Shade of brown that becomes a shade of gold if you change its first letter to an "A"

Latest answer — September 20, 2026

4 Across

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Clue explained

Umber is a brown pigment or shade. Changing its first letter from U to A produces AMBER, a shade of gold.

Clue type:
Pun or wordplay
Brown umber and golden amber color swatches shown together

NYT Mini Crossword

This clue's Sunday, September 20, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Running joke
  2. 4Shade of brown that becomes a shade of gold if you change its first letter to an "A"
  3. 6State that shares the same first and last letters with MOOSE, appropriately
  4. 7Joined teams (with)
  5. 8"___ Misérables"

Down

  1. 1App with an envelope logo
  2. 2Withstand
  3. 3Things that might make your hair curl?
  4. 4Sounds of hesitation
  5. 5Vibrant color for a sugar maple in autumn

The answer to “Shade of brown that becomes a shade of gold if you change its first letter to an "A"” in the New York Times Mini crossword is UMBER — a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times Mini crossword on September 20, 2026 at 4-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.

“Shade of brown that becomes a shade of gold if you change its first letter to an "A"” answer

UMBER (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 UMBER.

What does UMBER mean?

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

(noun)

  • a natural pigment resembling but darker than ochre, normally dark yellowish-brown in colour (raw umber) or dark brown when roasted (burnt umber)
  • a brownish moth with colouring that resembles tree bark

When else has “Shade of brown that becomes a shade of gold if you change its first letter to an "A"” 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 20, 2026 (most recent) → UMBER. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Shade of brown that becomes a shade of gold if you change its first letter to an "A"”?

The answer is UMBER, a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times Mini crossword on September 20, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Shade of brown that becomes a shade of gold if you change its first letter to an "A"”?

5 letters: UMBER.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times Mini crossword on September 20, 2026, at 4-Across.

Can “Shade of brown that becomes a shade of gold if you change its first letter to an "A"” 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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