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
Barker who hosted "The Price Is Right"
The answer is BOB
(Base x height) / 2, for a triangle
The answer is AREA
Bouncy toys in a playroom
The answer is BALLS
Budget for
The answer is ALLOT
Busy buzzers ... and letters found at the start of every clue in this puzzle
The answer is BEES
Down
Baked dessert soaked in rum
The answer is BABA
Big name in dental products
The answer is ORALB
"Beauty and the Beast" protagonist
The answer is BELLE
Balm ingredient with soothing properties
The answer is ALOE
Bourbon and Beale: Abbr.
The answer is STS
See Also
Explore more daily puzzles and NYT game solutions.