Today's NYT Mini Crossword is live, and mixes crisp trivia with a sly bit of word construction. Settle in for a compact 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 portmanteau framing asks you to extract only the missing half of a blended term.
Gimme Clue: 5A is the clearest gimme, since Amazon's voice assistant has an unmistakable invocation.
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. The Stars and Stripes, e.g.
Hint: Think of the national emblem represented by the Stars and Stripes. Four letters, starts with F.
5A. Wake word for an Amazon device
Hint: Say the invocation used to summon Amazon's voice assistant. Five letters, starts with A.
6A. +1 score in golf
Hint: Use the golf term for completing a hole one stroke over par. Five letters, starts with B.
7A. Prepare water for pasta
Hint: Picture the cooking step that gets pasta water bubbling vigorously. Four letters, starts with B.
8A. Some wall decorations
Hint: Think of framed creative works displayed as wall decorations. Three letters, starts with A.
Down Hints
1D. Elevator selection
Hint: Choose the building level requested with an elevator button. Five letters, starts with F.
2D. Not phony, informally
Hint: Reach for an informal adjective meaning genuine or authentic. Five letters, starts with L.
3D. Figure skating jump
Hint: Name the skating jump distinguished by its forward takeoff. Four letters, starts with A.
4D. Half of a portmanteau combined with "-borhood"
Hint: The missing half names the community associated with the neighborhood described by the completed blend. Three letters, starts with G.
5D. "Dancing Queen" band
Hint: Recall the Swedish group behind "Dancing Queen." Four letters, starts with A.
Full Answers
Spoilers below. Scroll only when you're ready for the solutions.
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Across Answers
1A. The Stars and Stripes, e.g.
Answer: FLAG
5A. Wake word for an Amazon device
Answer: ALEXA
6A. +1 score in golf
Answer: BOGEY
7A. Prepare water for pasta
Answer: BOIL
8A. Some wall decorations
Answer: ART
Down Answers
1D. Elevator selection
Answer: FLOOR
2D. Not phony, informally
Answer: LEGIT
3D. Figure skating jump
Answer: AXEL
4D. Half of a portmanteau combined with "-borhood"
Answer: GAY
5D. "Dancing Queen" band
Answer: ABBA
Grid Breakdown
Here's what made today's puzzle tick:
Standout Clue: 4D, "Half of a portmanteau combined with '-borhood'," lands on GAY. It works because GAY joins with the supplied ending to form "gayborhood," so the clue asks for only the omitted half.
Wordplay Winner: GAY wins the wordplay prize because the clue presents the second half of a portmanteau and makes the solver reconstruct its first half.
Quick Fill: ALEXA is the fastest confident fill because the Amazon wake-word clue is direct, and it supplies crossings for ABBA, FLOOR, LEGIT, AXEL, and GAY.
Speed Solver Tips
Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:
Enter unmistakable proper nouns such as ALEXA and ABBA first, then use their crossings to settle vocabulary with broader clueing.
When a clue supplies part of a blend, as 4D does, rebuild the complete portmanteau before entering the requested component.
Tomorrow's Puzzle
The grid treated solvers fairly, offering direct anchors before springing the neat GAY portmanteau clue.
See you at the next grid.
