Quick Answer
Clue: “Slowly lessen, as political support”
Answer: ERODE
Answer length: 5 letters
Clue number and direction: 7-Across in the NYT Mini crossword for January 29, 2026.
The New York Times crossword clue “Slowly lessen, as political support” is answered with ERODE, the standard verb for support that weakens bit by bit over time.
Why ERODE Is the Right NYT Answer
- To erode means to gradually wear away, weaken, or diminish something, literally or figuratively.
- Political writers and dictionaries often use “erode” with abstract nouns like “support,” “trust,” or “confidence,” exactly matching the clue’s wording.
- Crossword resources for the January 29, 2026 NYT Mini explicitly list ERODE as the 5-letter answer to this clue, with no alternate fills for that slot.
What ERODE Means in Plain English
- Erode describes a slow process of wearing away or weakening, rather than a sudden collapse.
- Literally, water or wind can erode rock or soil; figuratively, scandals or bad decisions can erode political support or public trust.
- So in this clue, “Slowly lessen, as political support” is just a more conversational way of saying “gradually erode political support.”
Crossword-Specific Help for ERODE
- In the grid, ERODE appears as E R O D E; crossings may first give you E_O_E or ER_DE, which make ERODE an obvious fit when you read “slowly lessen.”
- The word shows up frequently in crosswords for clues like “Wear away,” “Gradually diminish,” “Chip away at,” and “Weaken over time.”
- Because it’s common, 5 letters long, and very crossword-friendly, ERODE is a good instinct answer anytime you see “gradually weaken” in clue form.
Solving Tips for Similar NYT Clues
- When clues mention support, trust, rights, confidence, or power that “gradually lessens” or “wears away,” ERODE should be among your first guesses for 5 letters.
- Pay attention to adverbs like “slowly,” “gradually,” or “over time”; they’re strong signals that the verb is ERODE rather than a sudden-change verb like FALL or DROP.
Common partial patterns include ERO_E or _RODE; combined with any “wear away” context, they almost always resolve to ERODE.
More NYT Mini Crossword Answers for January 29, 2026
| Clue | Answer | |
| 1A | Employees, collectively | View Answer |
| 6A | The “L” of TTYL | View Answer |
| 7A | Slowly lessen, as political support | View Answer |
| 8A | Dunkin’ offering | View Answer |
| 9A | Tricky things to navigate with a stroller | View Answer |
| 1D | Toys that go on the decline in winter? | View Answer |
| 2D | Set of fortunetelling cards | View Answer |
| 3D | Make amends | View Answer |
| 4D | Out of patience | View Answer |
| 5D | Guitar bars | View Answer |
