Welcome to The Mini Hints! If you love daily word games, you probably never miss the New York Times Mini Crossword. It’s the perfect bite-sized puzzle to kickstart your day, resetting every evening at 10 p.m. ET.
If you are working on the Saturday, May 16, 2026 puzzle and find yourself stuck, we have you covered. Below, you will find helpful hints to get you back on track, followed by the actual answers.
Note: The answers are at the very bottom, so scroll carefully if you want to avoid spoilers!
Hints for NYT’s The Mini Crossword: Saturday, May 16, 2026
Need a little extra push? Here are letter hints for today’s puzzle lines.
NYT Mini Across Hints
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1 Across: De Armas of “Knives Out” — HINT: Starts with the letter “A”
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4 Across: Jack ___, five-time “S.N.L.” host — HINT: Ends with the letter “K”
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6 Across: Class pets that thump their feet to warn of approaching kindergarteners — HINT: Ends with the letter “S”
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8 Across: Boxer Muhammad or Laila — HINT: Starts with the letter “A”
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9 Across: Reach 0% battery — HINT: Ends with the letter “E”
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10 Across: Big name in hair loss prevention — HINT: Starts with the letter “R”
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12 Across: Jack ___, six-time “S.N.L.” musical guest — HINT: Ends with the letter “E”
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13 Across: Attempt — HINT: Starts with the letter “T”
NYT Mini Down Hints
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1 Down: “Okay then …” — HINT: Ends with the letter “T”
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2 Down: Catch, as a criminal — HINT: Starts with the letter “N”
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3 Down: Notable feature of lemon and grapefruit juice — HINT: Ends with the letter “Y”
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4 Down: Underneath — HINT: Ends with the letter “W”
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5 Down: Actor Kevin of “Dave” — HINT: Starts with the letter “K”
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6 Down: Long-nosed fish — HINT: Ends with the letter “R”
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7 Down: Understand — HINT: Starts with the letter “S”
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11 Down: Make public, as a grievance — HINT: Starts with the letter “A”
Answers to NYT’s The Mini Crossword: Saturday, May 16, 2026
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: The full solution list is directly below. Stop scrolling here if you are still trying to solve it on your own!
NYT Mini Across Answers
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1 Across: De Armas of “Knives Out” — ANA
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4 Across: Jack ___, five-time “S.N.L.” host — BLACK
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6 Across: Class pets that thump their feet to warn of approaching kindergarteners — GERBILS
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8 Across: Boxer Muhammad or Laila — ALI
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9 Across: Reach 0% battery — DIE
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10 Across: Big name in hair loss prevention — ROGAINE
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12 Across: Jack ___, six-time “S.N.L.” musical guest — WHITE
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13 Across: Attempt — TRY
NYT Mini Down Answers
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1 Down: “Okay then …” — ALRIGHT
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2 Down: Catch, as a criminal — NAB
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3 Down: Notable feature of lemon and grapefruit juice — ACIDITY
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4 Down: Underneath — BELOW
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5 Down: Actor Kevin of “Dave” — KLINE
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6 Down: Long-nosed fish — GAR
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7 Down: Understand — SEE
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11 Down: Make public, as a grievance — AIR
