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 5×5 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
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
Across
Like the name Phil Quickley, for a speedy crossword solver?
What connects these names: Al Green, Betty White, Rose Byrne
Star ___ (plant with a pointy pod)
What connects these names: Tennessee Williams, Georgia O’Keeffe, Denzel Washington
Teslas and Rivians, for short
Down
Assumed name
Washington paper
What connects these names: Chris Pine, Zach Cherry, Willow Smith
Detective’s assignment
Currently broadcasted
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.
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