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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →The Thursday, October 31, 2024 NYT Mini has 1-Across ZORSE (a hybrid equine animal with stripes) and 1-Down ZILCH. The full answer list below is as reported by Forbes in Erik Kain’s guide dated October 31, 2024. If you are looking at an October 31 puzzle from another year, check the date on the grid before you use these answers, because the Mini changes every day.
Which puzzle this covers
This guide applies to the Thursday, October 31, 2024 edition of the New York Times Mini Crossword. October 31, 2026 falls on a Saturday, so a Thursday puzzle dated October 31 is a 2024 edition. We could not open the official NYT puzzle page to compare the answers with the printed grid, so the clues and answers below are taken from Forbes. If a letter count does not fit the grid you are working from, trust the grid over this list.
Across answers
| No. | Clue | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hybrid equine animal with stripes | ZORSE |
| 6 | “Fingers crossed!” | IHOPE |
| 6 | Record company | LABEL |
| 7 | Shoe that can be decorated with pieces called Jibbitz | CROC |
| 8 | Wearing many ___ (versatile at work) | HATS |
Forbes lists two Across clues with the number 6. Numbering is set by the grid, so confirm which clue sits in which row before you write the numbers into a printed copy.
Down answers
| No. | Clue | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zippo, nada, nothin’ | ZILCH |
| 2 | Catherine of “Beetlejuice” | OHARA |
| 3 | Halloween costume with a cardboard box and aluminum foil | ROBOT |
| 4 | Tech product details | SPECS |
| 5 | Sushi fish served cooked | EEL |
The sticking point: 1-Across
Kain reports that he first entered ZEBRA for 1-Across. When the crossing answers did not fit, he switched to ZORSE. ZILCH at 1-Down made the wrong first guess look plausible for a while, which is why the crossings matter more than any single clue here. If ZEBRA is in your grid, check whether the second letter and the crossing 1-Down letters agree with ZORSE before you change anything else.
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