The NYT Mini Crossword for September 8, 2026 is a compact 5×5 grid with a music-forward feel – two of the Down answers are major artists, and the Across entries mix golf, household tech, and patriotism. Here is the complete solution.
Mini Crossword Across Answers – September 8, 2026
1-Across: FLAG – Patriotic symbol flown at half-staff on some holidays.
6-Across: ALEXA – Amazon’s voice assistant, found in millions of homes.
7-Across: BOGEY – One over par in golf; also a fighter pilot’s term for an unidentified aircraft.
8-Across: BOIL – Bring to 100 degrees Celsius, in the kitchen.
9-Across: ART – Creative expression; also a common name.
Mini Crossword Down Answers – September 8, 2026
1-Down: FLOOR – The lowest surface of a room; also to stun or astonish someone.
2-Down: LEGIT – Genuine or legal, in slang.
3-Down: AXEL – A figure skating jump named after Norwegian skater Axel Paulsen; also a first name.
4-Down: GAY – Happy and lighthearted (classic usage); also a common adjective for sexuality.
5-Down: ABBA – Swedish pop group behind “Dancing Queen” and “Waterloo.”
Today’s Difficulty
The Mini sits in the easier tier today. ALEXA is a gimme for anyone with an Amazon device, and FLAG lands without resistance. BOGEY might pause solvers who don’t follow golf – the word pulls double duty as a military term and a golf score one stroke above par. ABBA is similarly confident once either the B or the final A locks in from crossing letters.
AXEL is the crossword’s most versatile entry: the spelling (not AXLE, the car part) points specifically to the skating jump, but the name works as a first name too, which adds minor ambiguity.
The NYT Mini Crossword resets at midnight Eastern Time (10 pm Pacific). For more daily puzzle coverage, see today’s NYT Strands answer for September 8, 2026 and the NYT Spelling Bee answers for September 8. Yesterday’s NYT Mini Crossword answers for September 7, 2026 are also here.
