The New York Times Mini Crossword may be small, but it’s designed to catch you off guard.
Unlike its full-sized cousin, the Mini forces you to think quickly. It packs a sharp mental workout into a compact 5x5 grid, ideal for short breaks.
A tiny puzzle doesn't mean it’s always easy.
When you’re stuck on a clue, our daily
hints and answers will help keep the momentum going.
Where to Play
You can play the Mini Crossword on the
New York Times website, the NYT Games app, or within the Play tab of the main News app.
Past puzzles are available to Games and All Access subscribers.
When the Puzzle Drops
How It Works
Fill the grid by solving Across and Down clues. You’ll know you’ve solved it correctly when music plays and a congratulatory message appears.
There’s no streak feature like Wordle, but you can track your solve time and compete with friends on the Mini leaderboard.
Game Features and Shortcuts
Across
Wikipedia or WebMD
The answer is SITE
Host city of the 2024 Olympics
The answer is PARIS
Nuclear reactors split them
The answer is ATOMS
Hit 2021 film shot in the same location as "Lawrence of Arabia" and "The Martian"
The answer is DUNE
C.I.A. asset
The answer is SPY
Down
Showed sudden interest
The answer is SATUP
"Ten thousand spoons, when all you need is a knife," according to Alanis Morissette
The answer is IRONY
What's displayed at the top of many iPhone lock screens
The answer is TIME
Pluralizing letter, spelled out
The answer is ESS
Football player's protection
The answer is PADS
Looking for quick crosswords to sharpen your mind? Check out our
NYT Mini Crossword hub for daily grids, hints, and answers.
See Also
Explore more daily puzzles and NYT game solutions.
