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
Place with Bunsen burners and beakers, in brief
The answer is CHEMLAB
Product that can be sampled with a spray on the wrist
The answer is COLOGNE
Visibly muscular
The answer is TONED
Groceries carrier
The answer is TOTEBAG
Self-indulgent "journey"
The answer is EGOTRIP
Down
TikTok or Tinder
The answer is APP
Sports org. that now includes schools from Texas and California, strangely enough
The answer is ACC
Hobbyists with cameras, informally
The answer is PHOTOGS
Big name in exercise bikes
The answer is PELOTON
Lawyers' org.
The answer is ABA
"Solve for x" subject
The answer is ALGEBRA
Temporary fix, so to speak
The answer is BANDAID
Pres. Lincoln
The answer is ABE
"Show me the ___" (punny request at an art museum)
The answer is MONET
President pro ___
The answer is TEM
Road trip assistance, for short
The answer is GPS
AOL alternative
The answer is MSN
Things that phone users might accidentally tap on webpages
The answer is ADS
See Also
Explore more daily puzzles and NYT game solutions.