‘Suffix with steward or host’ NYT Mini Crossword puzzle clue answer and hints

It’s been a long time since I’ve thought about prefixes and suffixes, and if it has been for you, solving one of today’s NYT Mini Crossword hints might be tough. The “Suffix with steward or host” clue challenges you to recall a specific suffix.

Even if you’re decently familiar with how suffixes work, this can still be pretty tricky to solve. Here are some hints and the answer for the “Suffix with steward or host” clue on the Oct. 16 NYT Mini Crossword puzzle.

‘Suffix with steward or host’ Oct. 16 NYT Mini Crossword hints

• Hint 1: It ends with the letter “S.”
• Hint 2: It’s not usually a word on its own and is instead attached at the end of other words.
• Hint 3: This word is used to show that the person being referenced is a woman.
• Hint 4: It starts with the letter “E.”

It’s time to reveal the suffix you’re searching for, so make sure you have your best guess ready before I reveal the solution.

‘Suffix with steward or host’ NYT Mini answer

The solution for the “Suffix with steward or host” clue on the Oct. 16 NYT Mini Crossword is “ESS.” This suffix is attached to the end of a word to show that the person doing the shop is a woman. Examples of how it’s used include words like “ACTRESS,” “LIONESS” and “PRINCESS.”

This specific clue is referring to the words “STEWARDESS” and “HOSTESS.”

‘Suffix with steward or host’ clue difficulty rating

This clue stumped me even though I consider myself a bit of a word nerd. I just didn’t really get what it was asking, and although it feels obvious after figuring out the solution, I still think this is one of the overall trickiest clues I’ve faced.

With this in mind, I’m giving the “Suffix with steward or host” clue a full five out of five difficulty rating.

All Oct. 16 NYT Mini Crossword clues and answers

Across

• 1A wHaT cHaNgEs OfTeN iN tHiS cLuE — CASE
• 5A Natural boundary between France and Italy — ALPS
• 6A Total displayed on a running app — MILES
• 7A Embattled mayor Adams — ERIC
• 8A Knowledgeable person hidden backward in “knowledge” — WONK

Down

• 1D Capital city on the Nile River — CAIRO
• 2D Aggressive poker bet — ALL IN
• 3D Tiny dot — SPECK
• 4D Suffix with steward or host — ESS
• 6D Kitten’s cry — MEW

Best games like the NYT Mini Crossword

If you’re up for some more word games, you might enjoy working through the crossword puzzles over at the LA Times and the Washington Post next. You also might consider mixing things up instead and attempting Strands and Spelling Bee to see how you fare at these unique puzzles.