‘wHaT cHaNgEs OfTeN iN tHiS cLuE’ NYT Mini Crossword puzzle clues, answer, and hints

The Oct. 16 New York Times Mini Crossword puzzle is full of interesting and confusing clues, but none are more offputting than one across.

The only hint the NYT gives us is “wHaT cHaNgEs OfTeN iN tHiS cLuE,” which is obviously not much to go on. It just seems like whoever typed it in was trying to be obnoxious as possible. But there is a simple explanation for it, and we’ve got hints down below to help ease this pain.

‘wHaT cHaNgEs OfTeN iN tHiS cLuE’ NYT Mini Crossword hints and answer

• Hint 1: The word starts with “C.”
• Hint 2: The are two vowels in this word.
• Hint 3: The word rhymes with “Base.”
• Hint 4: Look at your keyboard.

Stop reading now if you do not want the answer to this clue.

‘wHaT cHaNgEs OfTeN iN tHiS cLuE’ NYT Mini answer

The answer for one across in the Oct. 16 NYT Mini Crossword is “CASE,” as in uppercase or lowercase. The silly clue gives very little hint, other than the letters changing their capitalization. Caps Lock and the Shift key were hard at work when this clue was concocted at the NYT.

NYT Mini Crossword (Oct. 16) 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

How to play other word games like the NYT Mini Crossword

When the NYT Mini Crossword word games feel like a tough nut to crack, the LA Times and Washington Post puzzles are a great challenge to diversify your morning word games. You can also try out Strands and Spelling Bee to enhance your vocabulary.