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
"___, queen!"
Waiter's handout
Tiny invertebrate that, when grouped in the thousands, makes up a coral
Scoop of sour cream
Spicy wing, as seen on a popular YouTube talk show
Comparative suggested by this visual puzzle: PQRSTUV
Down
Like SpongeBob and Spirit airplanes
"Bueller ...? Bueller ...?"
Meal suggested by this visual puzzle: PQRSTUV
"___ bene" (Italian for "very good")
Amenity in a Florida backyard, perhaps
Agcy. at the center of a 2026 government shutdown
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.