Connections taps into the universal love of patterns and logic. Unlike Wordle, where letter placement matters, Connections is more conceptual, testing how players group words mentally based on meaning or context.

The Mini Crossword is just one of many games in the Times' games collection. If you're looking for today's Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET's NYT puzzle hints page. Let's get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers. 1A clue: Coffee, informally ... or a big coffee-producing island