Today's NYT Mini Crossword Clues and Answers for Thursday, September 26

Curious about a remarkable show at Milan’s La Scala or Moscow’s Bolshoi Theatre? Confused by terms like squirmy and fidgety? Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered with today’s NYT Mini Crossword clues and answers!

The NYT Mini Crossword is a more compact version of the iconic full-sized crossword puzzle. Most days, it features a 5x5 grid with around three to five clues in each direction. However, Saturdays often see larger grids. Unlike the full crossword, the Mini version is completely free to play on both the New York Times website and the NYT Games app. If you’re looking to explore previous puzzles, though, you'll need a subscription to the NYT Games service.

To save you from frustration and the temptation of revealing those elusive letters, here are the answers for Thursday, September 26 (spoilers ahead!):

Across: 1 Across: Lights on nightstands — LAMPS 6 Across: Historic performance at Milan’s La Scala or Moscow’s Bolshoi Theatre — OPERA 7 Across: It's just chugging along — TRAIN 8 Across: Visibly muscular — TONED 9 Across: Squirmy and fidgety — ANTSY

Down: 1 Down: "That takes a ___ nerve!" — LOTTA 2 Down: What might protect your shirt from a grease stain — APRON 3 Down: Intended — MEANT 4 Down: Asks nosy questions — PRIES 5 Down: Needing a shower after a beach day — SANDY

It took me a little over a minute (1:02) to finish today’s puzzle—slower than usual. My first attempt yielded just two correct Across answers, but I struggled with MEANT and PRIES in the Downs. On my second attempt, I missed TRAIN, but eventually wrapped up the puzzle when I switched back to the Down clues.

If you’re looking for help with tomorrow’s puzzle, feel free to check out my blog. Also, for other NYT games like Wordle, Connections, and Strands, you can find excellent guides over on Forbes Games.