‘Decorative pillow cover’ NYT Mini Crossword Aug. 5 answer and hints

We all need a good pillow to rest our weary heads on. As the NYT Mini Crossword says, you can add a “Decorative pillow cover” to liven up an otherwise comfy but uninspired pillow, so let’s go through the clue, help you with hints, and give you a good night’s sleep.

‘Decorative pillow cover’ Aug. 5 NYT Mini Crossword solution and hints

• Hint 1: Fake marriages are considered this.
• Hint 2: It has one vowel. 
• Hint 3: This clue is nearly a “shame.”
• Hint 4: It ends with “M.”

I’ve given you four hints to help you find the solution, so it’s time to reveal the full answer.

“SHAM” is another word for a decorative pillow cover, and it’s what the NYT Mini is looking for when it comes to one down.

Fraudulent marriages—for various reasons—can be labeled as a “sham.” The word has “a” as a lone vowel, and if you add an “e” at the end of the word, you get “shame.” The answer ends with “m” too.

All NYT Mini Crossword puzzle clues and answers Aug. 5

Across

• 1A Bit of romantic potential — SPARK
• 6A Once able to pass a Captcha test (hopefully!) — HUMAN
• 7A Protein-building acid type — AMINO
• 8A Card tricks, disappearing acts, etc. — MAGIC
• 9A Failed to float — SANK

Down

• 5D When repeated, classic kind of joke — KNOCK
• 1D Decorative pillow cover — SHAM
• 2D Mountain lions — PUMAS
• 3D Female friend in Spanish — AMIGA
• 4D Rushed through the door — RAN IN

‘Decorative pillow cover’ NYT Mini clue difficulty

A tricky little tester here for you. I haven’t heard the word “sham” used too often when it comes to beds and pillows, so this is a harder clue for sure. In terms of difficulty, I’m giving it a four out of five, and while it’s bested by another couple of clues in today’s daily mini, its position in the crossword makes it more important—hence the rating.

Best word games like NYT Mini Crossword puzzle

It’s the moment where I plug various other daily games to keep your mind active and ensure you don’t miss out. The LA Times and Washington Post are excellent crossword alternatives, and Strands and Spelling Bee are great word games.