October 9, 2026archive
NYT Mini Crossword — October 9, 2026
Hints — one at a time
Hint 1 of 5
Today's grid opens across with the network behind "Abbott Elementary," then a coffee additive that's also a '60s rock band's name.
Hint 2 of 5
Continue across with a Valentine's Day symbol that's also a '70s-'80s rock band, and a desert watering hole that's also a '90s-'00s rock band.
Hint 3 of 5
The last across answer is a poem written to glorify its subject.
Hint 4 of 5
Down starts with the sound right before someone says "Gesundheit!," and what croutons are made from.
Hint 5 of 5
Finish down with a word meaning to stop, a name hidden inside "nefarious," and the abbreviation for mountains like Denali and Whitney.
The answer — spoilers!
Reveal the full answer
- "Abbott Elementary" network — ABC
- Coffee supplement ... or a ’60s rock band — CREAM
- Valentine's Day symbol ... or a ’70s-’80s rock band — HEART
- Desert watering hole ... or a ’90s-’00s rock band — OASIS
- Glorifying poem — ODE
- Sound preceding "Gesundheit!" — ACHOO
- Basis for croutons — BREAD
- Stop — CEASE
- Name found in "nefarious" — ARI
- Denali and Whitney: Abbr. — MTS
This puzzle by the numbers
- 5 across, 5 down
- CREAM (5)
Counted from our own archive of NYT Mini Crossword answers — not published anywhere else.
