‘Plays on words’ NYT Mini Crossword puzzle clue answer and hints

There’s a good chance you come across “Plays on words” fairly frequently, but you might not know what these are called. If you want to complete the Oct. 17 NYT Mini Crossword, you need to figure out what word can convey this phrase.

If you’re having trouble solving the “Plays on words” clue, here are some hints and the answer for the Oct. 17 NYT Mini Crossword puzzle.

‘Plays on words’ Oct. 17 NYT Mini Crossword hints

• Hint 1: It ends with the letter “S.”
• Hint 2: An anagram for this word is “SPUN.”
• Hint 3: Another word for “WORDPLAY.”
• Hint 4: It starts with the letter “P.”

Are you ready to solve this one? I’m going to reveal the answer now, so only read on when you’re ready to learn it.

‘Plays on words’ NYT Mini answer

The solution for the “Play on words” Oct. 17 NYT Mini Crossword clue is “PUNS.” This is another word for a play on words or a word with a double meaning. Puns play off words that sound alike but have different meanings.

‘Plays on words’ clue difficulty rating

It’s always a bit harder to solve a hint when there’s an “S” tacked on at the end, so in the case of “PUNS,” there’s a decent chance you might think of the right word but overlook the possibility of it working since “PUN” doesn’t fit by itself.

I don’t think this is one of the toughest clues, but it’s also not the easiest. I’m giving the “Play on words” clue a three out of five difficulty rating because I think it falls somewhere in the middle.

All Oct. 17 NYT Mini Crossword clues and answers

Across

• 1A Human’s cousin — APE
• 4A Word after party or prescription — DRUG
• 5A With the circled letters (literally!), two options when riding an elevator — GOING
• 6A Gobsmacks — AWE
• 7A Show on which Bowen Yang plays J.D. Vance, for short — SNL

Down

• 1D The Little Mermaid’s name — ARIEL
• 2D Plays on words — PUNS
• 3D _____ + flour = pasta dough — EGG
• 4D OK (with), informally — DOWN
• 5D Electric vehicle’s lack — GAS

Best games like the NYT Mini Crossword

There are lots of other great word games that will keep you busy after you complete today’s NYT Mini Crossword. You might enjoy the LA Times and the Washington Post if you’re up for solving more crossword clues, or you can tackle some unique challenges by attempting Strands and Spelling Bee.