New Delhi, July 23 -- Here are all the NYT Mini Crossword answers for Thursday, July 23, 2026.

Across

1A: BANJO - Instrument in the bluegrass classic "Foggy Mountain Breakdown"

6A: ALECK - Smart ___ (wise guy)

7A: STARE - Compete in a contest that's lost by blinking

8A: HATED - Strongly disliked

9A: ROW - One of eight on a chessboard, or five in a Mini crossword

Down

1D: BASH - Criticize harshly

2D: ALTAR - Where wedding rings are exchanged

3D: NEATO - Cool beans!

4D: JCREW - Preppy clothing brand

5D: OKED - Gave the green light

Notable Clues

The opener, 1A (BANJO), rewards players who know the Earl Scruggs standard Foggy Mountain Breakdown. Solvers who landed on BANJO quickly had a strong foothold through B (1D: BASH) and t...