Desert watering hole ... or a '90s-'00s rock band

Latest answer — October 09, 2026

8 Across

Scroll down for rest of crossword answers

Oasis, the British rock band associated with brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher.

Clue explained

An oasis is a water source and patch of fertile land in a desert; Oasis was also one of the defining British rock bands of the 1990s. The group was fronted by brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher, whose songwriting and public feuds both helped make them famous. Their 1994 debut album, Definitely Maybe, announced them as stars, and “Wonderwall” became an international hit the following year. The band's name gives the clue its second reading.

Clue type:
Pun or wordplay

NYT Mini Crossword

This clue's Friday, October 09, 2026 appearance

Tap a square to reveal a letter.

Or reveal one clue at a time with the Hint and Answer buttons below.

Across

  1. 1"Abbott Elementary" network
  2. 4Coffee supplement ... or a '60s rock band
  3. 7Valentine's Day symbol ... or a '70s-'80s rock band
  4. 8Desert watering hole ... or a '90s-'00s rock band
  5. 9Glorifying poem

Down

  1. 1Sound preceding "Gesundheit!"
  2. 2Basis for croutons
  3. 3Stop
  4. 5Name found in "nefarious"
  5. 6Denali and Whitney: Abbr.

The answer to “Desert watering hole ... or a '90s-'00s rock band” in the New York Times Mini crossword is OASIS — a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times Mini crossword on October 9, 2026 at 8-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.

“Desert watering hole ... or a '90s-'00s rock band” answer

OASIS (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 OASIS.

What does OASIS mean?

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

(noun)

  • a fertile spot in a desert, where water is found
  • a type of rigid foam into which the stems of flowers can be secured in flower arranging

When else has “Desert watering hole ... or a '90s-'00s rock band” 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 9, 2026 (most recent) → OASIS. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Desert watering hole ... or a '90s-'00s rock band”?

The answer is OASIS, a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times Mini crossword on October 9, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Desert watering hole ... or a '90s-'00s rock band”?

5 letters: OASIS.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times Mini crossword on October 9, 2026, at 8-Across.

Can “Desert watering hole ... or a '90s-'00s rock band” 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.

Crossword Clues

Looking up a clue? Jump into today's answers and clue help from top puzzles.