___-tac-toe

Latest answer — October 10, 2026

11 Down

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A tic-tac-toe grid marked with Xs and Os.

Clue explained

Tic is the first word in tic-tac-toe, the familiar pencil-and-paper game where players try to make a row of three Xs or three Os.

Clue type:
Fill-in-the-blank

NYT Mini Crossword

This clue's Saturday, October 10, 2026 appearance

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

Across

  1. 1Poker game entry fee
  2. 6Multi-story temple
  3. 7Bird that can survive temperatures of -60 C°
  4. 8Really awesome
  5. 9___ Burgundy, hotshot anchorman in "Anchorman"
  6. 10Science class that really gets under your skin?
  7. 12Loose-fitting garments of ancient Greece
  8. 13Orderly pile

Down

  1. 1Piece of cloth tied around the head
  2. 2Brand with fleece-lined boots
  3. 3"Nice job, dude!"
  4. 4"Good egg" and "bad apple"
  5. 5Caretaker for small kids
  6. 6Tiny bit of packing material
  7. 7Utter fools, to a Brit
  8. 11___-tac-toe

The answer to “___-tac-toe” in the New York Times Mini crossword is TIC — a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times Mini crossword on October 10, 2026 at 11-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.

“___-tac-toe” answer

TIC (3 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 TIC.

What does TIC mean?

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

(noun)

  • a habitual spasmodic contraction of the muscles, most often in the face

When else has “___-tac-toe” 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 10, 2026 (most recent) → TIC. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “___-tac-toe”?

The answer is TIC, a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times Mini crossword on October 10, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “___-tac-toe”?

3 letters: TIC.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times Mini crossword on October 10, 2026, at 11-Down.

Can “___-tac-toe” 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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