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
- Weekdays + Saturdays: Available at 10 p.m. EST the night before.
- Sundays: Drops earlier at 6 p.m. EST on Saturday.
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
- Timer: See how quickly you can complete the puzzle.
- Reveal and Check tools: If you’re stuck, reveal a letter, word, or check your answers.
- Keyboard shortcuts: Use arrow keys, spacebar, tab, and more (on desktop).
- Pen and Pencil Mode: Toggle between confident solves and tentative guesses.
Across
Blasts with unwanted messages
The answer is SPAMS
Orderly assortment
The answer is ARRAY
Its state mammal is the bison, and its state sport is rodeo
The answer is WYOMING
Shanghai-born N.B.A. Hall-of-Famer who stood at 7'6"
The answer is YAOMING
Emotionless, as a gaze
The answer is STONY
Another name for an earthquake
The answer is SEISM
Down
Lead a Catholic ceremony
The answer is SAYMASS
Hype up
The answer is PROMOTE
Place for Popeye's anchor tattoo
The answer is ARM
Ballots cast from home
The answer is MAILINS
Thesaurus listing
The answer is SYNONYM
Alphabetically last of the "five W's"
The answer is WHY
Silly joke
The answer is GAG
"Let me think …"
The answer is HMM
Hawaii's Mauna ___
The answer is LOA
"Excusez-___!"
The answer is MOI
See Also
Explore more daily puzzles and NYT game solutions.

