NYT Mini · 1-Across · 3 letters

With 6- and 8-Across, face seen in outer space NYT Mini crossword clue

Editorially reviewed September 4, 2026

Decode the turn

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3 letters

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What to notice

Start a familiar expression for an imagined lunar face with a three-letter person word.

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Answer

MAN

How the trick resolves

This linked entry reads MAN / IN THE / MOON across 1-, 6-, and 8-Across. Only MAN belongs at 1-Across; the face is an imagined pattern rather than a person physically in space.

Continue this puzzleOpposite of tight →

The turn in the clue

The linked clue numbers split one expression across three separate entries.

The answer in plain English

The man in the moon is an imagined human face or figure seen in the Moon's surface markings.

Where this clue appeared

1-Across in NYT Mini puzzle for September 4, 2026.

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