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
Account used to log into Threads, familiarly
The answer is INSTA
Upscale gym freebie
The answer is TOWEL
Bad thing to feel toward the end of a marathon
The answer is CRAMP
Vowelless grunt
The answer is HMMPH
Vegetable in fried rice
The answer is PEA
Down
Reason to scratch one's head, perhaps
The answer is ITCH
Standard
The answer is NORM
Shrek's home
The answer is SWAMP
Arizona city between Phoenix and Mesa
The answer is TEMPE
Gen ___ (kids born in the 2010s)
The answer is ALPHA
See Also
Explore more daily puzzles and NYT game solutions.