August 21, 2026archive
NYT Mini Crossword — August 21, 2026
Hints — one at a time
Hint 1 of 5
Today's five-by-five is built around a candy whose name spans two connected answers — a chocolatier's rounding mishap gave it its name.
Hint 2 of 5
Elsewhere across, look for the continent home to Brunei and Bhutan, a texture like snake or fish skin, and a phrase for suffering a financial setback.
Hint 3 of 5
Down opens with the famous Peruvian mountain citadel, and a phrase you'd use when repeating something you already said.
Hint 4 of 5
Continue down with gentle, musical-sounding melodies, and the jewelry brand behind a famous "every kiss begins with" slogan.
Hint 5 of 5
Finish down with the mood of someone wearing a frown.
The answer — spoilers!
Reveal the full answer
- With 8-Across, candy pieces that got their name after the chocolatier tried to make them perfectly round, but failed — MILK
- Home of Brunei and Bhutan — ASIA
- Like the skin of snakes and fish — SCALY
- Take ___ (suffer financially) — AHIT
- See 1-Across — DUDS
- ___ Picchu — MACHU
- "To repeat myself ..." — ISAID
- Gentle musical melodies — LILTS
- What "every kiss begins with," in jewelry ads — KAY
- Wearing an upside-down smile — SAD
This puzzle by the numbers
- 5 across, 5 down
- SCALY (5)
Counted from our own archive of NYT Mini Crossword answers — not published anywhere else.
