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.

3-Down on today’s NYT Mini Crossword stuck out as odd to me. «Either way you look at it?» Ahhh, now I get it: The word is spelled the same forwards and backwards. It’s a palindrome. Not sure if that will help you solve it, but there you are. 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: Piece of bacon
Answer: STRIP

6A clue: Renter’s contract
Answer: LEASE

7A clue: Country whose national bird is the peacock
Answer: INDIA

8A clue: Layers of paint
Answer: COATS

9A clue: Make a mistake
Answer: ERR

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Piece of toast
Answer: SLICE

2D clue: Kind of saxophone played by Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane
Answer: TENOR

3D clue: Weather forecast tool, either way you look at it
Answer: RADAR

4D clue: «___ just me …?»
Answer: ISIT

5D clue: Pod group
Answer: PEAS

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.

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

I recognized a distinctive three-word title in today’s Connections: Sports Edition, and was off to the races, so to speak. You might find that same phrase, which will help you solve the blue group. Read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is out of beta now, making its debut on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 9. That’s a sign that the game has earned enough loyal players that The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times, will continue to publish it. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but now appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can continue to play it free online.  

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Just part of your competition.

Green group hint: Go, team!

Blue group hint: Streaming movies.

Purple group hint:  Smash it!

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Portion of a race.

Green group: Cheer.

Blue group: Netflix sports documentaries.

Purple group: ____ hitter.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is portion of a race. The four answers are lap, leg, segment and stage.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is cheer. The four answers are applaud, clap, root and salute.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is Netflix sports documentaries. The four answers are Cheer, Drive to Survive, Quarterback and Drive to Survive.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is ____ hitter. The four answers are cleanup, designated, power and slap.

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

I have a feeling today’s Wordle puzzle could be tricky. The solution isn’t a word that would immediately come to mind, unless you’re a woodworker. 

If you need a new starter word, check out our list of which letters show up the most in English words. If you need hints and the answer, read on.

Today’s Wordle hints

Before we show you today’s Wordle answer, we’ll give you some hints. If you don’t want a spoiler, look away now.

Wordle hint No. 1: Repeats

Today’s Wordle answer has no repeated letters.

Wordle hint No. 2: Vowels

There are two vowels in today’s Wordle answer.

Wordle hint No. 3: First letter

Today’s Wordle answer begins with the letter D.

Wordle hint No. 4: Rhyme time

Today’s Wordle answer rhymes with a word for something you might take to the beach.

Wordle hint No. 5: Meaning

Today’s Wordle answer can refer to a peg of wood that holds things together.

TODAY’S WORDLE ANSWER

Today’s Wordle answer is DOWEL.

Yesterday’s Wordle answer

Yesterday’s Wordle answer, May 10, No. 1421 was YEAST.

Recent Wordle answers

May 6, No. 1417: SUITE
May 7, No. 1418: MACHO
May 8, No. 1419: BALMY
May 9, No. 1420: TRIPE