‘Voices below altos’ NYT Mini Crossword clue Aug. 16 answer and hints

Unless you were a member of a choir or you’re a vocal connoisseur, the New York Times’ Mini Crossword puzzle might have stumped you with the clue “Voices below altos.”

“Voices below altos” is a clue for a six-letter across word in the Aug. 16 Mini Crossword, and it might be a tough one to crack if you haven’t tried your luck in the world of singing. In fact, you might not have even known that this clue pertained to singing since there’s some jargon in the clue that may seem confusing at first.

‘Voices below altos’ Aug. 16 NYT Mini Crossword hints and answer

• Hint 1: Is a nickname for a U.S. bill with Alexander Hamilton on it.
• Hint 2: Is the name of a four-man singing group.
• Hint 3: Is the name of a GIF sharing site.
• Hint 4: Has a double-digit number in it.

Hold up here if you’re still trying to figure out the answer for this clue. But if you’ve really hit a wall, here is the answer for the 9A “Voices below altos” hint and the rest of the Mini Crossword puzzle clues for Aug. 16.

The answer for 9A “Voices below altos” is TENORS. A tenor is the highest range of a regular adult male, which lies between the singing voice of a baritone and alto. Popular singers who are considered tenors are Freddie Mercury, Bruno Mars, and Sam Smith. These superstars can reach wild notes that astound fans because they usually have a very wide range for their voice to reach.

All NYT Mini Crossword puzzle (Aug. 16) clues and answers

Across

• 1A Senegal’s neighbor to the east — MALI
• 5A ___ Allen White, star of TV’s “The Bear” — JEREMY
• 7A Make a getaway — ESCAPE
• 8A What’s longer in the morning and evening than it is at noon — SHADOWS
• 9A Voices below altos — TENORS
• 10A No longer in the Drafts folder — SENT

Down

• 6D Coniferous trees with red berries — YEWS
• 1D Interlocks (with) — MESHES
• 2D Esoteric — ARCANE
• 3D Give false hope to — LEAD ON
• 4D Ship into the country — IMPORT
• 5D “Surely you___!” — JEST

‘Voices below altos’ clue: Difficulty, ranked

Since this clue would require you to have some type of knowledge about vocal ranges, this hint could confuse plenty of folks who aren’t singers. There is a world where some people can discern the word through the “voices” portion of the hint, but overall, this clue can be a bit tough for those not in the know, which is why I’m giving it a three out of five difficulty rating.