Today's NYT Mini Crossword is live, and stage comedy and a memorable sketch performance add personality to a grid of everyday vocabulary. Come on in and use the familiar clues to unlock the trivia.
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: 6x5
Total Clues: 11 (5 Across, 6 Down)
Trickiest Clue: 7A is the toughest trivia test because recognizing the theatrical premise still leaves you needing the play's exact title.
Gimme Clue: 6D is the cleanest gimme, a familiar sports instruction with a natural completion.
Theme Spotted: Straight trivia and wordplay, with no shared gimmick.
Clue Decoder (Hints Only)
Need a nudge without the full answer? Here's a hint for each clue.
Across Hints
1A. One of 21 around the island of Manhattan – most famously, the Brooklyn one
Hint: 1A points to a structure that carries traffic across the water. Six letters, starts with B.
7A. Tony-winning play that reimagines Abraham Lincoln's wife as an aspiring cabaret star
Hint: 7A asks for the theatrical title that turns the first lady's cabaret ambitions into comedy. Six letters, starts with O.
8A. Hot dog, informally
Hint: 8A wants a playful nickname for the sausage tucked into the bun. Six letters, starts with W.
9A. Put into law
Hint: 9A asks what lawmakers do when they turn a proposal into binding legislation. Five letters, starts with E.
10A. Not a single one
Hint: 10A calls for a word expressing complete absence. Four letters, starts with N.
Down Hints
1D. Yang who once played the iceberg that sank the Titanic on "S.N.L."
Hint: 1D identifies the comedian Yang through an absurd performance as a maritime hazard. Five letters, starts with B.
2D. Big zoo animal
Hint: 2D points to a thick-skinned mammal with a horn on its snout. Five letters, starts with R.
3D. "Sorry, let me rephrase ..."
Hint: 3D wants the conversational phrase that introduces a clarification of what you just said. Five letters, starts with I.
4D. Class where you might wear a leotard
Hint: 4D suggests a class built around choreography and movement to music. Five letters, starts with D.
5D. Courage and perseverance
Hint: 5D asks for the toughness that keeps you going through difficulty. Four letters, starts with G.
6D. "Keep your ___ on the ball!"
Hint: 6D completes a coaching instruction about watching the ball closely. Three letters, starts with E.
Full Answers
Spoilers below. Scroll only when you're ready for the solutions.
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Across Answers
1A. One of 21 around the island of Manhattan – most famously, the Brooklyn one
Answer: BRIDGE
7A. Tony-winning play that reimagines Abraham Lincoln's wife as an aspiring cabaret star
Answer: OHMARY
8A. Hot dog, informally
Answer: WIENIE
9A. Put into law
Answer: ENACT
10A. Not a single one
Answer: NONE
Down Answers
1D. Yang who once played the iceberg that sank the Titanic on "S.N.L."
Answer: BOWEN
2D. Big zoo animal
Answer: RHINO
3D. "Sorry, let me rephrase ..."
Answer: IMEAN
4D. Class where you might wear a leotard
Answer: DANCE
5D. Courage and perseverance
Answer: GRIT
6D. "Keep your ___ on the ball!"
Answer: EYE
Grid Breakdown
Here's what made today's puzzle tick:
Standout Clue: 1D's iceberg-performance clue leads to BOWEN. The oddly specific role makes this memorable: it identifies the comedian through an absurd character rather than a routine career credit.
Wordplay Winner: 3D earns the wordplay nod with IMEAN, read as “I mean.” Its mechanism is conversational substitution: the answer introduces a clarification just as the clue's request to rephrase does.
Quick Fill: EYE at 6D is the fastest confident fill because the sports expression supplies it directly. It anchors the right edge, crossing the final letters of BRIDGE, OHMARY, and WIENIE.
Speed Solver Tips
Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:
Use direct definitions such as ENACT and GRIT to establish crossings before tackling the theater title. When a proper name stalls you, switch direction and let the surrounding vocabulary supply letters.
For a conversational clue like 3D, say the intended response aloud. Hearing “I mean” as a natural reply helps you recognize the phrase inside IMEAN.
Tomorrow's Puzzle
The everyday vocabulary gives this grid a welcoming foothold, while OHMARY and BOWEN supply its theatrical personality. The iceberg clue is the detail that lingers after the final square.
See you at the next grid.