Many of us have a daily habit of playing the New York Times word games. Whether it is Wordle, Connections, or Strands, these games are a great way to start the day. But for many fans, the NYT Mini Crossword is the most important part of the routine.
While the main NYT Crossword is a larger puzzle for subscribers, the Mini is free and very popular. Just remember that the Mini resets every night at 10 p.m. ET.
If you are working on the puzzle for Friday, February 20, 2026, and need a little help, you are in the right place. Below, we have broken down the hints and answers for you. We start with the hints so you can try to solve it yourself first. If you are really stuck, keep scrolling down for the full list of answers.
Hints for Today’s NYT Mini Crossword (Friday, Feb 20)
If you just need a small nudge to find the right word, use these clues and letter hints.
Across Hints
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1 Across: A political party that ran against the Democrats in the mid-1800s — HINT: Ends with “S”
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6 Across: Examples include the Four Seasons or Ritz-Carlton — HINT: Starts with “H”
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7 Across: The green dinosaur friend in the Mario video games — HINT: Ends with “I”
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8 Across: A major weather event like a blizzard or hurricane — HINT: Ends with “M”
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9 Across: What we see when we look up at the clouds — HINT: Starts with “S”
Down Hints
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1 Down: A skeptical phrase: “Oh yeah, ___ that?” — HINT: Starts with “W”
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2 Down: An owl’s version of “says who?” — HINT: Ends with “S”
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3 Down: A casual way of saying everything is fine — HINT: Starts with “I”
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4 Down: The famous architect with the first name Frank — HINT: Starts with “G”
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5 Down: Another word for thin or slender — HINT: Ends with “M”
NYT Mini Crossword Answers (Friday, February 20, 2026)
Warning: Spoilers ahead! Only look at the list below if you want to see the exact solutions for today’s puzzle.
Across Answers
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1 Across: WHIGS
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6 Across: HOTEL
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7 Across: YOSHI
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8 Across: STORM
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9 Across: SKY
Down Answers
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1 Down: WHYS
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2 Down: HOOTS
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3 Down: ITSOK
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4 Down: GEHRY
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5 Down: SLIM
NYT Mini Crossword Answers Today: Thursday, February 19, 2026
