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? I was tripped up by 7-Across and 3-Down, both black-and-white, five-letter animals. I mixed them up, but it was easy to sort out. Read on for all 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.
The completed NYT Mini Crossword puzzle for Jan. 18, 2026.
Mini across clues and answers
1A clue: “I said so, that’s why!”
Answer: CUZ
4A clue: Highway division
Answer: LANE
5A clue: Genre for Olivia Dean and Daniel Caesar
Answer: RANDB
6A clue: French “to have”
Answer: AVOIR
7A clue: Animal that would blend in well with a crossword grid
Answer: PANDA
Mini down clues and answers
1D clue: Officially accepted storylines
Answer: CANON
2D clue: Reversed
Answer: UNDID
3D clue: Animal that would blend in well with a crossword grid
Answer: ZEBRA
4D clue: Molten flow
Answer: LAVA
5D clue: Flow over a beat
Answer: RAP
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Source: CNET
