NYT Mini · 9-Across · 7 letters
_a_er and _encil game NYT Mini crossword clue
Editorially reviewed August 22, 2026
Decode the turn
Reveal the answer now—or spot the trick first.
What to notice
The missing identical letters illustrate what players try to recover in this seven-letter guessing game.
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Answer
How the trick resolves
The clue describes a paper-and-pencil game while visibly removing both P's from “paper” and “pencil.” Missing letters are the core mechanism of HANGMAN, the required seven-letter game.
Continue this puzzleGets right down to business →The turn in the clue
The underscores are functional: the absent repeated letter demonstrates the guessing game's mechanic.
The answer in plain English
Hangman is a word-guessing game in which players propose letters before a drawing is completed.
Where this clue appeared
9-Across in NYT Mini puzzle for August 22, 2026.
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