March 22, 2026 NYT Mini Crossword Hints and Answers

Need help with today’s NYT Mini Crossword? Here are all the clues and answers for March 22, 2026.

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.

Across Clues and Answers — March 22, 2026

1 Across: Jost of “Saturday Night Live”

Answer: COLIN

6 Across: German wine valley whose name rhymes with “wine”

Answer: RHINE

7 Across: Big name in root beer

Answer: AANDW

8 Across: Common slot machine symbol

Answer: FRUIT

9 Across: James Talarico’s state

Answer: TEXAS

Down Clues and Answers — March 22, 2026

1 Down: Cunning skill

Answer: CRAFT

2 Down: Chicago airport

Answer: OHARE

3 Down: Operating system on which Android partly based

Answer: LINUX

4 Down: World’s most populous country

Answer: INDIA

5 Down: Small salamanders

Answer: NEWTS

Tips for Solving Today’s Mini Crossword

7-Across is the trickiest entry today — “Big name in root beer” points to A&W, but the grid requires a five-letter entry, so the answer is written as AANDW. Don’t let the ampersand throw you off. For 1-Across, knowing that Colin Jost is a Weekend Update anchor on SNL makes this one quick to fill in. 3-Down (LINUX) is a nod to the tech-savvy solver — Android’s kernel is built on Linux, which is a useful fact to keep in your back pocket. Finally, 9-Across references Texas state legislator James Talarico, a clue that rewards solvers who follow current U.S. politics.

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