‘Vertical lines on graphs, in math’ NYT Mini Crossword clue answer and hints

Were you good at mathematics at school? I wasn’t, but I understood data well. Today’s NYT Mini Crossword clue, “Vertical lines on graphs, in math,” tests your data handling and graphs knowledge. If you’re struggling to guess the answer, here are some hints and answers for the Aug. 28 Mini.

‘Vertical lines on graphs, in math’ NYT Aug. 28 Mini Crossword hints and answer

• Hint 1: The solution has real-world applications such as plotting time against temperature, stock prices, population growth, or other data.
• Hint 2: There are usually two of these on a 2-D graph.
• Hint 3: It starts with the letter “Y.”
• Hint 4: The word is used in data-handling topics in mathematics. 

Time’s up! Put down your geometry box. Here comes the answer. 

Did you already see it coming? The answer to six across in the Aug. 28 New York Times Mini Crossword is “YAXES.” According to Merriam-Webster, the Y-axis can be defined as “the axis of a plane Cartesian coordinate system parallel to which ordinates are measured.” As per the clue, the Y-axis usually plots the vertical side of the data, while the X-axis deals with the horizontal side of the data.

‘Vertical lines on graphs, in math’ NYT Mini Crossword difficulty rating

X and Y axes are ubiquitous in elementary school maths, and this clue should be a no-brainer for most people. It took me a while to understand the answer was in plural form rather than singular, which made the answer Axes, not the traditional Axis, which might have confused you. So, I’d give it a three out of five for difficulty.

NYT Mini Crossword (Aug. 28) answers

Across

• 1A Tool for swabbing the deck — MOP
• 4A Doorbell’s sound — CHIME
• 6A Vertical lines on graphs, in math — Y AXES
• 7A Crept around in a weaselly way — SLUNK
• 8A ____-turvy — TOPSY

Down

• 1D Bungled situation — MIX UP
• 2D Signs of things to come — OMENS
• 3D Bothersome — PESKY
• 4D Skin bump — CYST
• 5D Angel hair topper? — HALO

How to play other word games like the NYT Mini Crossword

Can’t spend your morning without solving word games like the NYT Mini Crossword? Try solving other crosswords at the LA Times and the Washington Post. Strands and Spelling Bee are great alternatives if you want to try something else.