‘Oak tree-to-be’ NYT Mini Crossword clue answer Aug. 9

Trees don’t start as trees; they need to grow from something first. Today’s NYT Mini “Oak tree-to-be” clue in the Aug. 9 NYT Times Mini Crossword is further evidence of this, and from clue to the answer, we’ll show you the full process.

‘Oak tree-to-be’ Aug. 9 NYT Mini Crossword hints and answer

• Hint one: Can be broken up into two words to describe something.
• Hint two: The final four letters nearly spell the name of an American Nu-Metal band.
• Hint three: Scrat loves these.
• Hint four: Ends with “N.”

Today, I’ve chosen a mix of different hints that tie directly to the word you’re looking for, so let’s see what it is.

“ACORN” is the word of the day for seven across.

An acorn is a distinct nut with a hat-like covering on top. If you’ve ever watched an Ice Age film, the animated and hysterical squirrel Scrat frequently chases after them. In real life, though, acorns are used as seeds to grow oak trees!

NYT Mini Crossword answers Aug. 9

Across

• 1A Move like a kangaroo — HOP
• 4A Purple soda flavor — GRAPE
• 6A Bird used for sending messages on “House of the Dragon” — RAVEN
• 7A Oake tree-to-be — ACORN
• 8A What half-life measures, in nuclear physics— DECAY

Down

• 1D Pandemonium — HAVOC
• 2D Performance for a prima donna — OPERA
• 3D Take a ___, leave a ____ — PENNY
• 4D Mortarboard wearer — GRAD
• 5D A dash is a short one — RACE

‘Oak tree-to-be’ clue difficulty rating, explained

Funny story: in my primary school—otherwise known as elementary school in America (I believe)—the teachers put us into four distinct houses: Maple, Oak, Rowan, and Willow—and as you might have guessed, I was in Oak! So, I’ve known about the tree for nearly 30 years, and I think it’s not too obscure to know an Acorn becomes an oak tree—so it’s a three out of five difficulty rating for me.

Where to find more daily word games like the NYT Mini Crossword puzzle

The LA Times and Washington Post are perfect for carrying on your love affair with daily crossword puzzles. Once you’ve done them, and your brain doesn’t feel satiated, you can tackle Strands or Spelling Bee, too.