Gentle musical melodies

Latest answer — August 21, 2026

3 Down

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Clue decoded

LILTS is the plural noun for gentle, musical rises and falls in sound, including softly tuneful melodies. The plural form matches the clue’s plural “melodies.”

Clue type:
Definition
A musician performing a soft, melodic passage

NYT Mini Crossword

This clue's Friday, August 21, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1With 8-Across, candy pieces that got their name after the chocolatier tried to make them perfectly round, but failed
  2. 5Home of Brunei and Bhutan
  3. 6Like the skin of snakes and fish
  4. 7Take ___ (suffer financially)
  5. 8See 1-Across

Down

  1. 1___ Picchu
  2. 2"To repeat myself ..."
  3. 3Gentle musical melodies
  4. 4What "every kiss begins with," in jewelry ads
  5. 6Wearing an upside-down smile

Crossword clues, hints, and answers

Across

  1. 1. With 8-Across, candy pieces that got their name after the chocolatier tried to make them perfectly round, but failed — Answer: MILK. Hint: Pair this with the crossing entry to form a famous chocolate candy name. 🍫
  2. 5. Home of Brunei and Bhutan — Answer: ASIA. Hint: Both countries are found on the world's largest continent. 🌏
  3. 6. Like the skin of snakes and fish — Answer: SCALY. Hint: This describes a surface covered with overlapping protective plates. 🐍
  4. 7. Take ___ (suffer financially) — Answer: AHIT. Hint: The phrase means to absorb a financial loss or setback. 💸
  5. 8. See 1-Across — Answer: DUDS. Hint: Combine this with the candy-related entry to identify a classic chocolate treat. 🍬

Down

  1. 1. ___ Picchu — Answer: MACHU. Hint: Think of the famous Incan citadel high in the Peruvian Andes 🏔️
  2. 2. "To repeat myself ..." — Answer: ISAID. Hint: This phrase signals that the speaker is restating something already mentioned 🔁
  3. 3. Gentle musical melodies — Answer: LILTS. Hint: These tunes rise and fall in a soft, lighthearted way 🎶
  4. 4. What "every kiss begins with," in jewelry ads — Answer: KAY. Hint: This slogan points to a familiar jewelry chain 💍
  5. 6. Wearing an upside-down smile — Answer: SAD. Hint: An upside-down smile usually signals an unhappy mood 🙁

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The answer to “Gentle musical melodies” in the New York Times Mini crossword is LILTS — a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times Mini crossword on August 21, 2026 at 3-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.

“Gentle musical melodies” answer

LILTS (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 LILTS.

When else has “Gentle musical melodies” 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 21, 2026 (most recent) → LILTS. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

More NYT Mini answers for August 21, 2026

Stuck on more than one square? Here's every other clue from the NYT Mini on August 21, 2026 — tap any clue for its answer and explanation.

Across

Down

Want the whole grid in one place? The full NYT Mini answer list for August 21, 2026 is on the puzzle's answers page, and today's live NYT Mini answers are always one click away from the today page.

About the NYT Mini Crossword

The New York Times Mini is a free, 5×5 (sometimes larger) bite-size version of the paper's famous crossword, edited by Joel Fagliano. It publishes a fresh grid every day and is built for a fast solve — most players finish in a minute or two — which is exactly why a single tricky clue stands out. Because the Mini leans on everyday, current references, the answers are usually common words once the wordplay clicks.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Gentle musical melodies”?

The answer is LILTS, a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times Mini crossword on August 21, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Gentle musical melodies”?

5 letters: LILTS.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times Mini crossword on August 21, 2026, at 3-Down.

Can “Gentle musical melodies” 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.

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