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
Havana's home
The answer is CUBA
Last word in many bowling alley names
The answer is LANES
Lots and lots
The answer is SOMUCH
Left-leaning social media site
The answer is BLUESKY
Hepburn of "Breakfast at Tiffany's"
The answer is AUDREY
Word after "break" or "banana"
The answer is BREAD
Car loan figs.
The answer is APRS
Down
They always shoot their shot
The answer is CAMERAS
Brand-new
The answer is UNUSED
Woman with "the good hair," in a famous Beyoncé lyric
The answer is BECKY
In need of moisturizer
The answer is ASHY
"We can't hear you back here!"
The answer is LOUDER
Drink noisily
The answer is SLURP
___ ghanouj
The answer is BABA
See Also
Explore more daily puzzles and NYT game solutions.