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
Ethically sourced, as some eggs
Residents of Tehran
Air sign?
___ Faire (medieval-themed festival, informally)
Athlete from Cleveland or the University of Virginia
Kind of bathing suit
Musical whizzes
Down
Certain gender identity
Holy object sought in the first "Indiana Jones" movie
___ pride
Completely surrounds
Like a cozy campsite on a cool autumn night, say
Washington's Mount ___, the highest peak in the Cascades
Sinus-treating doctor, for short
Opposite of WNW
_ _ _mon URL ending
De Armas who starred in 2025's "Ballerina"
Shape of flying geese
Prefix with friendly
Restaurant booking, informally
See Also
Explore more daily puzzles and NYT game solutions.