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
Hairstyle made popular by the Beatles
The answer is MOPTOP
Doin' amazingly, in slang
The answer is KILLINIT
Director's words at the end of a take
The answer is ANDSCENE
Camera attachment
The answer is ZOOMLENS
Spice in a Pumpkin Spice Latte
The answer is NUTMEG
Come down to earth
The answer is LAND
Down
Yellow creature in "Despicable Me"
The answer is MINION
Teen who exclusively listens to music from the ’70s, say
The answer is OLDSOUL
Opposite of "thx," in texting
The answer is PLS
Behavioral quirk
The answer is TIC
Tournament favorite
The answer is ONESEED
Longing (for)
The answer is PINING
Eponym of the New York City deli featured in "When Harry Met Sally ..."
The answer is KATZ
Hamilton bills
The answer is TENS
"___ the season!"
The answer is TIS
Serious wrongdoing
The answer is SIN
N.Y.C. commuting org.
The answer is MTA
Letters after "JK"
The answer is LMN
See Also
Explore more daily puzzles and NYT game solutions.

