The Wednesday, October 9, 2024 NYT Mini Crossword has ten answers: SHUT, SCENE, HONDA, INNER, and NEAR across, and SCONE, HENNA, UNDER, TEAR, and SHIN down. Spoiler warning: the answer list follows the hints below. If you only want to check one square, stop at the hint for that entry.
Hints before the answers
- 1-Across (synonym for “close”): four letters, and it means to shut something, such as a door.
- 5-Across (actor’s workshop assignment): a stage moment that actors rehearse.
- 6-Across (civic maker): a carmaker whose name is also a common city-adjacent word in many puzzles.
- 7-Across (___ sanctum, private chamber): the word that completes the phrase, meaning most private or deepest.
- 8-Across (synonym for “close”): four letters, and it describes something at short distance.
- 1-Down (pastry often served with tea): a British-style baked treat, often split and spread with cream.
- 2-Down (temporary reddish dye): a plant-based dye used for hair or tattoos before the color fades.
- 3-Down (far from over?): a double meaning. Think about what is below a surface, not about time.
- 4-Down (droplet of sorrow): four letters, and it falls from the eye.
- 5-Down (vulnerable body part in soccer): four letters, and it is the front of the leg that defenders kick into.
The full answer list
| Entry | Clue | Answer | Letters |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-Across | Synonym for “close” | SHUT | 4 |
| 5-Across | Actor’s workshop assignment | SCENE | 5 |
| 6-Across | Civic maker | HONDA | 5 |
| 7-Across | ___ sanctum (private chamber) | INNER | 5 |
| 8-Across | Synonym for “close” | NEAR | 4 |
| 1-Down | Pastry often served with tea | SCONE | 5 |
| 2-Down | Temporary reddish dye | HENNA | 5 |
| 3-Down | Far from over? | UNDER | 5 |
| 4-Down | Droplet of sorrow | TEAR | 4 |
| 5-Down | Vulnerable body part in soccer | SHIN | 4 |
Why “close” and “over” trip solvers up
Two “close” clues, two different answers
Both 1-Across and 8-Across use “close” as a synonym, but the answers differ. 1-Across asks for a word meaning to shut, so SHUT fits. 8-Across describes proximity, so NEAR fits. The crossing letters are what settle it, so solve the Down entries that touch each one before committing.
“Far from over?”
The question mark signals wordplay. “Over” is not about a finished game or a finished conversation here. The clue points to a position beneath something, which gives UNDER, and that answer crosses the scene-setting entries in the lower half of the grid.
How hard the puzzle felt to one solver
Forbes contributor Erik Kain published a clue-and-answer guide for this puzzle on October 8, 2024, crediting the puzzle to the New York Times. He wrote: “This one was, once again, surprisingly tricky for a Mini Crossword.” He also reports that he first entered NEAR for 1-Across before switching to SHUT. He gave a personal solve time of 3:39. That is one solver’s own result, not a measure of how most players performed.
#1 Best Overall
The Forbes guide is a secondary source for the clue list. The original New York Times puzzle entry was not checked for this article, so if the clue wording on your screen differs, trust the crossing letters over the printed text.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where the answers came from
Every entry above matches the Forbes guide published October 8, 2024: Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Clues and Answers for Wednesday, October 9th, by Erik Kain.
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