Dial up device NYT Crossword clue hints

The “dial-up device” clue in the NYT Mini Crossword is difficult if you don’t know much about old, nearly ancient technology. It refers to a device people used when they had home phone lines instead of smartphones you take everywhere.

Solving 4D, an easy clue, gives you the first letter of “dial-up device” to help. If that isn’t enough to find the other four letters, check our hints below to find the answer yourself.

Hints and answer to “dial up device” NYT Mini Crossword clue

The answer is not about devices used to dial numbers, like “phone.”

These devices were used to convert a phone line signal into internet connection before we had broadband and mobile internet signals.

These devices look a lot like routers, and you may still have to use them for your broadband connections.

Click the tabs below to progressively reveal the answer.

M—-

MO—

MOD–

MODE-

MODEM

The answer to “dial-up device” is MODEM.

How to play past NYT Mini Crosswords

The only way to play older NYT Mini Crossword puzzles is to subscribe to The New York Times and access their puzzle archive. You’ll also find the regular-sized Crossword and hundreds of other puzzles there. Plus, there are special bonus crosswords released every month on that same page.

What other Crossword puzzles are there to play daily?

Several other US and UK newspapers offer daily Mini and standard Crosswords you can play online. The LA Times, The Sun, and the Washington Post have unique Minis every day. Other newspapers may have syndicated versions of the NYT puzzles, which means they’re old crosswords from three to four weeks ago that were exclusive to subscribers at first, but are now open to readers of these sites as well.

Other word games to play when you complete NYT Crosswords

Many word game fans, like myself, have a morning routine of solving Minis, Strands, Connections, and Wordle every day. These are great games to play when you’re looking for an extra challenge, and each of them offers a unique twist on word games. Connections and Strands test your ability to group words, while Wordle tests your vocabulary. For the ultimate vocabulary challenge, you can also add Spelling Bee, where you have to find dozens of words from seven letters.