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August 15, 2026archive

NYT Mini Crossword — August 15, 2026

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Hints — one at a time

Hint 1 of 5

Today's grid runs from worker-owned shops, to a surprised exclamation, to rinsing something off, to a soldier's metal ID tags.

Hint 2 of 5

Across continues with the bit of music that closes out a podcast episode, a typeface similar to a very common sans-serif font, and a phrase for leaving something undisturbed.

Hint 3 of 5

Down opens with cutting ties with cable TV, the state where Dayton is located, and the costly mistake a soccer defender makes by scoring on their own net.

Hint 4 of 5

Continue down with the opposite of slouching, a phrase for fretting over minor details, and a one-word command to snatch something quickly.

Hint 5 of 5

Finish down with the title given to the last person standing on a certain reality competition show.

The answer — spoilers!

Reveal the full answer

Across

  • Stores owned and run by their workers — COOPS
  • "Huh, wasn't expecting that!" — OHWOW
  • Run under a faucet — RINSE
  • Metal identifiers in the military — DOGTAGS
  • Bit of music that plays as a podcast ends — OUTRO
  • Font similar to Helvetica — ARIAL
  • Leave alone — LETBE

Down

  • Cut the ___ (cancel cable) — CORD
  • Dayton's state — OHIO
  • Game-changing mistake for a World Cup defender — OWNGOAL
  • Slouching is a bad form of this — POSTURE
  • Worry about the small stuff — SWEATIT
  • Snatch — GRAB
  • ___ Survivor, title for each winner of "Survivor" — SOLE

This puzzle by the numbers

Clues
7 across, 7 down
Longest answer
DOGTAGS (7)

Counted from our own archive of NYT Mini Crossword answers — not published anywhere else.

A five by five mini crossword grid with two dark blocker squares and small clue numbers, SKY filled in across the top row and SUN filled in down the left column
The Mini is a five-by-five grid, so a couple of crossings usually unlock the whole thing. Example board, not today’s puzzle.