Quick Answer
Clue: “The slightest amount”
Answer: ABIT
Answer length: 4 letters
Position: 1-Across
The New York Times crossword clue “The slightest amount” has the 4-letter answer ABIT, as confirmed by multiple NYT Mini answer keys for January 21, 2026.
Why ABIT Is the Right NYT Answer
- The phrase “a bit” is a common idiom meaning a very small amount or degree, which matches the idea of “the slightest amount” exactly. In crossword grids, the space is limited, so the phrase is written as a single four-letter entry, ABIT, without the space.
- Answer databases and clue explainers specifically list ABIT as the recent NYT Mini solution for this clue, matching both the definition and the 4-letter slot.
What ABIT Means in Plain English
- In everyday English, saying you have “a bit” of something means you have only a small quantity or that something happens only slightly (“I’m a bit tired,” “Move it a bit”). The clue’s wording “the slightest amount” is simply a more formal way of describing that same tiny degree.
- So ABIT in the grid is just the written crossword form of the spoken phrase “a bit.”
Crossword-Specific Help: Pattern, Crossings, and Variants
- At 1-Across, the entry appears as A‑B‑I‑T, so partial patterns like A_IT or _BIT from crossings quickly point to ABIT. Because this answer uses very common letters, it makes a friendly opener for a Mini puzzle, giving clean crossings for multiple Downs.
- The same entry often appears with clues such as “A little,” “Slightly,” “The tiniest amount, informally,” or “Just slightly,” all of which are documented using ABIT in NYT and other crosswords.
Solving Tips for Similar NYT Clues
- When you see “the slightest amount,” “a little,” or “just slightly” in a short slot (4 letters), think immediately of ABIT or “tad” and let crossings decide.
- Remember that crosswords often remove spaces from common phrases, turning “a bit” into ABIT, “a lot” into ALOT, and so on; this is especially true in compact Mini grids.
Recognizing these compressed idioms will help you drop in fast fills and use them as anchors for harder entries.
