NYT Mini Answers February 26, 2026 - Trivia Week 4 Special
Quick Summary: Today's NYT Mini Crossword has 20 clues total. We have all the answers plus helpful hints to make solving easier!
Popular Puzzles: Todays Across Crossword NYT November 26 | NYT Mini Crossword November 29 2025 | March 10 2021 NYT Clues Solutions |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | February 26, 2026 |
| Grid Size | 5 x 5 squares |
| Total Clues | 20 clues |
| Across Clues | 10 clues |
| Down Clues | 10 clues |
| Average Solve Time | Under 1 minute |
Today's Trivia Week {week_num} NYT Mini Crossword Grid Layout
This puzzle uses a 5 by 5 grid. That means 5 boxes across and 5 boxes down.
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 | Column 4 | Column 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Row 1 | |||||
| Row 2 | |||||
| Row 3 | |||||
| Row 4 | |||||
| Row 5 |
How to Solve This Puzzle Fast
- Read all the clues first - your brain will start working on them
- Fill in the short words first (3 letters or less)
- Use the crossing letters to help with harder words
- If a clue has a question mark (?), it's probably a joke or play on words
- Common short words: THE, AND, ARE, FOR, NOT
Quick Facts About This Puzzle
- Total squares in grid: 25 (5 times 5)
- Average time to solve: Less than 1 minute
- Best time to play: During a coffee break
- Difficulty level: Made for everyone to enjoy
Across Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from left to right in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Across | 51. Superhuman strength, mind-reading, invisibility and four dozen other powers |
| 2 Across | 50. Vibe (with) |
| 3 Across | 58. Stall, e.g. |
| 4 Across | 34. Like a plane, informally |
| 5 Across | 63. Charge, in a way |
| 6 Across | 19. Happening |
| 7 Across | 41. "Stompin' at the ___" (Benny Goodman standard) |
| 8 Across | 35. System in which XL is smaller than L ... or a hint to interpreting the answers to the italicized clues |
| 9 Across | 26. Grill, informally |
| 10 Across | 64. Loose, as floorboards |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:
- September 14 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
- July 01 2019 NYT Clues Solutions
- December 29 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Across: "51. Superhuman strength, mind-reading, invisibility and four dozen other powers"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 11 letters
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: L_________S
Answer: Click to reveal
LIABILITIES
2 Across: "50. Vibe (with)"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'G' and ends with 'L'
- Another word like this: mousse
Answer: Click to reveal
GEL
3 Across: "58. Stall, e.g."
Helpful hints:
- This word has 8 letters
- It starts with 'G' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: G______E
Answer: Click to reveal
GAINTIME
4 Across: "34. Like a plane, informally"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: T__D
Answer: Click to reveal
TWOD
5 Across: "63. Charge, in a way"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: I____E
Answer: Click to reveal
IONIZE
6 Across: "19. Happening"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: A___T
Answer: Click to reveal
AFOOT
7 Across: "41. "Stompin' at the ___" (Benny Goodman standard)"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'Y'
- Word pattern: S___Y
Answer: Click to reveal
SAVOY
8 Across: "35. System in which XL is smaller than L ... or a hint to interpreting
the answers to the italicized clues"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 13 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: R___________S
Answer: Click to reveal
ROMANNUMERALS
9 Across: "26. Grill, informally"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'B' and ends with 'Q'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
BBQ
10 Across: "64. Loose, as floorboards"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 8 letters
- It starts with 'U' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: U______D
Answer: Click to reveal
UNNAILED
Down Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 35. Side dish eaten with curry |
| 2 Down | 55. Shots, informally |
| 3 Down | 56. Toss up? |
| 4 Down | 61. Remind too often |
| 5 Down | 48. Mercury's mythological counterpart |
| 6 Down | 36. Roundish, say |
| 7 Down | 59. "Ballerina" star ___ de Armas |
| 8 Down | 3. Highland refusal |
| 9 Down | 4. Org. that runs the "L" |
| 10 Down | 11. ___ minimum |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
- September 14 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
- March 10 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
- February 05 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Down: "35. Side dish eaten with curry"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: R__E
Answer: Click to reveal
RICE
2 Down: "55. Shots, informally"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'X'
- Another word like this: pyx
Answer: Click to reveal
PIX
3 Down: "56. Toss up?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'B'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
LOB
4 Down: "61. Remind too often"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'N' and ends with 'G'
- Another word like this: nagger
Answer: Click to reveal
NAG
5 Down: "48. Mercury's mythological counterpart"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'H' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: H____S
Answer: Click to reveal
HERMES
6 Down: "36. Roundish, say"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'L'
- Word pattern: O__L
Answer: Click to reveal
OVAL
7 Down: "59. "Ballerina" star ___ de Armas"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'A'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
ANA
8 Down: "3. Highland refusal"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'N' and ends with 'E'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
NAE
9 Down: "4. Org. that runs the "L""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'A'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
CTA
10 Down: "11. ___ minimum"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'A'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
ATA
How to Solve the NYT Mini Crossword Faster
Here are the best tips from expert solvers:
Step-by-Step Strategy
- Quick Scan: Read all clues once. Your brain starts working on them right away.
- Easy First: Fill in the shortest words (2-3 letters). These are usually simple words like "IT" or "ON".
- Use Crossings: When letters cross, they help you figure out harder words.
- Watch for Wordplay: Clues with question marks (?) are jokes or puns.
- Common Words: Remember these appear often: ERA, ORE, ATE, ICE.
Letter Tips That Really Help
- The letter E is the most common in English
- Words ending in S are often plurals
- If you see "___" in a clue, the answer fits those blanks exactly
- Abbreviations in clues mean the answer is also abbreviated
Time Goals to Aim For
| Your Time | Skill Level | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| Under 30 seconds | Expert | You know the puzzle patterns very well! |
| 30-60 seconds | Advanced | Great job! You solve quickly. |
| 1-2 minutes | Good | You're doing well. Keep practicing! |
| Over 2 minutes | Learning | You'll get faster with practice. |
Puzzle Numbers and Facts
| Total Clues: | 20 clues to solve |
| Grid Size: | 5 boxes across, 5 boxes down |
| Total Squares: | 25 squares to fill |
| Average Time: | Most people solve in 1 minute 3 seconds |
| Difficulty: | Easy |
Common Questions About Trivia Week 4
When can I play the Trivia Week 4 Mini?
The Trivia Week 4 puzzle is available at 10 PM Eastern Time the night before.
How fast should I be able to solve Trivia Week 4?
Most people solve the Trivia Week 4 Mini in 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Don't worry if you take longer - speed comes with practice!
Do I need to pay to play Trivia Week 4?
No! The Trivia Week 4 NYT Mini is completely free. You don't need a subscription like the big crossword.
What makes a good Trivia Week 4 solver?
Good Trivia Week 4 solvers know common short words, can spot wordplay quickly, and use crossing letters well. Practice helps a lot!
Are the puzzles harder during Trivia Week 4?
Trivia Week 4 puzzles can vary in difficulty. Saturdays are often the hardest, while Mondays are the easiest.
