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
Fashionable
The answer is HIP
Product sold on "The Office"
The answer is PAPER
One writing a performance review
The answer is MANAGER
Gives constant compliments, in slang
The answer is GASESUP
Ski mountain bump
The answer is MOGUL
Uneasy feeling
The answer is ANGST
Down
Personally involved
The answer is HANDSON
Hoppy beer, for short
The answer is IPA
Mythical horse whose name is an anagram of 10-Across
The answer is PEGASUS
Last word in the palindromic sentence "A man, a plan, a canal ..."
The answer is PANAMA
See 8-Across
The answer is RESULT
Ryan of "When Harry Met Sally ..."
The answer is MEG
Genre for Playboi Carti and Cardi B
The answer is RAP
With 5-Down, redundant synonym of "outcome"
The answer is END
Quiet ___ mouse
The answer is ASA
Something in an Easter basket
The answer is EGG
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