NYT Mini Crossword #Daily
NYT Mini Crossword Answers for May 14, 2026
This archive page preserves the NYT Mini Crossword guide for May 14, 2026. Review the completed clues and answer logic after solving.
Current daily puzzle
Updated for
Guidance bridge
This archive guide reviews the completed Mini Crossword for May 14, 2026. Use it to revisit the across and down clues, answer logic, and tricky entries after the puzzle is solved.
Archive Snapshot
- Date
- May 14, 2026
- Across clues
- 5
- Down clues
- 5
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Hardest clue
- 8 Across
- Answers
- Answers included below
Why 8 Acrossis the hardest clue in today's NYT Mini Crossword
8 Across is the hardest clue because MYB is a very compressed slang answer. The clue gives the phrase "That's on me," but the grid wants the shorthand for "my bad," so the answer depends on recognizing informal texting-style abbreviation.
How to Start Today's Mini Crossword
Solve the concrete clues first, then use crossings to confirm the abbreviations and shorthand entries.
Mini Crossword Archive: Across Clues
Open these spoiler-light prompts before checking the answer list.
1 Across
Repetitive mannerism
Think of a short involuntary habit or movement.
4 Across
Nourish, as a garden
Use the basic action that keeps plants alive.
6 Across
Like the bread used for croutons
Croutons are often made from bread that is no longer fresh.
7 Across
Mint ___ (classic cocktail)
Complete the Kentucky Derby cocktail name.
8 Across
"That's on me," in slangy shorthand
Think of a compact version of "my bad."
Mini Crossword Archive: Down Clues
Open these spoiler-light prompts before checking the answer list.
1 Down
Jayson of the Boston Celtics
This Celtics star's last name has five letters.
2 Down
Country across the Adriatic from Croatia
Look west across the Adriatic Sea.
3 Down
Tabloid subject, informally
Use the casual short form for a famous person.
4 Down
NYT competitor
This newspaper is often abbreviated with three letters.
5 Down
Gym unit
Think of one counted exercise movement.
Mini Crossword Archive: Solve Checks
Use these quick checks before opening the full answer list.
- Does TIC fit a repetitive mannerism?
- Does STALE describe bread suited for croutons?
- Have you entered only JULEP, not the full cocktail phrase?
- Does MYB make sense as shorthand for "my bad"?
What Matters in This Puzzle
MYB is the slang hinge
The clue points to responsibility, but the answer is the abbreviated form of "my bad."
Proper nouns help
TATUM and WSJ are both name-based entries that can quickly confirm nearby crossings.
JULEP depends on the phrase
The clue supplies Mint, so the grid needs only JULEP.
Post-game archive analysis
May 14, 2026 NYT Mini Crossword Clue Breakdown
This archive page shows the completed across and down answers with short explanations, so it works as a review page rather than a live spoiler-light hint page.
Across Answers
1 Across
TIC
Clue: Repetitive mannerism
A TIC is a repeated involuntary movement or mannerism.
4 Across
WATER
Clue: Nourish, as a garden
To WATER a garden is to nourish it by giving plants water.
6 Across
STALE
Clue: Like the bread used for croutons
STALE bread is dry or no longer fresh, which makes it useful for croutons.
7 Across
JULEP
Clue: Mint ___ (classic cocktail)
A mint JULEP is a classic cocktail made with mint, sugar, and bourbon.
8 Across
MYB
Clue: "That's on me," in slangy shorthand
MYB is shorthand for "my bad," a casual way to say "That's on me."
Down Answers
1 Down
TATUM
Clue: Jayson of the Boston Celtics
Jayson TATUM is a star player for the Boston Celtics.
2 Down
ITALY
Clue: Country across the Adriatic from Croatia
ITALY lies across the Adriatic Sea from Croatia.
3 Down
CELEB
Clue: Tabloid subject, informally
A CELEB is an informal term for a celebrity, a common subject of tabloids.
4 Down
WSJ
Clue: NYT competitor
WSJ stands for The Wall Street Journal, a competitor to The New York Times.
5 Down
REP
Clue: Gym unit
A REP is one repetition of an exercise in a gym set.
How This Mini Crossword Archive Puzzle Works
The May 14 Mini balances everyday clues with a few compact entries. WATER, STALE, JULEP, TATUM, ITALY, CELEB, and REP follow direct clue logic. TIC is short but conventional, while WSJ depends on recognizing a publication abbreviation. MYB is the most specialized answer because it compresses "my bad" into slangy shorthand. Once the direct five-letter entries are in place, the crossings make the abbreviations much easier to trust.
Caution Notes
Do not enter full phrases
Mint julep and my bad are clue phrases, but the stored grid answers are JULEP and MYB.
Watch the abbreviation clue
NYT competitor is answered by WSJ, not by the full newspaper name.
Previous and Next Day
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