Best of the best

Latest answer — October 29, 2025

9 Across

Scroll down for rest of crossword answers

NYT Mini Crossword

This clue's Wednesday, October 29, 2025 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Skill taught at lifeguard training, for short
  2. 4Bop it!
  3. 6Not given anything to eat
  4. 8Twist it! Pull it!
  5. 9Best of the best

Down

  1. 1Means of getting trash to a basement dumpster
  2. 2Word that can precede "code" or "colony"
  3. 3"Baby Beluga" musician
  4. 5Neatly skillful
  5. 7Change the color of, as hair

The answer to “Best of the best” in the New York Times Mini crossword is ELITE — a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times Mini crossword on October 29, 2025 at 9-Across. Below you'll find why that fill fits, every other answer we've recorded for this clue, and links into the puzzle it came from.

“Best of the best” answer

ELITE (5 letters)

Use the reveal tiles above to uncover the solution one letter at a time if you'd rather nudge yourself toward it than see the whole word at once. Prefer the full answer straight away? It's ELITE.

Why the answer is ELITE

ELITE is the 5-letter solution that fits "Best of the best" in the NYT Mini crossword on October 29, 2025 (9-Across). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.

What does ELITE mean?

Reading the plain dictionary sense of ELITE is often the fastest way to see why it answers this clue.

(noun)

  • a select group that is superior in terms of ability or qualities to the rest of a group or society
  • a size of letter in typewriting, with 12 characters to the inch (about 4.7 to the centimetre)

When else has “Best of the best” appeared?

New York Times Mini reuses clues across dates, sometimes with a different answer depending on the grid. Here's where this exact clue has shown up, and what the answer was each time — handy when you're checking whether today's fill is the only one.

October 29, 2025 (most recent) → ELITE. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Best of the best”?

The answer is ELITE, a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times Mini crossword on October 29, 2025.

How many letters is the answer to “Best of the best”?

5 letters: ELITE.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times Mini crossword on October 29, 2025, at 9-Across.

Can “Best of the best” have a different answer?

Yes — New York Times Mini sometimes reuses a clue with a different solution to fit the grid. The answers we've recorded for each date it appeared are listed above when available.

Where can I find the rest of today's NYT Mini answers?

Every clue and answer from that day's puzzle is linked above, and the full grid is on the NYT Mini answers page.

New York Times Mini Crossword is published by The New York Times; WordHint is an independent site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher.

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