Quick Answer
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Crossword clue: “More courageous”
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Answer: BRAVER – 6 letters
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Clue number and direction: 2 Down
The New York Times crossword clue “More courageous” is answered with BRAVER (6-letter comparative adjective) in the February 14, 2026 NYT Mini.
Why BRAVER Is the Right NYT Answer
The clue “More courageous” clearly calls for the comparative form of “brave,” which is braver. Grammatically, “more courageous” and “braver” are equivalent, so the wordplay is straightforward rather than cryptic.
The NYT Mini grid on February 14, 2026 has a 6-letter slot for this entry, and helper sites confirm BRAVER as the only 6-letter answer used for this clue in that puzzle.
What BRAVER Means
BRAVER simply means “more brave” or “showing greater courage than someone or something else.” You might say, “She was braver than she realized,” which matches the same sense as “more courageous.”
In crossword terms, the clue is testing your comfort with adjective forms and comparatives: “brave” (base), “braver” (comparative), “bravest” (superlative).
Solving Tips for Similar NYT Clues
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When you see clues like “More X” (more scary, more strange, more silly), think of comparative adjectives ending in -ER (scarier, stranger, sillier) before trying “more + adjective” as a phrase.
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If the grid shows a pattern like B_R_V_R for “More courageous,” BRAVER should be your first guess once crossings confirm the vowels.
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NYT Minis often favor simple grammatical transformations like this, so knowing base → comparative → superlative patterns helps a lot.
Crossword-Specific Help: Pattern, Count, and Crossings
In the February 14, 2026 NYT Mini, the entry for “More courageous” occupies a 6-letter Down slot, which matches BRAVER exactly. In the grid, you’d see it as:
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B R A V E R
Crossings from Across answers like NBA, ORC, ORB, and RAINBOW lock in B‑R‑A‑V‑E‑R, so once you have B_RA_E_ from crosses, BRAVER is the only natural English fit. This type of everyday comparative isn’t “crosswordese” but is a very common style of fill in both Minis and full-sized NYT puzzles.
Complete February 14, 2026 NYT Mini Answers Today (Across & Down)
Here are the key answers from the February 14, 2026 NYT Mini to help you complete the full grid.
Across
| Clue | Answer | Letters |
|---|---|---|
| Org. with a Slam Dunk Contest | NBA | 3 |
| Menacing creature in “The Lord of the Rings” | ORC | 3 |
| Spherical shape | ORB | 3 |
| Greek “r” | RHO | 3 |
| Symbol on Hawaii’s license plate | RAINBOW | 7 |
Down
| Clue | Answer | Letters |
|---|---|---|
| More courageous | BRAVER | 6 |
| Went around the world? | ORBITED | 7 |
| Colossus of ___, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World | RHODES | 6 |
| Intimidated | COWED | 5 |
| Virginia governor Spanberger | ABIGAIL | 7 |
