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The Tuesday, October 22, 2024 NYT Mini Crossword centers on BIRCH across and BARK down, which cross at their shared letters. The full set of across and down clues and answers for that puzzle is below.
Full clues and answers
| Direction | No. | Clue | Answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Across | 1 | Tree whose 1-Down was used to make canoes and wigwams | BIRCH |
| Across | 6 | Luxury brand from Honda | ACURA |
| Across | 7 | Become ready to eat | RIPEN |
| Across | 8 | Work, as bread dough | KNEAD |
| Across | 9 | Really outstanding finds, so to speak | GEMS |
| Down | 1 | It’s white and papery on a 1-Across | BARK |
| Down | 2 | “That’s just ___ on the cake!” | ICING |
| Down | 3 | Currency unit of India | RUPEE |
| Down | 4 | Whipped stuff on top of a mocha latte | CREAM |
| Down | 5 | Ones working around the clock? | HANDS |
The central crossing: BIRCH and BARK
The grid’s intersecting phrase is BIRCH BARK. The across entry 1 is the tree, and the down entry 1 is its bark, which the clue describes as the material once used to make canoes and wigwams. Solvers who fill in one of these two answers first will get the other almost for free, which makes the pair a useful starting point.
What the NYT Mini is and how this puzzle plays
The Mini is the smaller, quicker companion to the New York Times crossword. As the Forbes guide describes it, the typical Mini uses a five-by-five grid with three to five clues in each direction. Saturday puzzles are generally larger, so the Tuesday format is closer to the standard daily version.
The guide notes that this particular puzzle has several five-letter entries and suggests it could be a quick solve. That is the author’s impression, not a measured difficulty rating, and solve times vary a great deal between players.
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Access as described in October 2024
The guide says the Mini can be played on the New York Times website or in the NYT Games app, and that access to archived puzzles, such as this October 22 one, required an NYT Games subscription. These terms reflect October 2024. Subscription tiers and archive rules can change, so check the NYT Games app for what is available to you now.
What the guide’s author said
Paul Tassi, a Forbes Senior Contributor, wrote: “The NYT Mini is a fun daily distraction that usually takes no time at all.” That is his opinion of the format, not a measured result.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where these answers come from
The clues and answers above come from a Forbes answer guide by Paul Tassi, published October 21, 2024. It is secondary reporting rather than the official New York Times puzzle page, so if a clue or entry differs from the puzzle you are looking at, the official NYT Games app or website is the authoritative source.
Quick Recap
Best Value
Rank #3
- Puzzle date: Tuesday, October 22, 2024
- Guide date: October 21, 2024
- Format: five-by-five Mini grid
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