Mini #66 — the answers

The Mini crossword from November 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. Easter dinner centerpiece — HAM
2. 4. Final frontier — SPACE
3. 6. Hooded snake — COBRA
4. 7. Extraterrestrial — ALIEN
5. 8. Decay — ROT

Down

1. 1. Routine — HABIT
2. 2. Farm plot — ACRE
3. 3. Unkind — MEAN
4. 4. "Lion King" villain — SCAR
5. 5. Sport on horseback — POLO

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, “Easter dinner centerpiece” — nothing given yet: HAM.
2. 1-Down, “Routine” — H···· from the crossings: HABIT.
3. 4-Across, “Final frontier” — ··A·· from the crossings: SPACE.
4. 2-Down, “Farm plot” — AC·· from the crossings: ACRE.
5. 6-Across, “Hooded snake” — ··BR· from the crossings: COBRA.
6. 3-Down, “Unkind” — MEA· from the crossings: MEAN.
7. 7-Across, “Extraterrestrial” — ··IEN from the crossings: ALIEN.
8. 4-Down, “"Lion King" villain” — SCA· from the crossings: SCAR.
9. 5-Down, “Sport on horseback” — POL· from the crossings: POLO.
10. 8-Across, “Decay” — already spelled out by its crossings: ROT.

The answer

Previous: Mini #65 (Thu, Nov 5) · Next: Mini #67 (Sat, Nov 7) · 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.