Quick Answer
The New York Times crossword clue “Like a desert’s climate” has the answer “ARID”, which is a 4-letter entry.
Clue: “Like a desert’s climate”
Answer: ARID
Length: 4 letters
Clue number and direction: 9-Across
In the grid, it appears as ARID straight across four squares.
Why ARID Is the Right NYT Answer
- Deserts are defined by being extremely dry with very little rainfall, which is exactly what arid means in climatology. Helper sites that track NYT Mini puzzles confirm that the most recent solution for this clue is ARID, matching both meaning and length.
- With four boxes in 9-Across, ARID neatly fits the pattern A-R-I-D, and it’s the standard crossword answer whenever deserts or very dry regions are mentioned.
What ARID Means in Plain English
- In everyday language, arid describes a place that is extremely dry, getting very little rain and supporting only sparse vegetation. Think of hot, sun-baked landscapes where water is scarce and the air is typically dry.
- In climate science, an arid climate is one where evaporation greatly exceeds precipitation, which is why it is used as a textbook description for deserts.
Crossword-Specific Help: Pattern, Crossings, and Recurrence
- ARID is a very common crossword entry that shows up across NYT and other outlets for clues like “Like a desert,” “Not humid,” “Very dry,” or “Lacking rainfall.”
- In the January 31, 2026 Mini, the downs crossing 9A will confirm each letter, so even if you briefly consider DRY, only ARID fits the 4-letter requirement plus the crosses.
- Closely related clue styles include “Like the Sahara,” “Like the Atacama,” or “Not good for farming,” all of which frequently resolve to ARID.
Solving Tips for Similar NYT Clues
- When a clue mentions deserts, dust bowls, or lack of rain, always test ARID if the slot is four letters.
- For climate adjectives, keep a mental list: ARID (very dry), HUMID (moist), TEPID (lukewarm), etc., and match them by meaning and letter count.
If you see A?I? with a dryness clue in an easy puzzle like the Mini, filling in ARID and then checking crossings is usually the fastest route.
More NYT Mini Crossword Answers for January 29, 2026
| Clue | Answer | |
| 1A | Lifeguard’s skill, for short | View Answer |
| 4A | Health measure calculated using height and weight: Abbr. | View Answer |
| 7A | “I’ve cracked the code!” | View Answer |
| 8A | Long, long time | View Answer |
| 9A | Like a desert’s climate | View Answer |
| 1D | Header on a company’s website, perhaps | View Answer |
| 2D | Opponent of a Met or Marlin, in the N.L. East | View Answer |
| 3D | Halves of diameters | View Answer |
| 4D | Tech release that’s not the finished product | View Answer |
| 9D | Words from someone hoping to be friends on Facebook | View Answer |
