Excessive, as criticism or punishment

Latest answer — September 17, 2026

2 Down

Scroll down for rest of crossword answers

Clue explained

UNDUE means excessive, unwarranted, or greater than is appropriate. Thus criticism or punishment can be undue when it goes beyond what the situation merits.

Clue type:
Definition
An illustration showing punishment that is disproportionate to an offense

NYT Mini Crossword

This clue's Thursday, September 17, 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. 1Noise heard in an Aflac commercial
  2. 6___ Fester, "Wednesday" character played by Fred Armisen
  3. 7Total moron
  4. 8Total, as expenses
  5. 9Containers for some basement parties

Down

  1. 1Unique mannerism
  2. 2Excessive, as criticism or punishment
  3. 3Scoring 100% on
  4. 4Lumps in non-homogenized milk
  5. 5Kind of high-fat, low-carb diet

The answer to “Excessive, as criticism or punishment” in the New York Times Mini crossword is UNDUE — a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times Mini crossword on September 17, 2026 at 2-Down. 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.

“Excessive, as criticism or punishment” answer

UNDUE (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 UNDUE.

What does UNDUE mean?

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

(adjective)

  • unwarranted or inappropriate because excessive or disproportionate

When else has “Excessive, as criticism or punishment” 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.

September 17, 2026 (most recent) → UNDUE. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Excessive, as criticism or punishment”?

The answer is UNDUE, a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times Mini crossword on September 17, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Excessive, as criticism or punishment”?

5 letters: UNDUE.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times Mini crossword on September 17, 2026, at 2-Down.

Can “Excessive, as criticism or punishment” 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.