If you love trivia, you will enjoy today’s Mini Crossword. For many word game fans, the day isn’t complete without playing the daily New York Times games. Working through Connections, Wordle, Strands, and The Mini Crossword is a favorite daily routine.
While the main NYT Crossword requires a paid subscription, The Mini is free and has a huge fanbase. Keep in mind that this game resets every night at 10 p.m. ET rather than midnight.
If you are working on the puzzle for Sunday, May 17, 2026, and need a little help, we have you covered. Below, you will find the clues and solutions for both the Across and Down lines. We have put the hints first, followed by the exact answers at the bottom. Be careful not to scroll too fast if you want to avoid spoilers!
Hints for NYT’s The Mini Crossword on Sunday, May 17, 2026
Here are extra hints for every word in today’s puzzle.
NYT Mini Across Hints
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1 Across: Wedding entertainers, for short — HINT: Ends with the letter “S”
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4 Across: Like admission to the Smithsonian museums in Washington, D.C. — HINT: Starts with the letter “F”
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5 Across: Not try particularly hard at one’s job — HINT: Ends with the letter “T”
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6 Across: “Didn’t mean to do that!” — HINT: Ends with the letter “S”
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7 Across: Praiseful poem — HINT: Starts with the letter “O”
NYT Mini Down Hints
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1 Down: Hang loosely — HINT: Starts with the letter “D”
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2 Down: Rory’s love interest on “Gilmore Girls” — HINT: Starts with the letter “J”
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3 Down: “I’m all ___” — HINT: Ends with the letter “T”
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4 Down: Caterer’s responsibility — HINT: Starts with the letter “F”
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5 Down: Mourning dove’s call — HINT: Ends with the letter “O”
Answers to NYT’s The Mini Crossword for Sunday, May 17, 2026
Stop scrolling here if you do not want to see the final solutions just yet!
NYT Mini Across Answers
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1 Across: Wedding entertainers, for short — DJS
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4 Across: Like admission to the Smithsonian museums in Washington, D.C. — FREE
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5 Across: Not try particularly hard at one’s job — COAST
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6 Across: “Didn’t mean to do that!” — OOPS
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7 Across: Praiseful poem — ODE
NYT Mini Down Answers
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1 Down: Hang loosely — DRAPE
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2 Down: Rory’s love interest on “Gilmore Girls” — JESS
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3 Down: “I’m all ___” — SET
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4 Down: Caterer’s responsibility — FOOD
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5 Down: Mourning dove’s call — COO
