Looking for help with today’s NYT Mini Crossword? You’re in the right place. Whether you’re stuck on a clue or just curious to see how others did, here’s your quick walkthrough of Monday, June 9th’s mini puzzle — answers, hints, and all.
Unlike the classic NYT Crossword, the Mini is a quick 5×5 grid that tests your wits without devouring your time. Most solvers knock it out in under two minutes — but don’t worry if it takes longer. We’re here to help break it down clue-by-clue.
Today’s Clues and Answers for June 7
Also read: NYT Strands Hints & Answers for June 9, 2025 (Game #463)
Across Clues:
1A. Flower that sounds like a parental nickname – POPPY
A cute little wordplay to start off the puzzle. “Poppy” is both a flower and a common nickname for a grandfather or dad, especially in British or Southern American English. A gentle pun to ease you in.
6A. Savvy – AWARE
This one threw me off for a second. While “savvy” typically means clever or shrewd, “aware” works if you stretch it to mean conscious or informed. Still, the synonym is a bit of a reach.
7A. Birthplace of Buddhism – INDIA
A trivia-friendly clue. Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, was born in what is now modern-day Nepal, but the religion’s roots and development were deeply tied to ancient India. So this one is technically accurate — and a helpful gimme if you’re into history.
8A. Stretches outside of a party? – LIMOS
This clue is a clever bit of misdirection. You might think of yoga or dancing first when reading “stretches,” but the real trick is in “outside of a party.” Stretch limousines, aka limos, are often used for events and parties. Nice mislead!
9A. Button next to “Select” on old Nintendo controllers – START
A nostalgic shout-out to classic gaming. If you ever played an NES or SNES, you’ll remember those grey rectangular controllers with the red buttons — “Select” and “Start” always side-by-side. Easy pick for anyone who grew up on retro games.
Related:
Down Clues:
1D. Beach buckets – PAILS
A straightforward one. You bring a pail to the beach to build sandcastles. No trick here.
2D. Take responsibility for something – OWN
This might’ve been more satisfying if clued as a slang phrase like “Completely dominate” (e.g. “He owned that debate”). Still, it fits well and crosses cleanly.
3D. Lakshmi of “Top Chef” – PADMA
TV lovers and foodies got rewarded here. Padma Lakshmi has been a longtime host of the competitive cooking show Top Chef. I wasn’t sure of this one until I crossed it with 6A and 1A.
4D. Previous – PRIOR
Standard crossword fare. A classic five-letter synonym clue. Nothing too tricky.
5D. Ingredient that makes bread rise – YEAST
A satisfying one to end the downs. Yeast is essential in baking — it ferments sugars and releases carbon dioxide, which makes dough rise. Easy if you’ve ever tried baking, or at least watched The Great British Bake Off.
Also read: NYT Connections Hints and Answers for June 9, 2025
Final Thoughts
This was a solid, medium-difficulty Monday Mini. Not quite a speed-solver’s dream, but nothing unfair. The most fun clue was probably 8A: LIMOS, with its playful misdirection. The toughest? 6A: AWARE, just because the synonym didn’t quite snap for me at first. Also, if you don’t watch Top Chef, PADMA could cause a snag.
It’s worth noting that the NYT Mini often doubles as a vocabulary builder and pop culture quiz. Today’s puzzle did both, touching on geography (INDIA), television (PADMA), food science (YEAST), and nostalgia (START).
