Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword is one of those where certain letters are circled, and there’s a joke that develops once you see the letters. You can’t do much more than solve the clues in a regular way, but when the puzzle’s done, you’ll see the joke fill itself in. It should be pretty simple, but if you need some help with today’s Mini Crossword, read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

The Mini Crossword is just one of many games in the Times’ games collection. If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get at those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Four before E
Answer: ABCD

5A clue: Stock market pessimist
Answer: BEAR

6A clue: Nick ___, college football great with seven national titles
Answer: SABAN

8A clue: Early word for many babies
Answer: MAMA

9A clue: Piece of marble
Answer: SLAB

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: “Six-pack” found in this puzzle’s circled letters
Answer: ABS

2D clue: Smiles proudly
Answer: BEAMS

3D clue: Shadowy group
Answer: CABAL

4D clue: What messy people love
Answer: DRAMA

7D clue: Snatch
Answer: NAB

How to play more Mini Crosswords

The New York Times Games section offers a large number of online games, but only some of them are free for all to play. You can play the current day’s Mini Crossword for free, but you’ll need a subscription to the Times Games section to play older puzzles from the archives.