Harvard or MIT or Yale housing! (9)

The Minute Cryptic clue “Harvard or MIT or Yale housing!” (9) was set for Wednesday, September 2, 2026. Below is the answer — blurred until you tap — followed by the definition, the wordplay and why the letters land where they do.

Minute Cryptic · September 2, 2026

Harvard or MIT or Yale housing!

(9)

The answer isDORMITORY

No spoilers — the answer stays blurred until you tap.

Letters 9Set by Rusty Lee (community)Par 3Solvers 18,460

The clue, colour-coded

Harvard or MIT or Yale housing!
DefinitionWordplay / fodderLinking words

How this clue works

The definition

Harvard or MIT or Yale housing!

This clue is an &lit, meaning that the whole clue is the definition and the whole clue is the wordplay. So, our definition here is 'Harvard or MIT or Yale housing!', and our answer will be a word for the kind of housing you might find at those institutions.

The wordplay

Harvard or MIT or Yale

This clue's fodder is 'Harvard or MIT or Yale'. We'll use these letters (or some of them) to construct our answer, as guided by the clue's indicator(s).

The answer

DORMITORY

The clue reads “Harvard or MIT or Yale housing!” (9). The definition part — “Harvard or MIT or Yale housing!” — points straight at DORMITORY, and the rest of the clue builds it through wordplay.

Minute Cryptic publishes a short walkthrough for this clue — watch Rusty Lee’s own explanation →

What DORMITORY means

/ˈdɔɹmɪˌtɔɹi/noun
noun

A room containing a number of beds (and often some other furniture and/or utilities) for sleeping, often applied to student and backpacker accommodation of this kind.

noun

A building or part of a building which houses students, soldiers, monks etc. who sleep there and use communal further facilities.

Synonyms

dorm, hall, residence hall, student residence, dorm room, dormitory room

This clue’s puzzle day

This clue was the Minute Cryptic for Wednesday, September 2, 2026. Open the September 2, 2026 puzzle page for that day’s write-up, or browse the full Minute Cryptic archive.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the answer to “Harvard or MIT or Yale housing!”?
The answer is DORMITORY (9 letters). Tap the reveal button above to see it in the answer card.
How do I read a cryptic clue like this?
Every cryptic clue has two halves: a straight definition (at the start or the end) and a piece of wordplay that builds the same word letter by letter. Find the definition first, count the letters from the enumeration, then work out which trick the rest of the clue is playing.
Is there a new Minute Cryptic every day?
Yes — one cryptic clue a day at minutecryptic.com, plus community-set clues. We publish each day’s answer and breakdown here shortly after it goes live.