Quick Answer
The New York Times Mini crossword clue “Bit of sunshine” is answered with “RAY”, a 3-letter entry.
Clue: “Bit of sunshine”
Answer: RAY
Answer length: 3 letters
Clue number and direction: 5-Down
The New York Times crossword clue “Bit of sunshine” is answered with RAY.
In the grid, it appears simply as R A Y (RAY).
Why RAY Is the Right NYT Answer
- A ray is a narrow beam or line of light, so a “bit of sunshine” is literally a ray of sunlight. Crossword databases even list “Bit of sun,” “Sunshine unit,” and “Unit of sunshine” as standard clues whose answer is RAY, showing how common this pairing is.
- Answer keys and hint articles for the February 10, 2026 NYT Mini explicitly confirm 5-Down: Bit of sunshine — RAY. With only three squares available, RAY is the clean, canonical fill.
What RAY Means in Plain English
- In everyday language, a ray is a thin line or beam of light coming from a source such as the sun. It can also be used metaphorically in phrases like “ray of hope” or “ray of sunshine” to describe something small but bright or uplifting.
- Here, the clue keeps it simple and literal: a bit (small amount) of sunshine is one ray.
Crossword-Specific Help for 5-Down
For the Feb 10, 2026 NYT Mini, 5-Down has a three-letter slot, which matches RAY exactly. Hint pages even state that the answer “ends with the letter ‘Y’,” which lines up with the final Y in RAY.
- Crossings from Across entries help you lock it in:
- 6-Across EXTRA gives the middle A.
- 7-Across NEEDY provides the final Y.
- So you’ll see a pattern like _ A Y; paired with “Bit of sunshine,” RAY becomes the obvious fill.
- RAY is very common in crosswords and often appears for clues like “Sun unit,” “Bit of sun,” “Line of light,” and “Unit of sunshine.”
Solving Tips for Similar NYT Clues
When you see short, light-related clues, think of RAY first for 3-letter slots, especially with wording such as:
- “Bit of sun” or “Bit of sunshine”
- “Sunshine unit” or “Unit of sunshine”
- “Beam of light”
Databases show RAY as the standard 3-letter answer for all of these clue styles. If your crossings give you R _ Y or _ A Y with a light/sun clue, RAY should be your top candidate.
