August 9, 2026archive
NYT Mini Crossword — August 9, 2026
Hints — one at a time
Hint 1 of 5
Today's five-by-five stays casual throughout, with nothing especially tricky waiting in the corners.
Hint 2 of 5
Across, two entries describe reacting physically to something: squashing it flat, or talking it up loudly.
Hint 3 of 5
The across side also includes a hefty, thick-skinned African animal and a breezy sign-off before parting ways.
Hint 4 of 5
Down, look for a call for silence, a cool flavor common in green mouthwash, half of a taunting rhyme, a crushing hit in a net sport, and finishing a golf shot.
Hint 5 of 5
Working downward: a two-syllable 'hush,' the minty note in green mouthwash, the 'up top' side of a ducking taunt, a hard-driven volleyball smash, and a putt that drops into the cup.
The answer — spoilers!
Reveal the full answer
- Flatten, informally — SMUSH
- African mammal that can weigh up to 10,000 pounds — HIPPO
- "___ next time!" — UNTIL
- Add fuel to, as a fire — STOKE
- Really talked (up) — HYPED
- "Quiet!" — SHUSH
- Like many green mouthwashes — MINTY
- Request that precedes "down low ... too slow!" — UPTOP
- Powerful volleyball hit — SPIKE
- Sank, as a putt — HOLED
This puzzle by the numbers
- 5 across, 5 down
- SMUSH (5)
Counted from our own archive of NYT Mini Crossword answers — not published anywhere else.
