The answers to today's Strands, game #611, are… It’s always a thrill to get a “perfect!” pop-up, even if it’s for an easy game. Here, the four-letter theme meant minimal labour, while the spangram was a straightforward top-to-bottom affair despite its extraordinary length.

Although the NYT is known for "The Crossword," a larger puzzle for paid subscribers, The Mini has quite the fan following as well.

There are three vowels in today's five-letter word.