Mini #5 — the answers

The Mini crossword from September 6, 2026: a 5×5 grid, 5 across and 5 down, filled in the order the crossings give it away.

The clues

Across

1. 1. Cabernet, for short — CAB
2. 4. Amber ___ — ALERT
3. 7. "___ One" (Star Wars film) — ROGUE
4. 8. Black Friday draws — DEALS
5. 9. What’s left after taxes — NET

Down

1. 1. It’s dealt — CARD
2. 2. Succulent in many lotions — ALOE
3. 3. Kicked off — BEGAN
4. 5. Slide ___ — RULE
5. 6. Pop quiz, e.g. — TEST

The walkthrough

One way through: start at 1-Across, then let each answer feed the words it crosses — the slot with the most letters already showing is the one to fill next.

1. 1-Across, “Cabernet, for short” — nothing given yet: CAB.
2. 1-Down, “It’s dealt” — C··· from the crossings: CARD.
3. 4-Across, “Amber ___” — A···· from the crossings: ALERT.
4. 2-Down, “Succulent in many lotions” — AL·· from the crossings: ALOE.
5. 7-Across, “"___ One" (Star Wars film)” — RO··· from the crossings: ROGUE.
6. 3-Down, “Kicked off” — BEG·· from the crossings: BEGAN.
7. 8-Across, “Black Friday draws” — DEA·· from the crossings: DEALS.
8. 5-Down, “Slide ___” — RUL· from the crossings: RULE.
9. 6-Down, “Pop quiz, e.g.” — TES· from the crossings: TEST.
10. 9-Across, “What’s left after taxes” — already spelled out by its crossings: NET.

The answer

Previous: Mini #4 (Sat, Sep 5) · Next: Mini #6 (Mon, Sep 7)

About Mini

Mini is Noggin’s five-by-five crossword, on the second shelf: one grid a day against the clock, outside the daily line-up. How to play Mini, or play today’s.