‘A maintenance shop with a broken doorbell is an example of it’ NYT Mini Crossword clue answer and hints

Do you find contradictory things everywhere around you? Like taking a trip to McDonald’s, then realizing you have a stomach ache as soon as you get there? I do, and it pains me to admit that some things in life are beautifully scripted. Today’s NYT Mini Crossword clue dives deep into these moments.

‘A maintenance shop with a broken doorbell is an example of it’ NYT Aug. 19 Mini Crossword hints and answer

• Hint 1: When you say something but mean something else. 
• Hint 2: This five-letter word is often confused with sarcasm, though they’re not exactly the same.
• Hint 3: It starts with the letter “I.”
• Hint 4: It sounds similar to the name of a place called Ivory Coast.

You exhausted the limit of your daily hints. It’s time to show the answer. 

Did you already guess it? The answer to two down in the Aug. 19 New York Times Mini Crossword is “IRONY.” When a maintenance shop has a broken doorbell, it’s ironic that they repair things for their customers but neglect their store’s essentials. Personally, that’d be a red flag for me before entering the shop. 

It’s similar to a fire station being on fire. Thus, an example of these contradictory sentences would fall under irony, which is a figure of speech.

‘A maintenance shop with a broken doorbell is an example of it’ NYT Mini Crossword difficulty rating

While reading the clue, if your mind went “That’s a good irony,” then the answer must’ve been staring at your face. However, unlike other Crossword clues, this one was quite straightforward and easy to guess. So, difficulty-wise, I’d give it a two out of five. 

NYT Mini Crossword (Aug. 19) answers

Are you stuck with the other clues in today’s NYT Mini Crossword? Here are some hints and answers to “Number of Olympic gold medals won by Katie Ledecky,” “What four quarters can equal,” “Opera solo” “Spa room,” and “Kind of short haircut for women.”

How to play other word games like the NYT Mini Crossword

Want to play more word games like the NYT Mini Crossword? Try your crossword skills to solve the LA Times and the Washington Post‘s puzzles. If you want something more challenging, Strands and Spelling Bee should be right up your alley.