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Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →These are the answers to the NYT Mini Crossword for Friday, February 27, 2026. The year matters: the February 27, 2025 puzzle had different clues and answers. If you want to solve it yourself first, stop before the spoiler warning.
Hints for the February 27, 2026 Mini
The puzzle has five Across and five Down clues in a compact grid. Try the more direct entries first, then use their crossing letters to work through the rest.
Across
- 1A: Lacking locks
- 5A: One of the Great Lakes
- 6A: Movie with the fake newspaper headline “Wonder Elephant Soars to Fame!”
- 8A: Live tweeter?
- 9A: The slightest bit
Down
- 1D: Hard thing to leave on a cold day
- 2D: Caribbean island northwest of Curaçao
- 3D: The sky, in a saying
- 4D: Actress Messing
- 7D: Like this clue number
Spoiler warning: answers below
The answer set below matches the February 27, 2026 guides from WePC and Technobezz.
Across answers
- 1A — BALD: Lacking locks.
- 5A — ERIE: One of the Great Lakes.
- 6A — DUMBO: The animated film about a flying elephant.
- 8A — BIRD: A literal live tweeter.
- 9A — ATAD: The slightest bit.
Down answers
- 1D — BED: A hard thing to leave on a cold day.
- 2D — ARUBA: The Caribbean island northwest of Curaçao.
- 3D — LIMIT: The sky, in the saying “the sky’s the limit.”
- 4D — DEBRA: Actress Messing.
- 7D — ODD: Like the clue number itself.
Why the date includes a year
“February 27” alone can point to more than one puzzle. The 2025 Mini had a different answer set, as shown by the Hindustan Times guide for February 27, 2025. This key is specifically for Friday, February 27, 2026.
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