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
Vague assortment of things
The answer is STUFF
Prison-related
The answer is PENAL
Country that's home to the majority of the world's wild tigers
The answer is INDIA
Basketball offenses
The answer is FOULS
Recently picked from the garden, say
The answer is FRESH
Down
Improve in appearance, with "up"
The answer is SPIFF
Second-lowest voice in many choirs
The answer is TENOR
Excessive
The answer is UNDUE
Gets an F
The answer is FAILS
Necessity for photographing in the dark
The answer is FLASH
See Also
Explore more daily puzzles and NYT game solutions.