Need a nudge for the Sunday, March 22, 2026 NYT Mini? Start with the spoiler-free hints below, then open the answer key when you’re ready. The year is 2026: the date matches Forbes coverage published March 21 and an independently dated puzzle archive.
Spoiler-free hints for March 22
Use these first-letter nudges to keep solving without seeing the full answers.
Across
- 1 Across: Jost of Saturday Night Live — starts with C.
- 6 Across: German wine valley whose name rhymes with “wine” — starts with R.
- 7 Across: Big name in root beer — starts with A.
- 8 Across: Common slot machine symbol — starts with F.
- 9 Across: James Talarico’s state — starts with T.
Down
- 1 Down: Cunning skill — starts with C.
- 2 Down: Chicago airport — starts with O.
- 3 Down: Operating system on which Android is partly based — starts with L.
- 4 Down: World’s most populous country — starts with I.
- 5 Down: Small salamanders — starts with N.
Answers for Sunday, March 22
Spoilers below. The listed answers are corroborated by the dated puzzle archive.
Across
- 1 Across: Jost of Saturday Night Live — COLIN
- 6 Across: German wine valley whose name rhymes with “wine” — RHINE
- 7 Across: Big name in root beer — A&W
- 8 Across: Common slot machine symbol — FRUIT
- 9 Across: James Talarico’s state — TEXAS
Down
- 1 Down: Cunning skill — CRAFT
- 2 Down: Chicago airport — O’HARE
- 3 Down: Operating system on which Android is partly based — LINUX
- 4 Down: World’s most populous country — INDIA
- 5 Down: Small salamanders — NEWTS
How to play or find past Minis
The New York Times describes the Mini as a smaller version of the Crossword: fill the white squares with letters so Across and Down answers cross. The NYT Help Center says access is included with Games, All Access, and Home Delivery subscriptions. Eligible subscribers can play in the Games app, at nytimes.com/crosswords, or in the News app. Past puzzles are available in the web and Games app archives to subscribers.
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#1 Best Overall
According to the same Help Center page, Sunday Minis become available at 6 p.m. EST on Saturday evening, before the Sunday publish date. In-game help can check or reveal a square, an answer, or the entire puzzle.
Quick Recap
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Rank #3
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