Many of us start our day with the New York Times word games. While the full-sized crossword is a classic, the NYT Mini Crossword is the perfect quick challenge. It resets every night at 10 p.m. ET.
If you are working on the puzzle for Saturday, February 21, 2026, and need a little help, you are in the right place. Below, we have organized the hints first, followed by the full answer key.
NYT Mini Crossword Hints: Feb 21, 2026
If you don’t want the full answer yet, use these extra clues to help you finish the grid.
Across Hints
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1 Across: “Jersey Shore” channel — HINT: Starts with V
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4 Across: “____ Knows” (rhyming ad slogan) — HINT: Starts with L
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6 Across: Second-best-selling female musician of all-time — HINT: Ends with A
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8 Across: Whiskey grain — HINT: Starts with E
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9 Across: Dreaded workday: Abbr. — HINT: Ends with N
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10 Across: Backfiring blunder, in modern lingo — HINT: Starts with S
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12 Across: Lengthy sheet for a complicated board game — HINT: Ends with S
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13 Across: Subtle “yes” — HINT: Ends with D
Down Hints
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1 Down: High schoolers role-playing as ambassadors — HINT: Starts with M
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2 Down: This clue number — HINT: Ends with O
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3 Down: Paid via app — HINT: Ends with D
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4 Down: Coat of paint — HINT: Starts with L
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5 Down: Falls in winter, say — HINT: Ends with S
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6 Down: Married title — HINT: Starts with M
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7 Down: ____ Arbor, Mich. — HINT: Ends with N
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11 Down: Woman in Progressive ads — HINT: Starts with F
NYT Mini Crossword Answers: Feb 21, 2026
Warning: The full solutions are listed below. Do not scroll further if you want to keep guessing!
Across Answers
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1 Across: MTV
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4 Across: LOWES
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6 Across: MADONNA
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8 Across: RYE
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9 Across: MON
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10 Across: SELFOWN
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12 Across: RULES
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13 Across: NOD
Down Answers
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1 Down: MODELUN
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2 Down: TWO
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3 Down: VENMOED
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4 Down: LAYER
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5 Down: SNOWS
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6 Down: MRS
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7 Down: ANN
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11 Down: FLO
NYT Mini Crossword Hints and Answers for Friday, February 20, 20260
