Zoom call button NYT Crossword clue

With many people back to work in offices, the “Zoom call button” clue in today’s New York Times Mini Crossword was surprisingly tricky. But it’s actually pretty simple.

My mistake was thinking it was about the button on Zoom you use to start a call, not just any button on a Zoom call, which might be why you’re struggling. You’re not looking for another name for the call button but for a button that exists on Zoom calls and is four letters long. Here are some hints to help you figure it out.

Hints to solve Zoom call button Crossword clue

• Hint 1: Think about any video call you’ve made and remember the buttons there while you’re talking to someone. It’s one of those buttons.
• Hint 2: It’s the button you likely use the most during Zoom calls.
• Hint 3: The raise hand button is not the answer.
• Hint 4: It’s the button you press when you’re about to start speaking or when you’re done speaking, so you don’t disturb others during a meeting.

If you haven’t figured out the answer yet, stop reading now if you don’t want to be spoiled.

The answer to the “Zoom call button” NYT crossword clue is “MUTE.” It’s the button you press to silence your microphone so people in the meeting can’t hear you. This was really useful during the pandemic when people were working from home, and it helped avoid background noise from households.

Full list of answers to today’s NYT Mini Crossword

The full list of answers to today’s NYT Mini Crossword are below. These are the final answers, not hints. If you don’t want to see the answers before finishing the puzzle, skip this section and continue reading for more content.

ACROSS

• 1A It “puts you there where things are hollow,” in a David Bowie hit – FAME
• 5A What QR codes at restaurants lead to – MENUS
• 6A Top of the top – ELITE
• 7A Subject of a marathoner’s P.R. – TIME
• 8A Log chopper – AXE

DOWN

• 1D ___ Felicis, potion in the Harry Potter books known as “Liquid Luck” – FELIX
• 2D Japanese cartoon genre – ANIME
• 3D Zoom call button – MUTE
• 4D Suffix with Senegal or Sudan – ESE
• 5D Parent company of Facebook – META

Best word games to play after the NYT Mini Crossword

After completing the New York Times Mini Crossword, try the Washington Post and LA Times Mini Crosswords. They are also short, 5×5, free, and updated daily. I like to do all three every morning before starting work. I also enjoy playing Spelling Bee and Strands on the New York Times website because they offer different challenges.

Strands is my favorite. It’s popular among word puzzle fans and has become my top choice, even more than mini crosswords. In Strands, you find words on a grid like a word search, but you can connect the letters in any direction, and they have to fit the theme. It’s short, challenging, and super fun.