Mini #36 — the answers

The Mini crossword from October 7, 2026: a 5×5 grid, 5 across and 5 down, filled in the order the crossings give it away.

The clues

Across

1. 1. Science room — LAB
2. 4. Only — SOLE
3. 5. Reprimand — SCOLD
4. 6. Simple — EASY
5. 7. "You ___ here" — ARE

Down

1. 1. Not tight — LOOSE
2. 2. Friend in war — ALLY
3. 3. Where you spend a third of your life — BED
4. 4. Wound reminder — SCAR
5. 5. Ocean — SEA

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, “Science room” — nothing given yet: LAB.
2. 1-Down, “Not tight” — L···· from the crossings: LOOSE.
3. 4-Across, “Only” — ·O·· from the crossings: SOLE.
4. 2-Down, “Friend in war” — AL·· from the crossings: ALLY.
5. 5-Across, “Reprimand” — ··OL· from the crossings: SCOLD.
6. 3-Down, “Where you spend a third of your life” — already spelled out by its crossings: BED.
7. 6-Across, “Simple” — ··SY from the crossings: EASY.
8. 4-Down, “Wound reminder” — SCA· from the crossings: SCAR.
9. 7-Across, “"You ___ here"” — ·RE from the crossings: ARE.
10. 5-Down, “Ocean” — already spelled out by its crossings: SEA.

The answer

Previous: Mini #35 (Tue, Oct 6)

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.