‘Word with nature and pretzel’ NYT Crossword clue hints and answers

Today’s NYT Crossword puzzle is one of the most puzzling I’ve solved so far, purely because of the clue “Word with nature or pretzel.” This clue is ambiguous, and countless answers could apply.

This clue is from the July 18 NYT mini crossword puzzle, and even after solving it and completing the crossword, my mind was still confuddled because it could apply to anything nature-related or pretzel-related. If you’re on struggle street, you’re in the right place for answers.

‘Word with nature or pretzel’ NYT Mini Crossword hints and answer

• Hint 1: The clue could be written as: ____nature or ____pretzel
• Hint 2: It ends in an “N.”
• Hint 3: It’s another name for homo sapiens.
• Hint 4: It starts with “H.”

“Word with nature or pretzel” is a perplexing clue, and if you still can’t figure out the answer, I’ve dropped it below.

The answer to “Word with nature or pretzel” is “HUMAN.” Essentially, the clue was asking for a word that fits alongside nature and pretzel to form a phrase. So, human nature and human pretzel, although the latter is a little offputting if you enjoy pretzels.

With 1D solved, you can continue working on today’s NYT mini crossword puzzle. And if there are other clues you’re having trouble with, you’ll find all the clues and answers as you continue to read on.

July 18 NYT Mini Crossword puzzle clues and answers

Across

• 1A “Well, that’s odd…” — HUH
• 4A What a D.J is in charge of — MUSIC
• 6A ___acid (protein building block) — AMINO
• 7A Total stranger, in slang — RANDO
• 8A Beef variety for a hamburger — ANGUS

Down

• 1D Word with nature or pretzel — HUMAN
• 2D Taking advantage of — USING
• 3D Like the deities Shiva and Ganesha — HINDU
• 4D Roony of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” — MARA
• 5D Sounds from a dovecote — COOS

‘Word with nature or pretzel’ clue difficulty rating

I’m not going to beat around the bush with a difficulty rating for the “Word with nature or pretzel” clue—it’s a solid five out of five in my eyes because the clue itself is confusing. When I first read the clue, I wondered if they meant a word that connects nature and pretzel, like wheat or gluten, or if it could be applied to both nature and pretzel.

After solving the rest of the puzzle and discovering the answer, “human,” my first thought was, why wasn’t the clue written like how I hinted in Hint 1: ____nature or ____pretzel? This would have given us more clarity and made this clue easier to solve. Either way, though, it was undoubtedly a tough one to solve.

Games like the NYT Mini Crossword puzzle

Now that you’ve finished the NYT mini crossword puzzle, why not try the ones from the LA Times and the Washington Post? They’re just as quick and fun. And they can also be quite mind-boggling at times.

However, if you enjoy word games, Strands is a fun game where you test your word-searching skills. And Spelling Bee is perfect for those who like seeing how many words they can create from a few letters. If Scrabble is your favorite board game of choice, this might be the game to help dominate your next Scrabble game night.