Compete in a contest that's lost by blinking

Latest answer — July 23, 2026

7 Across

Keep your eyes wide open to win this game! 👀

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NYT Mini Crossword

This clue's Thursday, July 23, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Instrument in the bluegrass classic "Foggy Mountain Breakdown"
  2. 6Smart ___ (wise guy)
  3. 7Compete in a contest that's lost by blinking
  4. 8Strongly disliked
  5. 9One of eight on a chessboard, or five in a Mini crossword

Down

  1. 1Criticize harshly
  2. 2Where wedding rings are exchanged
  3. 3"Cool beans!"
  4. 4Preppy clothing brand
  5. 5Gave the green light

The answer to “Compete in a contest that's lost by blinking” in the New York Times Mini crossword is STARE — a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times Mini crossword on July 23, 2026 at 7-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.

“Compete in a contest that's lost by blinking” answer

STARE (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 STARE.

Why the answer is STARE

Keep your eyes wide open to win this game! 👀

What does STARE mean?

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

(verb)

  • look fixedly or vacantly at someone or something with one's eyes wide open

When else has “Compete in a contest that's lost by blinking” 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.

July 23, 2026 (most recent) → STARE. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Compete in a contest that's lost by blinking”?

The answer is STARE, a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times Mini crossword on July 23, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Compete in a contest that's lost by blinking”?

5 letters: STARE.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times Mini crossword on July 23, 2026, at 7-Across.

Can “Compete in a contest that's lost by blinking” 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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