Wednesday March 18, 2026 NYT Mini Crossword Hints and Answers

March 18, 2026 by

Abigail

Need help with today's NYT Mini Crossword? Here are all the clues, hints, and full answers for Wednesday, March 18, 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. Wednesday's puzzles tend to sit at a satisfying middle difficulty — approachable, but with a clue or two that'll make you pause.

Across Clues and Answers — March 18, 2026

1 Across: Word before "card," "flood" or "photography"

Hint: Think of a sudden burst of bright light — or something your phone does constantly.

Answer: FLASH

6 Across: Joust weapon

Hint: A long pole used by knights on horseback in medieval combat.

Answer: LANCE

7 Across: Brain, heart or lungs

Hint: These are all vital internal body parts — the kind doctors pay close attention to.

Answer: ORGAN

8 Across: "Frozen" reindeer

Hint: Not Rudolph — think Elsa's world, not Santa's.

Answer: SVEN

9 Across: What can be found on frozen roads or frozen margaritas

Hint: A four-letter mineral that serves two very different purposes depending on the temperature outside.

Answer: SALT

Down Clues and Answers — March 18, 2026

1 Down: Follow a dentist's recommendation

Hint: Something you're told to do daily but probably skip more than you'd like to admit.

Answer: FLOSS

2 Down: Baby bug

Hint: The early stage of an insect's life — worm-like, not yet recognisable as its adult form.

Answer: LARVA

3 Down: Shape made in the snow

Hint: A classic winter activity involving lying flat on your back and moving your arms and legs.

Answer: ANGEL

4 Down: Very little

Hint: A single syllable word meaning barely enough — a near-synonym of "sparse."

Answer: SCANT

5 Down: Egg layer

Hint: You'll find this bird in a farmyard, and her eggs on your breakfast plate.

Answer: HEN

Quick Answer Summary — March 18, 2026

Across:

1A: FLASH
6A: LANCE
7A: ORGAN
8A: SVEN
9A: SALT

Down:

1D: FLOSS
2D: LARVA
3D: ANGEL
4D: SCANT
5D: HEN

Today's Puzzle Debrief

Wednesday's Mini felt neatly constructed around that shared corner of FLASH and FLOSS — both starting with FL and crossing cleanly at the first letter.VEN is a lovely misdirect if you were picturing Christmas rather than Kristoff's loyal reindeer, and SALT earning double duty across icy roads and cocktail rims is exactly the kind of lateral clue-writing the Mini does best. SCANT may have been the trickiest answer to land without a crossing letter or two to guide you in.

More Daily Puzzle Help

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