August 31, 2026archive
NYT Mini Crossword — August 31, 2026
Hints — one at a time
Hint 1 of 5
Yesterday's five-by-five opens with what a spider spins, then an old-fashioned French-derived word for a boyfriend.
Hint 2 of 5
Continue across with the fake sadness a crocodile is famously said to display, and the kind of bird that famously catches the worm.
Hint 3 of 5
The last across answer completes a phrase about falsely raising an alarm.
Hint 4 of 5
Down starts with a feeling of being exhausted and run-down, and a British title of nobility.
Hint 5 of 5
Finish down with an insect known for constant industrious activity, a black-and-white animal, and old slang for a detective.
The answer — spoilers!
Reveal the full answer
- Spider ___ — WEB
- Quaint term for a boyfriend, from the French — BEAU
- Crocodile ___ — TEARS
- ___ bird — EARLY
- ___ wolf — CRY
- Feeling tired and worn out — WEARY
- British noble title — EARL
- ___ bee — BUSY
- Panda ___ — BEAR
- Detective, in old shorthand — TEC
This puzzle by the numbers
- 5 across, 5 down
- TEARS (5)
Counted from our own archive of NYT Mini Crossword answers — not published anywhere else.
