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
Makes a choice, with "for"
The answer is OPTS
Like winters in Buffalo and Boulder
The answer is SNOWY
___ Island (N.Y.C. borough)
The answer is STATEN
HBO show that spawned the Idris Elba quote "I want you to put the word out there, that we back up"
The answer is THEWIRE
Genre for Cardi B or Jay-Z
The answer is HIPHOP
Remove from the top of one's profile, as a post
The answer is UNPIN
Consider to be
The answer is DEEM
Down
Done impulsively
The answer is ONAWHIM
Magical concoction
The answer is POTION
Little scamp
The answer is TWERP
"Auld Lang ___"
The answer is SYNE
Vast Eurasian grassland
The answer is STEPPE
Follower of "sun" (for weather) or "moon" (for liquor)
The answer is SHINE
Land with a ___ (fail)
The answer is THUD
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.

