Welcome to The Mini Hints! If you love playing the New York Times daily word games like Wordle, Connections, and Strands, you probably never miss The Mini Crossword.
While the main NYT crossword requires a subscription, The Mini is free for everyone. Just remember that it resets every night at 10 p.m. ET.
If you are stuck on the Thursday, May 21, 2026 puzzle, we are here to help. Below, you will find helpful hints first, followed by the actual answers. Scroll carefully if you want to avoid spoilers!
Hints for Today’s NYT Mini Crossword (May 21, 2026)
Here are extra clues to help you solve today’s puzzle.
Across Hints
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1 Across: Not such a wild place to see an elephant — HINT: Starts with the letter “Z”
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4 Across: Mark who wrote “Man was made at the end of the week’s work, when God was tired” — HINT: Ends with the letter “N”
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6 Across: Symbol on the U.S. quarter — HINT: Ends with the letter “E”
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7 Across: Parts of a dental exam — HINT: Starts with the letter “X”
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8 Across: What Wile E. Coyote is always exploding himself with — HINT: Ends with the letter “T”
Down Hints
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1 Down: Big name in restaurant ratings — HINT: Ends with the letter “T”
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2 Down: Like your hands after eating potato chips, perhaps — HINT: Starts with the letter “O”
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3 Down: Lowest numbers in sudoku — HINT: Ends with the letter “S”
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4 Down: Reach out with your fingers? — HINT: Ends with the letter “T”
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5 Down: Give an alert — HINT: Starts with the letter “W”
Answers for Today’s NYT Mini Crossword (May 21, 2026)
Warning: The actual solutions are listed below. Do not scroll any further if you want to solve the puzzle on your own!
Across Answers
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1 Across: Not such a wild place to see an elephant — ZOO
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4 Across: Mark who wrote “Man was made at the end of the week’s work, when God was tired” — TWAIN
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6 Across: Symbol on the U.S. quarter — EAGLE
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7 Across: Parts of a dental exam — XRAYS
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8 Across: What Wile E. Coyote is always exploding himself with — TNT
Down Answers
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1 Down: Big name in restaurant ratings — ZAGAT
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2 Down: Like your hands after eating potato chips, perhaps — OILY
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3 Down: Lowest numbers in sudoku — ONES
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4 Down: Reach out with your fingers? — TEXT
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5 Down: Give an alert — WARN
