Quick Answer
The New York Times Mini crossword clue “With 9-Across, something you might wake up from and go ‘Huh?!’” has the answer “WEIRD”, a 5-letter Down entry.
Clue: “With 9-Across, something you might wake up from and go ‘Huh?!’”
Answer: WEIRD
Length: 5 letters
Clue number and direction: 1-Down
In the grid, 1-Down is WEIRD, which combines with 9-Across DREAM to form the full phrase “WEIRD DREAM.”
Why WEIRD Is the Right NYT Answer
- The clue clearly points to a type of dream (referenced at 9-Across), specifically one that makes you wake up confused and say “Huh?!,” which is naturally described as a weird dream.
- Answer pages for the February 3, 2026 NYT Mini list WEIRD at 1-Down and DREAM at 9-Across, confirming the intended two-part phrase.
- “Something you might wake up from and go ‘Huh?!’” matches how people commonly describe strange, surreal, or confusing dreams, so WEIRD is a tight semantic fit.
What WEIRD Means in Plain English
- WEIRD means strange, unusual, or hard to explain often in a way that feels a bit eerie or out of the ordinary.
- A weird dream is one with odd imagery, bizarre storylines, or illogical events that leave you puzzled when you wake up.
- The word is casual and conversational, which matches the playful “Huh?!” tone in the clue.
Crossword-Specific Help: How 1-Down Works with 9-Across
- The “With 9-Across” wording tells you this answer is only part of the full idea; you need to look at 9-Across to complete the phrase.
- Crossings from other entries in the Mini (like IDIOM, RETRO, IOS, etc.) help confirm W–E–I–R–D down the column.
- This type of cross-reference is common in NYT Minis, often used to split natural phrases like WEIRD DREAM or DREAM JOB across grid entries.
Solving Tips for Similar NYT Clues
- When you see “With 9-Across” (or any “With X-Across/Down”) in a clue, treat that entry as part of a two-word phrase and solve both answers together.
- If 9-Across is DREAM and 1-Down is clued as “something you might wake up from,” think of adjectives that pair well with DREAM (WEIRD, BAD, VIVID) and use crossings to decide.
Remember that NYT Minis often use conversational tone (“go ‘Huh?!’”) to nudge you toward informal words like WEIRD instead of more formal options (ODD, STRANGE).
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 |
