NYT Mini Crossword Answers – Tuesday, February 17, 2026

Need help with today’s NYT Mini Crossword? The Feb. 17 puzzle was quick, but a couple clues made me pause for a second.

One answer especially looked like it should have an extra letter. But nope. The shorter version worked.

Let’s go through it.

Puzzle date: Tuesday, February 17, 2026
Difficulty: 2.5/5

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🟦 Across Answers

1A. Prefix meaning “eight”
👉 OCTO

Easy start.

5A. Classic poem that begins “I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness”
👉 HOWL

That famous opening line gave it away.

6A. One of the Jenners
👉 KYLIE

Pop culture clue. Quick fill.

7A. As one word: A henchman / As two words: “Please proceed”
👉 GOON

This was clever. “Go on” becomes “goon.”

8A. Prickly seedcases
👉 BURS

This is the one that might trip people up. Some spell it “burrs,” but BURS fits the grid.

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🟩 Down Answers

1D. “Stop, I’m blushing!”
👉 OHYOU

Cute clue.

2D. Indicator of difficulty in Connections
👉 COLOR

Yellow, green, blue, purple. Makes sense.

3D. Identical siblings
👉 TWINS

Straightforward.

4D. Repeated cheer at a soccer stadium
👉 OLE

You can almost hear the crowd.

6D. Soviet spy org.
👉 KGB

Short but classic crossword answer.

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Quick Thoughts

This was a smooth Mini.
Nothing too hard.
The GOON clue was probably the most fun.

If you hesitated on BURS, you’re not alone.

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Did you solve it fast today?
Playing for speed 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!