Today's NYT Mini Crossword is live, and mixes crisp trivia with playful definition shifts. Settle in for a clean grid with enough bite to reward careful reading.
How The Mini Works
The Mini is a compact version of the classic NYT Crossword, typically featuring a 5x5 grid with five Across and five Down clues. Saturdays expand to a larger grid with more clues. Solve the intersecting words, and when the grid is complete, you'll hear a satisfying chime. No streak tracking here, but the built-in timer lets you compete against yourself or challenge friends.
New puzzles drop at 10 p.m. EST on weekdays and Saturdays. Sunday's Mini arrives earlier at 6 p.m. EST on Saturday.
Quick Scan
In a rush? Here's the at-a-glance breakdown for today's puzzle:
Grid Size: 7x7
Total Clues: 16 (7 Across, 9 Down)
Trickiest Clue: 4D is the trickiest clue because its functional wording asks you to rename a body part by the job it performs.
Gimme Clue: 14A is the clearest gimme, since colored belts point directly to a familiar martial art.
Theme Spotted: None today, straight trivia and wordplay.
Clue Decoder (Hints Only)
Need a nudge without the full answer? Here's a hint for each clue.
Across Hints
1A. Its state quarter features a grizzly bear catching a salmon
Hint: Look for the U.S. state whose coin design pairs a grizzly bear with a salmon. Six letters, starts with A.
7A. Run-of-the-mill
Hint: Think of an adjective for something ordinary or unremarkable. Six letters, starts with C.
8A. Needing a friend
Hint: Describe someone who feels in need of companionship. Six letters, starts with L.
9A. Grazing animal in the Rockies
Hint: Picture a large antlered grazer roaming Rocky Mountain country. Three letters, starts with E.
10A. Freestanding counter at the center of a kitchen
Hint: Think of the freestanding work surface placed in the middle of a kitchen. Six letters, starts with I.
13A. Eating plan participant
Hint: The clue wants the person following the eating plan, not the plan itself. Six letters, starts with D.
14A. Class with colored belts
Hint: Name the Japanese martial art associated with a hierarchy of colored belts. Six letters, starts with K.
Down Hints
1D. Knee injury site, for short
Hint: The abbreviation names a ligament in the knee that is often discussed after a sports injury. Three letters, starts with A.
2D. Brit's bathroom
Hint: Use the British informal term for the bathroom. Three letters, starts with L.
3D. Memory loss issue
Hint: Think of the condition marked by loss of memory. Seven letters, starts with A.
4D. Nose, by function
Hint: Recast the body part as an agent noun based on what it does. Seven letters, starts with S.
5D. Major Indian city that's the capital of West Bengal
Hint: Identify West Bengal's capital, a major city in eastern India. Seven letters, starts with K.
6D. "___ given Sunday!" (football fan's maxim)
Hint: Complete the football saying with the word that leaves open every possible Sunday outcome. Three letters, starts with A.
10D. Texting equivalent of a shrug
Hint: Use the terse chat abbreviation that signals uncertainty or lack of an answer. Three letters, starts with I.
11D. After taxes
Hint: Think of the amount remaining after taxes have been deducted. Three letters, starts with N.
12D. "Dr." who co-founded Death Row Records
Hint: Supply the stage name of the doctor-titled producer who helped found Death Row Records. Three letters, starts with D.
Full Answers
Spoilers below. Scroll only when you're ready for the solutions.
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Across Answers
1A. Its state quarter features a grizzly bear catching a salmon
Answer: ALASKA
7A. Run-of-the-mill
Answer: COMMON
8A. Needing a friend
Answer: LONELY
9A. Grazing animal in the Rockies
Answer: ELK
10A. Freestanding counter at the center of a kitchen
Answer: ISLAND
13A. Eating plan participant
Answer: DIETER
14A. Class with colored belts
Answer: KARATE
Down Answers
1D. Knee injury site, for short
Answer: ACL
2D. Brit's bathroom
Answer: LOO
3D. Memory loss issue
Answer: AMNESIA
4D. Nose, by function
Answer: SMELLER
5D. Major Indian city that's the capital of West Bengal
Answer: KOLKATA
6D. "___ given Sunday!" (football fan's maxim)
Answer: ANY
10D. Texting equivalent of a shrug
Answer: IDK
11D. After taxes
Answer: NET
12D. "Dr." who co-founded Death Row Records
Answer: DRE
Grid Breakdown
Here's what made today's puzzle tick:
Standout Clue: The defining pair is 4D, “Nose, by function,” with SMELLER. It works because the clue treats the nose as a tool defined by its job, producing an unexpected but precise agent noun.
Wordplay Winner: 10D wins the wordplay prize with IDK. “Texting equivalent of a shrug” translates a physical gesture into the chat abbreviation that conveys the same uncertainty.
Quick Fill: KARATE was the fastest confident fill because the colored-belt clue is direct. It anchors the bottom row and fixes crossings for IDK, AMNESIA, SMELLER, KOLKATA, NET, and DRE.
Speed Solver Tips
Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:
Enter direct category clues such as KARATE and concrete trivia such as ALASKA first, then use their crossings to settle proper nouns like KOLKATA.
When a clue says “by function,” try turning the object into the noun for whatever performs that action. That shift unlocks SMELLER without overthinking the anatomy.
Tomorrow's Puzzle
The grid played fair, balancing direct anchors like KARATE and ALASKA with the sly functional twist of SMELLER. That final bit of wordplay gave the solve its character.
See you at the next grid.
