Today's NYT Mini Crossword is live, and leans on crisp wordplay, familiar trivia, and a couple of compact abbreviations. Settle in for a quick grid with satisfying crossings.
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: 5x5
Total Clues: 10 (5 Across, 5 Down)
Trickiest Clue: 4D is the trickiest clue because its answer is compressed into a less familiar abbreviation.
Gimme Clue: 5D is the clearest gimme, pointing to the unmistakable target on every mini-golf course.
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. Downward ___ (basic yoga pose)
Hint: Picture the familiar yoga pose shaped like an inverted V. Three letters, starts with D.
4A. What "Sing Sing" and "Bling Ring" do
Hint: Listen to the matching sounds at the ends of the two quoted titles. Five letters, starts with R.
6A. Comic Jost
Hint: Think of the first name of Jost, the longtime Weekend Update co-anchor. Five letters, starts with C.
7A. Artfully present, as food at a restaurant
Hint: Look for the culinary verb describing an elegant restaurant presentation. Five letters, starts with P.
8A. Start of a countdown
Hint: Think of the number spoken immediately before nine in the standard sequence. Three letters, starts with T.
Down Hints
1D. "Like a Rolling Stone" singer
Hint: The song points to the surname of its Nobel Prize-winning singer-songwriter. Five letters, starts with D.
2D. Leave out
Hint: Use a verb meaning to exclude something deliberately. Four letters, starts with O.
3D. Something "edited" by CRISPR
Hint: Think of the basic unit of heredity that CRISPR can alter. Four letters, starts with G.
4D. Proof of purchase: Abbr.
Hint: The abbreviation refers to the paper or digital record handed over after a purchase. Four letters, starts with R.
5D. Mini-golf target
Hint: Picture the recessed cup that ends each mini-golf lane. Four letters, starts with H.
Full Answers
Spoilers below. Scroll only when you're ready for the solutions.
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Across Answers
1A. Downward ___ (basic yoga pose)
Answer: DOG
4A. What "Sing Sing" and "Bling Ring" do
Answer: RHYME
6A. Comic Jost
Answer: COLIN
7A. Artfully present, as food at a restaurant
Answer: PLATE
8A. Start of a countdown
Answer: TEN
Down Answers
1D. "Like a Rolling Stone" singer
Answer: DYLAN
2D. Leave out
Answer: OMIT
3D. Something "edited" by CRISPR
Answer: GENE
4D. Proof of purchase: Abbr.
Answer: RCPT
5D. Mini-golf target
Answer: HOLE
Grid Breakdown
Here's what made today's puzzle tick:
Standout Clue: 7A, “Artfully present, as food at a restaurant,” gives PLATE. It works because a familiar noun becomes the precise verb chefs use for arranging a dish before service.
Wordplay Winner: 4A wins the wordplay prize with RHYME. The clue pairs “Sing Sing” and “Bling Ring,” directing attention away from their meanings and toward their matching end sounds.
Quick Fill: DOG is the fastest confident fill, since the yoga phrase is nearly automatic. Its crossings establish the opening letters of DYLAN, OMIT, and GENE, giving the entire right side a strong foothold.
Speed Solver Tips
Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:
Start with short, fixed phrases such as DOG and TEN, then let their crossings unlock the longer center entries. This keeps trivia names from slowing the first pass.
When a clue explicitly signals an abbreviation, as 4D does, wait for crossings before committing to the compressed form RCPT.
Tomorrow's Puzzle
This grid treated solvers fairly, balancing immediate entries with one tight abbreviation and a lively RHYME payoff.
See you at the next grid.
