‘Synonym for close’ NYT Mini Crossword puzzle clue answer and hints

I enjoy a good NYT Mini Crossword puzzle challenge, and today’s clue, “Synonym for ‘close,'” is the clue for one across and eight across, making it a tough one to crack. So, here’s the answer to both clues.

‘Synonym for close’ Oct.9 NYT Mini Crossword clue hints and answer

• Hint 1: One-across starts with an “S.”
• Hint 2: Eight-across begins with an “N.”
• Hint 3: One-across ends with a “T.”
• Hint 4: Eight-across ends with an “R.”

The answer to the “Synonym for close” one-across clue from the Oct. 9 NYT Mini Crossword puzzle is “SHUT.” And the “synonym for close” eight-across clue answer is “NEAR.” Close is a homograph. Homographs are words that are spelled the same but have different meanings.

So, you can use close in a sentence like “Close the door!” or to say, “We’re close to our destination.” Both pronunciations and meanings are different, but they’re spelled the same, which is why homographs are tough to solve in crosswords.

NYT Mini Crossword puzzle: All Oct. 9 clues and answers

Across

• 1A Synonym for “close” — SHUT
• 5A Actor’s workshop assignment — SCENE
• 6A Civic maker — HONDA
• 7A ___ sanctum (private chamber) — INNER
• 8A Synonym for “close” — NEAR

Down

• 1D Pastry often served with tea — SCONE
• 2D Temporary reddish dye — HENNA
• 3D Far from over? — UNDER
• 4D Droplet of sorrow — TEAR
• 5D Vulnerable body part in soccer — SHIN

How challenging was the crossword clue, ‘Synonym for close’?

This clue was tough to solve because, as you saw earlier, close is a homograph, making it much trickier to solve because you can never really know which version of the word you’re supposed to use to get the answer. Ultimately, I had to solve a few surrounding clues to get both answers. But because these clues were so tricky, I’m giving it a difficulty rating of five out of five.

Mini puzzles like the NYT Mini Crossword to play

If you enjoy mini crosswords, try the ones from the LA Times or the Washington Post. If you want to try a different word-based game, check out Strands or Spelling Bee.