NYT Mini Crossword Answers – Monday, February 16, 2026

Need help with today’s NYT Mini Crossword? The Feb. 16 puzzle had a fun little twist. Two clues were a bit meta, which made it interesting.

Let’s get right to it.

Puzzle date: Monday, February 16, 2026
Difficulty: 2.5/5

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🟦 Across Answers

1A. What some people solve the Mini for
👉 SPEED

Some players race the clock. Under a minute is the goal.

6A. Chat, informally
👉 CONVO

Pretty common slang. Easy fill.

7A. Fire truck attachments
👉 HOSES

Straightforward clue.

8A. What other people solve the Mini for
👉 FUN

This pairs nicely with 1A. Speed or fun — that’s the Mini debate.

9A. “Are we there ___?”
👉 YET

Classic phrase. Quick answer.

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🟩 Down Answers

1D. Academy or university: Abbr.
👉 SCH

Short for school.

2D. Like a voluminous winter jacket
👉 POOFY

Good winter word. Fits the season.

3D. Come next
👉 ENSUE

A word that shows up a lot in crosswords.

4D. ___ planner (occupation)
👉 EVENT

Event planner. Clean clue.

5D. Number before tres
👉 DOS

Spanish numbers always pop up in crosswords.

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Quick Thoughts

The fun part today was the SPEED and FUN pairing. It’s true. Some people play to beat their best time. Others just enjoy the puzzle.

Both work.

This one was smooth overall. Nothing too tricky, but the meta angle made it feel fresh.

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How did you do?
Speed run or just for fun?

See you tomorrow for the next grid.

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About the Author

Hi! I’m Anish. I really love the NYT games.

I play them every single morning with my coffee. It feels great to find the last word in the Bee or beat the Mini Crossword.

I write these posts to help you win your daily games. I share my best tips so you can keep your streak going. Let’s get those gold squares!