NYT Mini Crossword Hints & Answers for Saturday, February 28, 2026

If you love the New York Times daily word games, you probably have a ritual of playing Connections, Wordle, and Strands. But for many of us, the day isn’t complete without solving the NYT Mini Crossword.

While the main NYT Crossword is a larger challenge for subscribers, the Mini is a fan favorite that everyone can enjoy. Keep in mind that the Mini resets every night at 10 p.m. ET, which is earlier than most other NYT games.

If you are stuck on the Saturday, February 28, 2026 puzzle, we are here to help. Below, you will find helpful hints to nudge you in the right direction, followed by the full list of answers.

Hints for the NYT Mini Crossword: Saturday, February 28

If you just need a small tip to keep your streak alive, use these clues.

Across Hints

• 1 Across: Rock’s ____ Leppard (Starts with D)

• 4 Across: To cry a lot (Starts with S)

• 7 Across: The agency behind the Clean Air Act (Ends with A)

• 8 Across: The sports league the Buffalo Bills play in (Starts with N)

• 9 Across: A classic Nintendo console with motion controls (Ends with I)

• 10 Across: Another way to say “frequently” quoted (Starts with O)

• 11 Across: (Part 1) The narrow space under a house (Ends with L)

• 13 Across: (Part 2) The narrow space under a house (Ends with E)

• 14 Across: A term for a young lady (Starts with G)

• 15 Across: To “Ooh and ____” in amazement (Ends with H)

• 17 Across: The professional golf organization for Scottie Scheffler (Ends with A)

• 18 Across: A public announcement or “FYI” (Starts with P)

• 19 Across: When repeated, it’s Taylor Swift’s nickname (Ends with Y)

• 20 Across: Feeling timid around others (Starts with S)

Down Hints

• 1 Down: The moisture on the grass in the morning (Ends with W)

• 2 Down: A long, heroic story like “The Odyssey” (Starts with E)

• 3 Down: Playing by the rules and being a good sport (Starts with F)

• 4 Down: White coverings on top of mountains (Ends with S)

• 5 Down: How dogs run in a park without a leash (Starts with O)

• 6 Down: A classic three-letter sandwich (Ends with T)

• 12 Down: A standard size for a small battery (Starts with A)

• 14 Down: The AI tool known as Chat____ (Ends with T)

• 16 Down: What horses eat (and a common pun) (Ends with Y)

Answers for the NYT Mini Crossword: Saturday, February 28

Spoiler Warning: Only scroll down if you want the exact words for today’s puzzle!

Across Answers

• 1 Across: DEF

• 4 Across: SOB

• 7 Across: EPA

• 8 Across: NFL

• 9 Across: WII

• 10 Across: OFT

• 11 Across: CRAWL

• 13 Across: SPACE

• 14 Across: GAL

• 15 Across: AAH

• 17 Across: PGA

• 18 Across: PSA

• 19 Across: TAY

• 20 Across: SHY

Down Answers

• 1 Down: DEW

• 2 Down: EPICSAGA

• 3 Down: FAIRPLAY

• 4 Down: SNOWCAPS

• 5 Down: OFFLEASH

• 6 Down: BLT

• 12 Down: AA

• 14 Down: GPT

• 16 Down: HAY

NYT Mini Crossword Hints and Answers: Friday, February 27, 2026