Quick Scoop

The clue is **“almost”** or **“near miss”** in the context of Connections. In the NYT Mini crossword, the answer for “Message in Connections when you almost get the category, but not quite” is **MISS**.

Why it fits

In Connections, when your guess is close but not correct, the game says you missed the category, so the clue is pointing to that idea.

Short answer

• MISS

If you want, I can also help with the rest of the puzzle clues in the same style.