The NYT Mini Crossword answers today, November 12, 2026, are BLUE, BRONX, AIOLI, UNFIT and MEAT Across, with BRINE, LOOFA, UNLIT, EXIT and BAUM Down. The complete clue-by-clue solutions follow, including the five-letter spelling of the shower scrubber.
Across answers
1A: BLUE
5A: BRONX
6A: AIOLI
7A: UNFIT
8A: MEAT
Down answers
1D: BRINE
2D: LOOFA
3D: UNLIT
4D: EXIT
5D: BAUM
Hints for today’s Mini
- The zoo clue asks for a New York City borough, not the zoo’s name.
- The condiment answer has five letters and begins with A.
- The shower scrubber ends in A, not H.
- The author clue needs the surname associated with Dorothy and Oz.
Across clues and solutions
1A. Eye color of white tigers: BLUE.
5A. Home to the largest urban zoo in the United States, with “the”: BRONX.
6A. Mayonnaise-like condiment: AIOLI.
7A. Not suited for leadership: UNFIT.
8A. What Chik’n Nuggets and Beyond Burgers lack: MEAT.
Down clues and solutions
1D. Pickle juice: BRINE.
2D. Shower scrubber: LOOFA.
3D. Dark, as a room: UNLIT.
4D. Door to the outside: EXIT.
5D. L. Frank ___, author of “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”: BAUM.
The crossings that settle the spelling
LOOFA is the entry to watch at 2-Down. Reading the crossing Across answers supplies L from BLUE, O from BRONX, O from AIOLI, F from UNFIT, and A from MEAT. Together they give L-O-O-F-A, so adding an H would not fit this grid.
AIOLI’s vowel-heavy spelling can also be checked through the Down entries. Its five letters cross BAUM, BRINE, LOOFA, UNLIT and EXIT. That makes the condiment a useful checkpoint if several short answers look plausible but the middle row will not settle.
Explore our Word Games coverage for more daily answers and hints.
