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
Chromebooks, but not MacBooks
"Yippee!"
Reveal, as juicy gossip
With 2-Down, chef who helped popularize chicken cordon bleu in the U.S.
Toss in
Down
___ New Guinea
See 7-Across
State of matter for most elements at room temperature
Business-focused newspaper, for short
Hello, in Portuguese
See Also
Explore more daily puzzles and NYT game solutions.