‘Bottom 10?’ NYT Mini Crossword clue answer and hints

Like most crossword enthusiasts I enjoy a good, challenging crossword clue, and the clue, “Bottom ten?” from today’s NYT Crossword puzzle, is just that: A challenge.

This NYT Mini Crossword clue appears at four down in the Aug. 21 puzzle. If you’ve tried every possible answer (and you may have, this one’s a bit vague) then don’t worry—we’ve got the answer, even if it gave us pause.

‘Botton ten?’ NYT Mini Crossword clue (Aug. 21) hints and answer

• Hint 1: It contains two vowels.
• Hint 2: It ends in an “S.”
• Hint 3: There are ten of them on your feet.
• Hint 4: It starts with a “T.”

The answer to the “Bottom ten?” clue is “TOES.” By bottom ten, this clue refers to the fact most mammals have 10 toes, which would be considered the bottom digits. Like I warned, things are a bit vague with this one today.

NYT Aug. 21 Mini Crossword puzzle: All clues and answers

Across

• 1A Top ten, e.g.—LIST
• 5A Nintendo antagonist in a yellow hate and purple overalls—WARIO
• 6A One end of a battery—ANODE
• 7A Ten in an Olympic swimming pool—LANES
• 8A What “X” can mean—KISS

Down

• 1D Hawaiian island seen from the west shore of Maui—LANAI
• 2D Unwrinkles, as a dress shirt—IRONS
• 3D A decagon has ten—SIDES
• 4D Botton ten?—TOES
• 5D Go for a stroll—WALK

‘Bottom ten?’ crossword clue difficulty, rated

I didn’t know what to make of this clue because I thought it must refer to someone in last place or at the bottom of the pack. When all my suggestions were incorrect, I skipped this clue and went on to solve the rest of the puzzle. Even when I found the answer was toes, I had to stop and think about it; it was so out of the box I didn’t expect it. Because of how unconventional this clue was, I’d give it a difficulty rating of four out of five.

Puzzles and word games like the NYT Mini Crossword

If you’d like mini crossword puzzles and word games, try the mini crosswords from LA Times and the Washington Post, as they’re short, quick, and are always released daily, or even the word games from Strands or Spelling Bee.