‘Beefcakes’ NYT Mini Crossword puzzle clue answer and hints

What a word.

Two muscular men above the clue, beefcakes, from the nyt mini crossword puzzle
Image by Dot Esports

If there’s one clue from today’s NYT crossword puzzle that made me laugh, it’s this one: It’s such an old-fashioned word not many people use today (and one I don’t plan on adding to my vernacular). If you’re looking for the answer to the “beefcakes” clue from NYT’s Sept. 12 Mini Crossword puzzle, I’ve got you covered.

Recommended Videos

‘Beefcakes:’ Sept. 12 NYT Mini Crossword clue hints and answer

The clue, beefcakes, highlighted in blue and yellow on the nyt mini crossword puzzle
This is the clue for four down. Screenshot by Dot Esports
  • Hint 1: It starts with a “H.”
  • Hint 2: It ends with an “S.”
  • Hint 3: It contains one vowel.
  • Hint 4: This is an old-fashioned clue that refers to someone with big muscles.

The answer to the “Beefcakes” clue from the Sept. 12 NYT Mini Crossword puzzle is “HUNKS.” Beefcakes is an old-fashioned word used to describe a good-looking man with big muscles or someone with a particular body type who you’d see in movies or television. And hunk has a similar meaning in that it refers to a large, strong, attractive man.

All clues and answers from the Sept. 12 NYT Mini Crossword puzzle

Across

Down

  • 1D Renter’s agreementLEASE
  • 2D Emotion in “Inside out” who blows flames out of his head — ANGER
  • 3D Mocking smileSNEER
  • 4D Beefcakes — HUNKS
  • 6D “___all I ask…” — ITS

‘Beefcakes’ clue difficulty

My first thought was, “Excuse me? Who’s using the word ‘beefcakes’ these days?” But after a bit of chuckling, I had to think about what this word actually meant, and all I could think about was muscular men like athletes and gymgoers. It wasn’t until I had a few of the other clues solved today that I figured this out and got the answer because, again, I personally wouldn’t use that word to describe a group of muscular men. Because of how old-fashioned this particular clue and its answer ending up being, I’d give it a solid four out of five in difficulty.

Mini word games and crossword puzzles to try

If you’re looking for more mini crossword puzzles and word games, I recommend trying these: LA Times crossword puzzle, Washington Post crossword puzzle, Strands, or Spelling Bee.

Author
Image of Hayley Andrews
Hayley Andrews
Hayley Andrews is a staff writer for Dot Esports with a dual degree in business and human resource management. After discovering her passion for creative writing and gaming, she now writes about MOBAs, MMOs, and cozy games.