Stuck on today’s NYT Mini Crossword? Our guide for the February 26, 2025, puzzle is here to help! The New York Times Mini Crossword is a compact version of the classic daily puzzle—shorter and faster, yet just as challenging. It’s perfect for wordplay fans looking for a quick brain workout without diving into a full grid. Available in print and online, it offers a daily challenge for crossword lovers of all skill levels.
Need a hint to crack today’s puzzle? We’ve listed all the clues below, so you can focus on the ones that are stumping you. Just click on a clue to reveal the answer—no spoilers for the ones you’re still working on!
1A Gem from an oyster NYT Crossword Clue
Hint 1: Oyster (noun)
- The edible body of various types of oysters
- A small muscle located on each side of a fowl’s back
Answer:
[spoiler]PEARL[/spoiler]
Hint 2: Oyster (verb)
- To collect or harvest oysters
6A “Cabaret” character who acts as a host to the audience NYT Crossword Clue
Hint 1: Audience (noun)
- An opportunity to present your case and be heard
- A meeting, often with someone important
Answer:
[spoiler]EMCEE[/spoiler]
Hint 2: Character (noun)
- A formal reference from a former employer detailing a person’s qualifications and reliability
- A person of a particular type, often with distinctive or eccentric traits
7A Counterpart of effect NYT Crossword Clue
Hint 1: Counterpart (noun)
- An identical copy
- A person or thing with the same role or characteristics as another
Answer:
[spoiler]CAUSE[/spoiler]
Hint 2: Effect (noun)
- A result or consequence of a preceding event or action
- The legal validity or enforcement of a law
8A Toys with tails and ribbons NYT Crossword Clue
Hint 1: Tails (noun)
- A formal men’s evening suit with a tailcoat
Answer:
[spoiler]KITES[/spoiler]
Hint 2: Anagram – Rearrange the letters below to solve today’s answer.
TIEKS
9A Allow to NYT Crossword Clue
Hint 1: Allow (verb)
- Allocate or designate a resource for a specific person or purpose
- Enable something to happen through action or inaction
Answer:
[spoiler]LET[/spoiler]
Hint 2: Anagram – Rearrange the letters below to solve today’s answer.
TLE
1D Orville ___, country singer known for wearing a mask in public NYT Crossword Clue
Hint 1: Wearing (noun)
- The act of having something on as clothing or decoration
- In geology, the process of erosion or abrasion caused by particles moving over a surface
Answer:
[spoiler]PECK[/spoiler]
Hint 2: Wearing (adjective)
- Causing fatigue or exhaustion
2D One might get “buried” online NYT Crossword Clue
Hint 1: Buried (adjective)
- Laid to rest in a grave
Answer:
[spoiler]EMAIL[/spoiler]
Hint 2: Might (noun)
- Physical power or strength
3D “If you were a triangle, you’d be ___ one!” (corny pickup line) NYT Crossword Clue
Hint 1: Triangle (noun)
- A polygon with three sides
- A small northern constellation located near Perseus, between Andromeda and Aries
Answer:
[spoiler]ACUTE[/spoiler]
Hint 2: Pickup (noun)
- The ability to accelerate quickly
- A mechanical device with a lightweight, balanced arm that holds the cartridge
4D Change, as a computer password NYT Crossword Clue
Hint 1: Password (noun)
- A confidential word or phrase known only to an authorised group
Answer:
[spoiler]RESET[/spoiler]
Hint 2: Computer (noun)
- A device that automatically performs calculations
- A person skilled in calculations or in using calculating machines
5D Some classic jeans NYT Crossword Clue
Hint 1: Classic (adjective)
- Related to the earliest influential period of a civilisation, culture, or field of study
- Recognised and enduring in style or form
Answer:
[spoiler]LEES[/spoiler]
Hint 2: Classic (noun)
- A work of outstanding quality and excellence
- An artist known for producing timeless masterpieces
