NYT Mini Crossword Answers and Hints for Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026: One Black Square

The New York Times (NYT) Mini Crossword for Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, is a five-by-five grid with 10 clues by Sam Ezersky. One black square sits in the bottom-left corner, so every row and column is full width except the bottom row and the first column. Below is a hint for every clue, each one hidden until you open it, then the full answers in a marked spoiler section.

Hints for every clue

Across

• 1-Across (5 letters), Insurance filing

  a request you send an insurer after a loss, and also what you do when you say something is true; it starts with C.

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  Claim
• 6-Across (5 letters), Bar game?

  a party game where dancers bend backward to pass under a pole; it starts with L.

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  Limbo
• 7-Across (5 letters), To no ___ (uselessly)

  the word that fills the blank to mean without success; it starts with A and ends with L.

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  Avail
• 8-Across (5 letters), Pie you likely wouldn’t see at a Thanksgiving table

  a round, cheesy Italian dish, the kind the clue says does not belong on a Thanksgiving table; it has a double Z.

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  Pizza
• 9-Across (4 letters), Much-loved

  beloved, and also the word that opens a letter; it starts with D.

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  Dear

Down

• 1-Down (4 letters), Sudden sound of thunder

  the sharp crack that comes with lightning, and also what hands do to applaud; it starts with C.

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  Clap
• 2-Down (5 letters), Hopping mad

  furiously angry, or blue-gray from a bruise; it starts with L.

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  Livid
• 3-Down (5 letters), Elicit oohs and aahs from

  to astonish someone; it starts with A and ends with E.

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  Amaze
• 4-Down (5 letters), Spanish island known for its nightlife

  a Mediterranean island off Spain’s east coast that is famous for clubs and dance music; it starts with I.

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  Ibiza
• 5-Down (5 letters), Back tooth

  a large, flat tooth at the back of the mouth, used for grinding; it starts with M.

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  Molar

Solving tips

Show the solving tips

Start with 4-Down, a geography fact, and 1-Across, a word from paperwork. 1-Across and 1-Down share their first square. Because the black square is in the bottom-left corner, 9-Across begins in the second column, and 1-Down is the only Down answer with four letters. Every Down answer except 1-Down runs the full five squares, so each one crosses all five Across rows.

Keep a streak log on our printable weekly calendar or the November 2026 printable calendar.

More of Tuesday’s puzzles: Wordle hints, Connections hints, Strands hints, Spelling Bee hints and Pips hints. Monday’s grid is in our Mini answers for Nov. 2.

Today’s NYT Mini answers (spoilers)

Stop here if you still want to solve it yourself.

Clue	Answer
1-Across	Claim
6-Across	Limbo
7-Across	Avail
8-Across	Pizza
9-Across	Dear
1-Down	Clap
2-Down	Livid
3-Down	Amaze
4-Down	Ibiza
5-Down	Molar

The answers come from the puzzle’s official data.

Yesterday's Mini Crossword answer

The Mini on Monday, Nov. 2, 2026: Across 1 Jam, 4 Touch, 6 India, 7 Saint, 8 Hog; Down 1 Jonah, 2 Audio, 3 Mcing, 4 Tis, 5 Hat. Yesterday's hints and full solution.