Many of us have a daily ritual of playing every New York Times word game, from Wordle to Strands. But for many players, the NYT Mini Crossword is the most important part of the day.
While the full-sized NYT Crossword usually requires a subscription, the Mini is free for everyone. Just remember that the Mini resets at 10 p.m. ET, unlike other games that update at midnight.
If you are stuck on the Friday, February 27, 2026 puzzle, we have you covered. Below, you will find helpful hints followed by the full answer key.
Hints for Today’s NYT Mini Crossword
If you just need a small nudge to solve the puzzle yourself, use these extra clues.
NYT Mini Across Hints
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1 Across: Lacking locks — HINT: Ends with the letter “D”
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5 Across: One of the Great Lakes — HINT: Starts with the letter “E”
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6 Across: Movie with the fake newspaper headline “Wonder Elephant Soars to Fame!” — HINT: Ends with the letter “O”
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8 Across: Live tweeter? — HINT: Starts with the letter “B”
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9 Across: The slightest bit — HINT: Starts with the letter “A”
NYT Mini Down Hints
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1 Down: Hard thing to leave on a cold day — HINT: Ends with the letter “D”
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2 Down: Caribbean island northwest of Curaçao — HINT: Starts with the letter “A”
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3 Down: The sky, in a saying — HINT: Ends with the letter “T”
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4 Down: Actress Messing — HINT: Ends with the letter “A”
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5 Down: Like this clue number — HINT: Starts with the letter “O”
NYT Mini Crossword Answers (Feb 27, 2026)
Warning: Spoilers ahead! Only scroll further if you want to see the exact solutions for today’s puzzle.
NYT Mini Across Answers
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1 Across (Lacking locks): BALD
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5 Across (One of the Great Lakes): ERIE
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6 Across (Movie with the fake headline “Wonder Elephant Soars to Fame!”): DUMBO
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8 Across (Live tweeter?): BIRD
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9 Across (The slightest bit): ATAD
NYT Mini Down Answers
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1 Down (Hard thing to leave on a cold day): BED
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2 Down (Caribbean island northwest of Curaçao): ARUBA
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3 Down (The sky, in a saying): LIMIT
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4 Down (Actress Messing): DEBRA
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7 Down (Like this clue number): ODD
