Welcome to The Mini Hints! If you are a word game lover, your day probably isn’t complete without playing the daily New York Times games like Connections, Wordle, and Strands. But for many of us, the ultimate daily ritual always includes the NYT Mini Crossword.
While the full NYT Crossword requires a paid subscription, The Mini is free and has a massive fan following. Just remember that The Mini resets every night at 10 p.m. ET, unlike other games that reset at midnight.
If you are working on the puzzle for Monday, May 18, 2026, and need a little help, you are in the right place. Below, we have broken down the clues and solutions for every line. We put the hints first (Across and Down) followed by the actual answers at the very bottom. Scroll carefully if you want to avoid spoilers!
Hints for NYT’s The Mini Crossword on Monday, May 18, 2026
Here are extra clues to help you solve today’s puzzle.
NYT Mini Across Hints
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1 Across: How often the Mini comes out — HINT: Starts with the letter “D”
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6 Across: Difference between the highest and lowest values in a data set — HINT: Ends with the letter “E”
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7 Across: Caribbean island near Venezuela — HINT: Ends with the letter “A”
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8 Across: Price to pay — HINT: Starts with the letter “C”
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9 Across: Jersey number worn by star linebacker Micah Parsons, the first Packer to wear it since 1926 — HINT: Ends with the letter “E”
NYT Mini Down Hints
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1 Down: Constellation whose name comes from the Latin for “dragon” — HINT: Ends with the letter “O”
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2 Down: “___ Burr, Sir” (“Hamilton” number) — HINT: Starts with the letter “A”
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3 Down: Currently occupied, as a restroom — HINT: Ends with the letter “E”
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4 Down: Community honored by the GLAAD Media Awards, for short — HINT: Ends with the letter “T”
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5 Down: “___ or nay?” — HINT: Starts with the letter “A”
Answers to NYT’s The Mini Crossword for Monday, May 18, 2026
Spoilers ahead! Do not scroll any further if you want to solve the puzzle on your own.
NYT Mini Across Answers
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1 Across: How often the Mini comes out — DAILY
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6 Across: Difference between the highest and lowest values in a data set — RANGE
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7 Across: Caribbean island near Venezuela — ARUBA
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8 Across: Price to pay — COST
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9 Across: Jersey number worn by star linebacker Micah Parsons, the first Packer to wear it since 1926 — ONE
NYT Mini Down Answers
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1 Down: Constellation whose name comes from the Latin for “dragon” — DRACO
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2 Down: “___ Burr, Sir” (“Hamilton” number) — AARON
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3 Down: Currently occupied, as a restroom — IN USE
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4 Down: Community honored by the GLAAD Media Awards, for short — LGBT
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5 Down: “___ or nay?” — YEA
