NYT Mini Crossword — August 22, 2026
Hints — one at a time
Hint 1 of 5
Today's bigger grid opens with a phrase for throwing yourself right into a task, then the Japanese art of paper folding.
Hint 2 of 5
Continue across with a classic word-guessing game played with blanks and a gallows, an exclamation of delight over tasty food, and what you'd call declaring a college field of study.
Hint 3 of 5
Finish across with a tiny hair that holds mascara, and a slobbery, overly enthusiastic kiss.
Hint 4 of 5
Down runs through Homer Simpson's catchphrase, a retirement account named after a senator, and the star of a famous car-chase movie franchise, before reaching the yellow center of a sunny-side-up egg and a sword-wielding Japanese warrior.
Hint 5 of 5
Finish down with an admission that your life feels chaotic right now, a nickname for a Trent Reznor-fronted band, a kitten's tiny cry, a sailor's word for "yes," a fighter jet model, and the abbreviation for baseball players who only bat.
The answer — spoilers!
Reveal the full answer
- Gets right down to business — DIVESIN
- Japanese for "folding paper" — ORIGAMI
- _a_er and _encil game — HANGMAN
- "Dee-lish!" — YUM
- Specialized (in), as in college — MAJORED
- Small hair on which mascara is applied — EYELASH
- Sloppy smooch — WETKISS
- Homer Simpson's shout — DOH
- Roth ___ — IRA
- Actor Diesel of the "Fast & Furious" films — VIN
- "Sunny" part of a breakfast order — EGGYOLK
- Warrior with a katana — SAMURAI
- "Sorry, my life is all over the place right now" — IMAMESS
- Trent Reznor's rock band, to fans — NIN
- Call from a kitten — MEW
- Sailor's assent — AYE
- F-16 Fighting Falcon, e.g. — JET
- Nonfielding baseball players, for short — DHS
This puzzle by the numbers
- 7 across, 11 down
- DIVESIN (7)
Counted from our own archive of NYT Mini Crossword answers — not published anywhere else.
