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
On the chill side … or a homophone of 1-Down
Big brand of tater tots
Numbers puzzle with a repetitive name
“Oof, not my best showing!”
Down
Thor’s mischievous brother … or a homophone of 1-Across
Materials mined in Minecraft
Played one’s turn
“Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” singer ___ Dee
Biblical garden
Sharply tug
See Also
Explore more daily puzzles and NYT game solutions.
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