Mini #49 — the answers

The Mini crossword from October 20, 2026: a 5×5 grid, 5 across and 5 down, filled in the order the crossings give it away.

The clues

Across

1. 1. Martini spirit — GIN
2. 4. Melody — TUNE
3. 5. Mine tunnel — SHAFT
4. 6. Sandwich — HERO
5. 7. Football lineman — END

Down

1. 1. Sentry — GUARD
2. 2. Facts, briefly — INFO
3. 3. Fisherman’s catcher — NET
4. 4. At that time — THEN
5. 5. That woman — SHE

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, “Martini spirit” — nothing given yet: GIN.
2. 1-Down, “Sentry” — G···· from the crossings: GUARD.
3. 4-Across, “Melody” — ·U·· from the crossings: TUNE.
4. 2-Down, “Facts, briefly” — IN·· from the crossings: INFO.
5. 5-Across, “Mine tunnel” — ··AF· from the crossings: SHAFT.
6. 3-Down, “Fisherman’s catcher” — already spelled out by its crossings: NET.
7. 6-Across, “Sandwich” — ··RO from the crossings: HERO.
8. 4-Down, “At that time” — THE· from the crossings: THEN.
9. 7-Across, “Football lineman” — ·ND from the crossings: END.
10. 5-Down, “That woman” — already spelled out by its crossings: SHE.

The answer

Previous: Mini #48 (Mon, Oct 19) · Next: Mini #50 (Wed, Oct 21) · All Mini solutions

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.