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
With 14-Across, what a tennis champ might win a match in
The answer is STRAIGHT
Down
Field trip vehicle
The answer is BUS
"Goodness gracious!"
The answer is BLESSME
Indefinitely many, informally
The answer is UMPTEEN
Avoided, as an issue
The answer is SKIRTED
Peter's antagonist, in a musical tale
The answer is WOLF
"Now, where ___?"
The answer is WASI
Green topping at a pizza parlor
The answer is OREGANO
John who played Churchill on "The Crown"
The answer is LITHGOW
Sneaky trick to "pull"
The answer is FASTONE
"Keep me posted," in texts
The answer is LMK
Opera solo
The answer is ARIA
___Pen (emergency device)
The answer is EPI
With 12-Across, gets in order
The answer is SETS
Doesn't just assume one has permission
The answer is ASKS
See 12-Across
The answer is SETS
"A long time ___ in a galaxy far, far away ..."
The answer is AGO
Shy and gentle
The answer is MEEK
Prefix with apology or answer
The answer is NON
Comes to a close
The answer is ENDS
Have to pay
The answer is OWE
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.
- Tomorrow's NYT Mini Crossword: Clues and answers
- Yesterday's NYT Mini Crossword: Clues and answers
- Today's NYT Strands: Hints and answers
- Today's NYT Connections: Hints and answers
- Today's NYT Wordle: Hints and answers
- Today's NYT Spelling Bee: Hints and answers
- Try another mind-bending puzzle on our Quizzes page