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.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? It’s an extra-long one today. Read on for the answers. 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: Tapioca pearls
Answer: BOBA

5A clue: Disappear into thin air
Answer: VANISH

7A clue: «C’mon, we expect more from you»
Answer: DOBETTER

9A clue: Dangerous, as a winter sidewalk
Answer: ICY

10A clue: Social media ___ (what we’re in now)
Answer: ERA

11A clue: Feeling down
Answer: SAD

12A clue: Director Howard
Answer: RON

13A clue: Nightlife for which Miami is famous
Answer: CLUBBING

16A clue: Cause of early aging
Answer: STRESS

17A clue: The sun in «sunnyside up»
Answer: YOLK

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: New parent’s reason for canceling plans
Answer: BABYDUTY

2D clue: 4/4
Answer: ONE

3D clue: Fraction of a byte
Answer: BIT

4D clue: Symbol next to a tainted record
Answer: ASTERISK

5D clue: Singer’s contribution to a song
Answer: VOCALS

6D clue: Long-necked birds
Answer: HERONS

7D clue: ___ golf
Answer: DISC

8D clue: Sounded, as a doorbell
Answer: RANG

14D clue: «Dude!»
Answer: BRO

15D clue: ___ Air (neighborhood in L.A.)
Answer: BEL

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

Today’s NYT Strands puzzle could be a tricky one. Some of the answers are difficult to unscramble, so if you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story. 

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: I’ve never seen that before!

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Not the old stuff.

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

• VENT, TINE, NITE, GIVE, GIVER, GIVEN, LION, MINE, GLARE, ROUND, ROUNDS

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:

• FRESH, NOVEL, SEMINAL, ORIGINAL, INVENTIVE

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is BREAKNEWGROUND. To find it, start with the B that’s the furthest left letter on the top row, and wind down.

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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.

Today’s Wordle puzzle describes an unusual item. Beatles fans might know it. 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.

Read more: New Study Reveals Wordle’s Top 10 Toughest Words of 2025

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

Today’s Wordle answer has two vowels.

Wordle hint No. 3: First letter

Today’s Wordle answer begins with S.

Wordle hint No. 4: Last letter

Today’s Wordle answer ends with R.

Wordle hint No. 5: Meaning

Today’s Wordle answer can refer to a long-necked Indian lute.

TODAY’S WORDLE ANSWER

Today’s Wordle answer is SITAR.

Yesterday’s Wordle answer

Yesterday’s Wordle answer, Jan. 2, No. 1658 was PROOF.

Recent Wordle answers

Dec. 29, No. 1654: FRUIT

Dec. 30, No. 1655: DECOR

Dec. 31, No. 1656: SIREN

Jan. 1, No. 1657: FABLE

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