Need help with today's NYT Mini Crossword? Here are all the clues, hints, and answers for Monday March 9 2026. Hints come first — scroll past them only when you're ready for the full solutions.
What Is the NYT Mini Crossword?
The NYT Mini Crossword is a fast 5×5 crossword puzzle published daily by The New York Times. It's designed to be solved in minutes, making it a perfect daily brain warm-up before tackling the full crossword. Unlike the main puzzle, the Mini is free to play and resets at 10 p.m. EST on weekdays — so Monday's puzzle is live from Sunday night.
Across Clues and Hints — Monday March 9 2026
Work through these hints before jumping to the answers below.
1 Across: Talk ___ (boastfully banter)
Hint: Street slang for trash talk. Five letters, starts with S, ends with K.
6 Across: What has legs, but never walks?
Hint: A classic riddle. Think of a common piece of furniture. Five letters, starts with T.
7 Across: French for "love"
Hint: A word you'd see on a Valentine's card sent from Paris. Five letters, starts with A.
8 Across: What has a mouth, but never talks?
Hint: Another riddle clue. Think of a natural water feature you might find on a map. Five letters, starts with R.
9 Across: Run-down in appearance
Hint: Describes something shabby or neglected. Five letters, starts with S.
Down Clues and Hints — Monday March 9 2026
1 Down: Milky Way bits
Hint: What you see when you look up on a clear night. Five letters, starts with S.
2 Down: ___ Eisenhower, 1950s first lady
Hint: The first name of President Dwight D. Eisenhower's wife. Five letters, starts with M.
3 Down: Overhead
Hint: A positional word meaning directly above. Five letters, starts with A.
4 Down: Given a crossword hint
Hint: Past tense of what puzzle writers do for solvers. Five letters, starts with C.
5 Down: Actress Washington of "Scandal"
Hint: The first name of the lead actress in the political drama series. Five letters, starts with K.
Across Answers — Monday March 9 2026
Ready for the full solutions? Here they are.
1 Across: Talk ___ (boastfully banter)
Answer: SMACK
6 Across: What has legs, but never walks?
Answer: TABLE
7 Across: French for "love"
Answer: AMOUR
8 Across: What has a mouth, but never talks?
Answer: RIVER
9 Across: Run-down in appearance
Answer: SEEDY
Down Answers — Monday March 9 2026
1 Down: Milky Way bits
Answer: STARS
2 Down: ___ Eisenhower, 1950s first lady
Answer: MAMIE
3 Down: Overhead
Answer: ABOVE
4 Down: Given a crossword hint
Answer: CLUED
5 Down: Actress Washington of "Scandal"
Answer: KERRY
What Made Today's Puzzle Tricky
Monday's grid leaned into riddle-style clues, which can catch solvers off guard. The clues for 6 Across and 8 Across — "What has legs, but never walks?" and "What has a mouth, but never talks?" — both use classic wordplay that asks you to think figuratively rather than literally. TABLE and RIVER are the answers, but if your brain jumps straight to animals or people, you might waste precious seconds. The trickiest knowledge clue was 2 Down: Mamie Eisenhower is a staple of crossword trivia, but less familiar to younger solvers who may not immediately place her as the First Lady of the 1950s.
Tips for Solving Today's Puzzle
Lean into the riddle format. When a clue is phrased as a riddle — "What has ___, but never ___?" — step back from the literal meaning and think about objects or natural features that share that characteristic metaphorically. RIVER has a mouth; TABLE has legs.
Start with the gimme clues. "French for 'love'" pointing to AMOUR is a well-known crossword entry that most players will fill in without hesitation. Use those confirmed letters to unlock adjacent answers.
Build your first-ladies knowledge base. Presidential spouse names crop up regularly in Mini Crossword grids. MAMIE Eisenhower is one of the most common, so adding her to your mental archive will save you time on future puzzles.
Use the grid intersections. With a 5×5 grid, every Across answer shares letters with every Down answer. If you're confident about STARS (1 Down), that S confirms the first letter of SMACK (1 Across) and gives you a foothold immediately.
Don't worry if today's puzzle stumped you — a brand new Mini Crossword resets tonight at 10 p.m. EST, and we'll have fresh hints and answers ready for you tomorrow.