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
Use camouflage
The answer is BLENDIN
Big name in fluorescent paint
The answer is DAYGLO
Transmission setting for a steep hill, maybe
The answer is LOWGEAR
Down
Like this lyric: "My heart is yours to fill or burst / To break or bury or wear as jewelry"
The answer is EMO
Recede, as the tide
The answer is EBB
Country between Ukraine and Romania
The answer is MOLDOVA
Message in Connections when you almost get the category, but not quite
The answer is ONEAWAY
Scrooge's cry before "humbug"
The answer is BAH
Mammals whose name is a synonym of "pesters"
The answer is BADGERS
"Sorry, has the meeting started already?"
The answer is AMILATE
Award recipient
The answer is HONOREE
"___ appetit!"
The answer is BON
"Te ___" ("I love you," in Spanish)
The answer is AMO
The N.F.L.'s Giants, on scoreboards
The answer is NYG
Makeshift seat at a campfire
The answer is LOG
Egg cells
The answer is OVA
GPS suggestion: Abbr.
The answer is RTE
Like many Grindr users
The answer is GAY
Go on dates with
The answer is SEE
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.