NYT Mini · 2-Down · 5 letters
Utopian places NYT Mini crossword clue
Editorially reviewed September 12, 2026
Answer · 5 letters
EDENS
EDENS uses Eden figuratively for an ideal place and makes it plural to match places. The answer is five letters, not the four-letter EDEN used when a clue asks for one paradise or the biblical garden.
Different crossing letters? Check another fit →One name can become a metaphor for many places
The name Eden is associated with paradise. Used figuratively, an eden can describe an idyllic setting, so more than one such place can be called edens. The clue does not require a claim that there are several biblical gardens; it uses the broader descriptive sense.
Let the plural wording decide the ending
Places is plural, which supplies the final S in EDENS. EDEN alone fits a four-letter singular entry but leaves this five-letter answer incomplete. Crossword grids usually capitalize every fill, so EDENS in the grid does not by itself tell you whether the clue uses a proper name or its figurative sense.
References behind this explanation
These references support the meaning or background; they are not publisher endorsements.
Where this clue appeared
2-Down in NYT Mini puzzle for September 11, 2026.
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