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
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
A-___ (top-quality)
The answer is ONE
B-___ (decent grade)
The answer is PLUS
C-___ (group of execs)
The answer is SUITE
Fails to be
The answer is ISNT
Nonbinary pronoun
The answer is THEY
Down
The center, guards and tackles on an N.F.L. team, for short
The answer is OLINE
Like the taste of browned butter
The answer is NUTTY
Language suffix
The answer is ESE
Helpful label by a door handle
The answer is PUSH
Get into a lotus pose, perhaps
The answer is SIT
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.
