Quick Answer
The New York Times Mini crossword clue “1-Across, flipped upside down” has the answer “MOM”, which is a 3-letter Down entry.
Clue: “1-Across, flipped upside down”
Answer: MOM
Length: 3 letters
Clue number and direction: 7-Down
In the finished grid, 7-Down reads MOM.
Why MOM Is the Right NYT Answer
- On this date, 1-Across is WOW. If you flip “WOW” upside down, the W’s become M’s in a block-style font, giving you “MOM.”
- This visual trick is exactly what the clue is referencing.
- Solver and answer sites for the February 3, 2026 Mini all confirm MOM as the 3-letter answer for “1-Across, flipped upside down.”
What MOM Means in Plain English
- MOM is an informal, everyday word for “mother.” It is unrelated in meaning to WOW here the connection is purely visual, based on how the letters look when rotated.
- This kind of playful, graphic word relationship (WOW ↔ MOM) is a favorite device in wordplay communities and occasionally shows up in crosswords as a fun twist.
Crossword-Specific Help: How the Wordplay Works in the Grid
- The constructor is asking you to imagine the printed “WOW” turned 180 degrees; its symmetrical shape makes it resemble “MOM.”
- Crossings from entries like RETRO, SORA, and WRITE give you M–O–M if you didn’t spot the visual trick immediately.
- Because MOM is also a very common, easy word, it keeps the puzzle accessible even with the extra layer of visual wordplay.
Solving Tips for Similar NYT Clues
- When a clue references another entry (“See 1-Across,” “1-Across reversed,” “flipped upside down”), always look at that base entry first and think about visual or letter transformations.
- Words like WOW, MOM, and some short palindromes are popular for rotational or mirror-symmetry tricks; if you see one of them, expect related gimmicks elsewhere in the grid.
Let crossings guide you: once you have M_O for a family-related or visual gag clue, MOM becomes the natural guess, then you can verify it with the referenced Across answer.
More NYT Mini Crossword Answers for February 03, 2026
| Clue | Answer | |
| 1A | ‘That’s incredible!’ | View |
| 4A | Makes a mistake | View |
| 6A | “Piece of cake” or “spill the beans” | View |
| 8A | Cool in a throwback kind of way | View |
| 9A | See 1-Down | View |
| 1D | With 9-Across, something you might wake up from and go “Huh?!” | View |
| 2D | What’s spoken into a fast-food intercom | View |
| 3D | Pen | View |
| 5D | OpenAI product that creates video clips based on prompts | View |
| 7D | 1-Across, flipped upside down | View |
