Are you one of those people who can breeze through today’s Mini Crossword in record time just by following your instincts? I know I am! For me, the day isn’t complete until I’ve conquered all the free word games from the New York Times, including Connections, Connections Sports Edition, Wordle, and Strands. And let’s not forget about The Mini Crossword from NYT—it’s a favorite among many.
While NYT is famous for its larger paid subscriber puzzle “The Crossword,” The Mini has built up quite a fan base of its own. This game resets at 10 p.m., unlike others that start fresh at midnight.
So, if you’re tackling today’s Mini Crossword on a Saturday like May 9th and find yourself in need of some assistance (we’ve all been there), get ready to uncover the clues and solutions for each word. We’ve broken them down into hints for both “Across” and “Down” first, followed by the actual answers, so proceed with caution if you want to avoid spoilers.
Moving on to the hints for NYT’s The Mini Crossword on Saturday, May 9, 2026:
Across:
1. The “S” of H.S.: Abbr. – HINT: Starts with the letter “S”
4. King with a golden touch – HINT: Ends with the letter “S”
6. New Delhi or New York – HINT: Ends with the letter “Y”
8. Raggedy ___ doll – HINT: Starts with the letter “A”
9. Landmark Supreme Court case overturned by Dobbs – HINT: Ends with the letter “E”
10. Segment of a train – HINT: Starts with the letter “R”
12. Pig’s nose – HINT: Starts with the letter “S”
13. Place for an intuitive feeling – HINT: Ends with the letter “T”
Down:
1. Author’s event – HINT: Starts with the letter “S”
2. Public health agcy. – HINT: Starts with the letter “C”
3. Barbershop offering – HINT: Ends with the letter “T”
4. ___ Tirith, capital of Gondor in the “Lord of the Rings” books – HINT: Starts with the letter “M”
5. Short-tailed weasel – HINT: Ends with the letter “T”
6. Place to order drinks – HINT: Starts with the letter “B”
7. “___ out!” (umpire’s shout) – HINT: Ends with the letter “R”
11. Guitarist Reed – HINT: Starts with the letter “L”
And there you have it! The answers to NYT’s The Mini Crossword for Saturday, May 9, 2026. If you dared to go further and see exactly what the correct words were, hopefully, you had a successful solving session. Enjoy the challenge and keep those mental muscles sharp!
Peace Nero is a writer and blogger who loves to explore different topics of self-development. She shares her personal experiences in order to help people discover their true purpose in life.