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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Here are the answers to the New York Times Mini Crossword for Saturday, September 26, 2026. The puzzle, constructed by Sam Ezersky and edited by Joel Fagliano, has a 7×7 grid with 18 clues: seven Across and 11 Down.
Across answers
| No. | Clue | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alphabet song lyric before “Now I know my ABCs” | WXYANDZ |
| 8 | Sea creature whose name sounds like “Ah, baloney!” | ABALONE |
| 9 | Skin markings after a sunny day on the links | GOLFTAN |
| 10 | Gen ___ (member of the “MTV generation”) | XER |
| 11 | Medieval weapon | POLEAXE |
| 15 | Fasting intermittently, say | ONADIET |
| 16 | Phrases differently | REWORDS |
Down answers
| No. | Clue | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shake, like a dog’s tail | WAG |
| 2 | Gaming console with a number in its name | XBOXONE |
| 3 | Prestigious J.D. program in New Haven, Conn. | YALELAW |
| 4 | Creamy pasta sauce | ALFREDO |
| 5 | “Believe it or ___ …” | NOT |
| 6 | Double-helix molecule | DNA |
| 7 | Buddhism branch associated with gardens | ZEN |
| 11 | “___ favor” (basic Spanish phrase) | POR |
| 12 | What snowboarders try to catch | AIR |
| 13 | Crossed (out) | XED |
| 14 | Creatures on U.F.O.s, for short | ETS |
Tricky Mini clues
1-Across: WXYANDZ
The lyric is sung as “W, X, Y and Z,” represented as one continuous entry in the grid.
8-Across: ABALONE
Read aloud, “abalone” resembles the clue’s playful “Ah, baloney!” sound.
9-Across: GOLFTAN
The clue’s “links” means a golf course; a sunny round can leave a golf tan.
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Solving or accessing the Mini
The New York Times says the Mini is available to anyone with a New York Times account. Games and All Access subscribers can solve past Mini puzzles in the archive. The NYT help page also explains controls for checking or revealing a square, an answer, or the full puzzle: NYT Mini help. Account and subscription terms may change.
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