word on either side of ___ say ___

The crossword clue “word on either side of ‘___ say ___’” is answered with NEVER in the January 1, 2026 New York Times Mini crossword.

Quick Scoop

What the clue means

• The clue is asking for a single 5-letter word that can appear before and after the fragment “say” to form two common phrases.

• The solution “never” fits because you can say “never say never,” a well-known repeated phrase in English.

Why “NEVER” fits

• Letter count: The puzzle specifies a 5-letter answer, and “never” has exactly five letters.

• Confirmed solution: Multiple crossword helper and answer sites list “NEVER” as the official solution for this exact NYT Mini clue from January 1, 2026.

Little language note

• The phrase “never say never” is a common idiom meaning you should not rule something out absolutely, because circumstances can change.

TL;DR: The “word on either side of ‘___ say ___’” is NEVER → “never say never.”

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.