Brain sparks

Latest answer — August 01, 2026

12 Across

These are the creative thoughts that pop into your head. 💡

Scroll down for rest of crossword answers

NYT Mini Crossword

This clue's Saturday, August 01, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Coffee choice before bed
  2. 6Recurring bug?
  3. 7California's most valuable crop, just barely edging out grapes
  4. 8Fist pound
  5. 9Back of a soccer goal
  6. 10Carefully thought (over)
  7. 12Brain sparks
  8. 13Something that might end after "Pencils down!"

Down

  1. 1Indentations at the end of a smile
  2. 2Green: Prefix
  3. 3Film festival with the Palme d'Or
  4. 4No ___ sugar (product claim)
  5. 5Speedy
  6. 6Anthropic's A.I. assistant
  7. 7Own up to
  8. 11Back muscle, for short

The answer to “Brain sparks” in the New York Times Mini crossword is IDEAS — a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times Mini crossword on August 1, 2026 at 12-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.

“Brain sparks” answer

IDEAS (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 IDEAS.

Why the answer is IDEAS

These are the creative thoughts that pop into your head. 💡

What does IDEAS mean?

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

(noun)

  • a thought or suggestion as to a possible course of action
  • the aim or purpose
  • (in Platonic thought) an eternally existing pattern of which individual things in any class are imperfect copies

When else has “Brain sparks” 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.

August 1, 2026 (most recent) → IDEAS. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Brain sparks”?

The answer is IDEAS, a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times Mini crossword on August 1, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Brain sparks”?

5 letters: IDEAS.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times Mini crossword on August 1, 2026, at 12-Across.

Can “Brain sparks” 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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