Need help with today's NYT Mini Crossword? Here are all the clues, hints, and full answers for Tuesday, March 17, 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. Each puzzle has five Across clues and five Down clues, and today's edition is a satisfying mix of pop culture, wordplay, and everyday vocabulary.
Across Hints — March 17, 2026
Not ready to see the answers yet? Here are gentle hints for each Across clue:
- 1 Across: Think about the person who calls the plays on a sports team — not a player, but a leader the sidelines.
- 6 Across: A tech giant so valuable its market cap rivals the economies of entire nations.
- 7 Across: Something you might say to someone who needs to take a breath and calm down.
- 8 Across: A musician keeping the beat without any strings attached.
- 9 Across: A cheeky, back-and-forth kind of attitude.
Across Clues and Answers — March 17, 2026
1 Across: One drawing X's and O's
Answer: COACH
A coach famously diagrams plays using X's and O's on a whiteboard — the clue is a clever nod to that classic sports image.
6 Across: Company whose market cap (~$4 trillion) exceeds the G.D.P. of most countries
Answer: APPLE
Apple's staggering valuation makes it one of the most valuable entities on the planet, surpassing the entire economic output of most nations.
7 Across: "Chill!"
Answer: RELAX
A casual, five-letter way to tell someone to ease up — straightforward once you have a letter or two in place.
8 Across: Do some rhythmic tapping
Answer: DRUM
To drum is to tap out a rhythm — on a kit, on a tabletop, or anywhere else the beat takes you.
9 Across: Back talk
Answer: SASS
Sass is that particular brand of cheeky, disrespectful talk — short, punchy, and very crossword-friendly.
Down Hints — March 17, 2026
- 1 Down: Think about what a dealer does at the start of a card game.
- 2 Down: A famous masked figure haunts a grand theatre in this long-running musical.
- 3 Down: The grade every student dreams of receiving on a test.
- 4 Down: Shorebirds hunt for these bivalves by probing the wet sand.
- 5 Down: Something a witch might cast to bring bad luck.
Down Clues and Answers — March 17, 2026
1 Down: What's the deal?
Answer: CARDS
The clue plays on the double meaning of "deal" — the word refers both to a playing card deal and the common question "what's the deal?" A tricky misdirection that makes this the standout clue of today's puzzle.
2 Down: "The Phantom of the ___"
Answer: OPERA
Andrew Lloyd Webber's legendary musical completes this fill-in-the-blank — one of the longest-running shows in Broadway and West End history.
3 Down: Excellent grade
Answer: APLUS
The top mark on any assignment or exam, rendered here as a clean five-letter answer.
4 Down: Sandpipers dig for them in the sand
Answer: CLAMS
Sandpiper birds are well-known for probing wet shoreline sand in search of cl other small molluscs — a satisfying nature clue.
5 Down: Evil spell
Answer: HEX
A hex is a curse or evil spell — short, sharp, and a perfect crossword answer.
Full Answer Summary — March 17, 2026
Here's a quick-reference list of all today's answers:
Across
- 1A: COACH
- 6A: APPLE
- 7A: RELAX
- 8A: DRUM
- 9A: SASS
Down
- 1D: CARDS
- 2D: OPERA
- 3D: APLUS
- 4D: CLAMS
- 5D: HEX
Today's trickiest clue was almost certainly 1 Down — "What's the deal?" leads many solvers to think of negotiations or questions rather than card games, making CARDS easy to overlook on first pass. Once that snaps into place, the rest of the grid fills in quickly.
More Daily Puzzle Help
Looking for more Mini Crossword help from recent days? Check out our archive:
- Sunday March 15, 2026 NYT Mini Crossword Hints and Answers
- Saturday March 14, 2026 NYT Mini Crossword Hints and Answers
Need help with other puzzles from today? Browse our recent guides: