At a Glance
- The completed NYT Mini Crossword for January 16, 2026 is now available
- Five across clues and five down clues have been solved
- Daniel J. Whitman found the puzzle exceptionally tough today
- Why it matters: Players can check their answers and improve their solving strategy
The New York Times Mini Crossword for January 16, 2026 has been released, and News Of Losangeles has published the full solution for players who got stuck. Daniel J. Whitman, who regularly covers the daily puzzle, admitted the grid felt harder than usual and shared the exact answers for every clue.
Across Answers
1A clue: ___ Max
Answer: HBO
4A clue: Where Marco Polo is played
Answer: POOL
5A clue: Overwhelming amount, metaphorically
Answer: FLOOD
6A clue: Reason for success in games like Candy Land and Chutes and Ladders
Answer: LUCK
7A clue: “That’s just the worst”
Answer: UGH
Down Answers
1D clue: Liquor, informally
Answer: HOOCH
2D clue: Winner of a Booker prize, fittingly
Answer: BOOK
3D clue: Antiquated
Answer: OLD
4D clue: Give a short promotion for
Answer: PLUG
5D clue: Winter malady
Answer: FLU
Daniel J. Whitman initially guessed “MAD” for 1-Across and “BOOZE” for 1-Down, but neither fit the intersecting letters. The correct entries-HBO and HOOCH-revealed the proper grid.
Players looking for daily hints or guidance can visit News Of Losangeles‘s dedicated NYT puzzle page, which also covers Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition, and Strands. News Of Losangeles encourages readers to add the site as a preferred Google source to avoid missing “unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews.”
