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.

Sadly, the NYT Mini Crossword is now behind a paywall. You can of course subscribe to the Times’ Games package to receive full access. If you just can’t, there’s at least one way you can still access it.

I was cruising through today’s Mini Crossword until I got to 8-Across, which threw me for a while until I filled in some of the Down answers. Need some help or answers? Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

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 to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: «Hamilton» was nominated for 16 of them in ’16
Answer: TONYS

6A clue: Vegetable you might wear cooking goggles to cut
Answer: ONION

7A clue: Lizard that can detach its own tail
Answer: GECKO

8A clue: Slightly off, as a picture frame
Answer: ASKEW

9A clue: Cunning
Answer: SLY

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Wrap on filming «300»?
Answer: TOGA

2D clue: Tip jar bills
Answer: ONES

3D clue: Tiny shaving cuts
Answer: NICKS

4D clue: Country bumpkin
Answer: YOKEL

5D clue: Adjective that can precede «owl» or «egret»
Answer: SNOWY

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.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is tough. The purple category does that thing where the editors chop up a team name and expect you to find it. If you’re struggling but still want to solve it, 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: Take me out to the ball game.

Green group hint: City of Brotherly Love.

Blue group hint: You want a high pick.

Purple group hint: Southern group of teams.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Materials found on a baseball field.

Green group: Philadelphia teams.

Blue group: Words that precede «draft.»

Purple group: Starts of SEC team names.

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 materials found on a baseball field. The four answers are chalk, dirt, grass and rubber.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is Philadelphia teams. The four answers are Eagles, Flyers, Temple and Union.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is words that precede «draft.» The four answers are fantasy, mock, NFL and snake.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is starts of SEC team names. The four answers are Bull, Gato, Soon and Wild. (Mississippi State Bulldogs, Florida Gators, Oklahoma Sooners and Kentucky Wildcats.)

Looking for the most recent 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, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s NYT Connections puzzle has a fun mix of categories. If you played a lot of Monopoly then you’ll ace the green group. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times now has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

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

Yellow group hint: Quit negging me!

Green group hint: You might need fake money too.

Blue group hint: Words with a twin.

Purple group hint: …and stones.

Answers for today’s Connections groups

Yellow group: Criticize harshly.

Green group: Common components of board games.

Blue group: Heteronyms.

Purple group: ____ sticks.

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

What are today’s Connections answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is criticize harshly. The four answers are bash, blast, flame and roast.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is common components of board games. The four answers are board, cards, dice and pieces.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is heteronyms. The four answers are axes, bass, coordinate and does.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is ____ sticks. The four answers are chop, drum, fiddle and fish.