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Today's NYT Strands hints, spangram and answers
Theme words, the spangram, and a board that traces each answer.
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Today's NYT Connections hints and answers
Sixteen tiles, four groups. Nudges first, full groupings last.
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 11?
5 by 5, with 5 across clues and 5 down clues — 10 entries in all.
What are the Mini Crossword answers for September 11?
1 Across: REBUS, 6 Across: IDAHO, 7 Across: DECAF, 8 Across: SNOUT, 9 Across: SNL, 1 Down: RIDS, 2 Down: EDENS, 3 Down: BACON, 4 Down: UHAUL, 5 Down: SOFT.
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.