NYT Mini Crossword — August 28, 2026
Hints — one at a time
Hint 1 of 5
Today's five-by-five opens with the household electronics that always seem to come with a remote control, then the string of saliva that dribbles when you're fast asleep or hungry.
Hint 2 of 5
Continue across with the self-help genre of book that walks you through doing something step by step, and the lottery game where you pick numbers hoping to hit the jackpot.
Hint 3 of 5
The last across answer is the name of the emoji voiced by a famous Shakespearean actor in an animated movie about emojis.
Hint 4 of 5
Down starts with the term for a unit of Girl Scouts, and a phrase meaning to make a solemn promise.
Hint 5 of 5
Finish down with a Latin musical term meaning to speak softly, a major shipping and logistics company, and the round shape you'd notice if you traced the O's scattered through this very puzzle.
The answer — spoilers!
Reveal the full answer
- Household items that come with remotes — TVS
- String of saliva — DROOL
- Self-help book genre — HOWTO
- Powerball or Mega Millions — LOTTO
- Emoji voiced by Sir Patrick Stewart in "The Emoji Movie" — POOP
- Group of Girl Scouts — TROOP
- Promise that one will — VOWTO
- ___ voce (under one's breath) — SOTTO
- Big name in shipping logistics — DHL
- Shape formed by the O's in this puzzle — LOOP
This puzzle by the numbers
- 5 across, 5 down
- DROOL (5)
Counted from our own archive of NYT Mini Crossword answers — not published anywhere else.
