This clue appeared in the Mini Crossword on Saturday, October 31, 2026 (5 Across). The answer is hidden below until you want it.
How to read this clue
The question mark warns of wordplay. Expect a pun or a second meaning rather than a straight definition.
Answer length: 7 squares
First letter
S _ _ _ _ _ _
First and last letters
S _ _ _ _ _ E
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About the answer
STARTLE as a word: (transitive) To excite by sudden alarm, surprise, or apprehension; to frighten suddenly and not seriously; to alarm; to surprise; (intransitive) To move suddenly, or be excited, on feeling alarm; to start.
STARTLE has been an answer once in the NYT Crossword and Mini puzzles we have on file, which go back to October 23, 2025.
More clues from this puzzle
- Candy holder for a trick-or-treater (1 Across)
- Org. interested in Mars and the Milky Way (4 Across)
- Golfer's goal (8 Across)
- Iconic Australian animal, for short (9 Across)
- Half Airhead, half candy corn? (10 Across)
- Half Mounds, half Reese's? (12 Across)
Play today's Mini Crossword at The New York Times
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