WaPo Mini Crossword Answers - Jul 31
Friday’s Daily
By Pete Muller & Frank Longo
Tap a square to reveal a letter.
Or reveal one clue at a time with the Hint and Answer buttons below.
WaPo Mini Crossword Clues
Across
Down
Crossword clues, hints, and answers
Across
- 1. Luxury has a metaphorical one — Answer: LAP. Hint: Think of the soft part of an upscale ride, not a literal body part 🚗
- 4. Like the smell of burning rubber — Answer: ACRID. Hint: Sharp, harsh, and a little nose-wrinkling 😖
- 7. What flows through Worms — Answer: RHINE. Hint: A famous European river that passes by the city of Worms 🏞️
- 8. Folk or funk, e.g. — Answer: GENRE. Hint: A category that can swing from traditional tunes to groovy beats 🎶
- 9. Source of the fruit flavor in many candies — Answer: ESTER. Hint: The sweet scent chemistry behind many fruity candies is often borrowed from this class of compounds 🍬
Down
- 1. With 3-Down, using only big words? — Answer: LARGE. Hint: A word for something big and roomy, like it’s trying to sound extra fancy. 🐘
- 2. Regrets yesterday's gym session, perhaps — Answer: ACHES. Hint: What you may feel after overdoing it at the gym. 🤕
- 3. See 1-Down — Answer: PRINT. Hint: A copy from a printer, not the original page 📄
- 5. Opening phrase from a dictator? — Answer: INRE. Hint: A dictator might kick things off with a commanding first word, not a whole speech 😏
- 6. One may be halted by headlights — Answer: DEER. Hint: A forest wanderer can freeze in the glare of a car’s beams 🦌
Here are the Washington Post Mini answers for Friday, July 31, 2026 — every solution for that day's small (~5×5) puzzle, listed at the top of this page. Whether you're catching up on a puzzle you missed, settling a “what was the answer on July 31?” question, or checking a grid you finished that day, the complete clue-by-clue solution is right here. Looking for today's puzzle instead? Head to our live Washington Post Mini answers page.
Washington Post Mini answers for July 31, 2026
The full solution for the July 31 Washington Post Mini is shown above, laid out clue by clue — every Across answer followed by every Down answer, exactly as that day's grid read. Each answer is listed separately, so you can check just the clue you were stuck on and leave the rest. This is the confirmed grid as published on Friday, July 31.
Full WaPo Mini Crossword answer list for July 31, 2026
Every clue from the July 31 grid next to its solution — the same answers as the board above, in one plain list you can scan without tapping.
Across
| # | Clue | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luxury has a metaphorical one | LAP |
| 4 | Like the smell of burning rubber | ACRID |
| 7 | What flows through Worms | RHINE |
| 8 | Folk or funk, e.g. | GENRE |
| 9 | Source of the fruit flavor in many candies | ESTER |
Down
| # | Clue | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | With 3-Down, using only big words? | LARGE |
| 2 | Regrets yesterday's gym session, perhaps | ACHES |
| 3 | See 1-Down | |
| 5 | Opening phrase from a dictator? | INRE |
| 6 | One may be halted by headlights | DEER |
Hints for the July 31 puzzle
Not ready for the full answer? Here are lighter, spoiler-free nudges for that day's grid, above the solutions. The July 31 Washington Post Mini was a quick Friday solve — a small, clean grid in the same fast, modern style as the other minis. Because a Mini is so compact, one missing letter that day tended to block several crossing answers at once, so the answers above are listed separately, clue by clue, for a quick check. Use the hints for the trickiest clues, then reveal the answers above only if you need them.
Looking for a different day?
- ← Washington Post Mini answers for July 30
- → Washington Post Mini answers for August 1
- Today's Washington Post Mini answers — the live puzzle
- Browse the full archive of past Washington Post Mini answers from the today page, or step through the dates above.
Prefer to solve rather than peek? The play button opens the puzzle so you can try that day's grid yourself, then come back to check your answers. Stuck on a single clue from any puzzle, our crossword solver reveals just that answer from your known letters.
Frequently asked questions
What were the Washington Post Mini answers on July 31, 2026?
Every answer for the Friday, July 31, 2026 Washington Post Mini is listed at the top of this page — the confirmed grid as published that day.
Where can I find today's Washington Post Mini answers?
Today's live puzzle is on our Washington Post Mini answers today page, updated the moment each new grid goes live.
How do I look up a different date?
Use the previous/next links above to step day by day, or open the today page to browse the full dated archive.