NYT Mini · 5-Across · 5 letters

Crocodile ___ NYT Mini crossword clue

Editorially reviewed August 31, 2026

Complete the phrase

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5 letters

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Phrase cue

Complete the expression for an insincere show of sadness.

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Answer

TEARS

Why these words complete it

TEARS completes the idiom “crocodile tears.” The expression refers to false or exaggerated sorrow rather than literal reptile anatomy.

Continue this puzzleSpider ___ →

The phrase frame

A well-known animal-plus-noun idiom supplies a five-letter plural fill.

What the completed phrase means

Crocodile tears are an insincere display of sadness or sympathy.

Where this clue appeared

5-Across in NYT Mini puzzle for August 31, 2026.

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More selected clues from NYT Mini · August 31, 2026

Continue with independently explained clues from the same puzzle date. This is a selected learning set, not a complete answer list.

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