Quick Answer
The New York Times crossword clue “Makes a mistake” has the answer “ERRS”, which is a 4-letter Across entry.
Clue: “Makes a mistake”
Answer: ERRS
Length: 4 letters
Clue number and direction: 4-Across
In the grid, it appears as ERRS.
Why ERRS Is the Right NYT Answer
- The verb “to err” means “to make a mistake” or “to be incorrect,” so its third-person singular/present tense ERRS literally means “makes a mistake.”
- Crossword databases consistently list ERRS as the most common 4-letter answer for this clue and note it as the latest fill in NYT puzzles.
- Other possibilities like GOOFS or SLIPSUP either have different letter counts or are less canonical than ERRS for this exact wording, which is why solvers and answer sites rank ERRS as the top match.
What ERRS Means in Plain English
- ERRS comes from the verb err, meaning to make a mistake, to be wrong, or to stray from the right course or standard.
- You see it in phrases like “to err is human” or “err on the side of caution,” where it carries the sense of being mistaken or choosing imperfectly.
- So if someone “errs,” they make a mistake, and if a clue says “makes a mistake,” ERRS fits that meaning perfectly.
Crossword-Specific Help: Pattern, Crossings, and Recurrence
- ERRS is classic crosswordese—a short, vowel-rich word that appears again and again in NYT and other grids, especially in early-week puzzles and Minis. Crossings tend to be straightforward, so once you have E_R_ with a “mistake” clue, filling in both R’s is a safe bet.
- Variants where ERRS shows up include clues like “Blunders,” “Is wrong,” “Goes astray,” or “Slips up,” all leaning on the same core meaning.
Solving Tips for Similar NYT Clues
- When you see “makes a mistake,” “is wrong,” “slips up,” or “goes astray” in a 4-letter clue, ERRS should be one of the first answers you test.
- If the clue is in the singular (e.g., “makes a mistake,” not “made”), ERRS (present tense) is more likely than ERRED. Check tense carefully.
Treat ERRS as stock crossword vocabulary: if the pattern is E?R? and the clue is about error, plug in ERRS and let the crosses confirm.
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 |
