Today's NYT Mini Crossword is live, and compact wordplay and familiar trivia make this grid feel brisk but lively. Settle in for a clean, satisfying solve.
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: 1D is the trickiest clue because its broad wording can point toward several kinds of measurement before the crossings narrow the field.
Gimme Clue: 6A is the clearest gimme, with an everyday bedside image that points directly to the intended object.
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. Work's opposite
Hint: Think of the leisure activity that contrasts with labor. Four letters, starts with P.
5A. Glass-encased flower in "Beauty and the Beast"
Hint: Recall the enchanted bloom kept beneath glass in the Disney fairy tale. Four letters, starts with R.
6A. Stack on a nightstand
Hint: Picture the reading material piled beside a bed. Five letters, starts with B.
7A. Tree or cobra, in yoga class
Hint: Tree and cobra belong to the same category of held yoga position. Four letters, starts with P.
8A. Not that many
Hint: Look for a compact phrase meaning a limited amount. Four letters, starts with A.
Down Hints
1D. Measure of alcoholic content
Hint: This is the scale commonly used to express the strength of distilled spirits. Five letters, starts with P.
2D. Feeling relaxed
Hint: Think of an informal adjective for calm, easygoing, and unrestrained. Five letters, starts with L.
3D. Slightly crooked
Hint: Picture a frame hanging just a little off-center. Five letters, starts with A.
4D. Rarely true response to "Have you read our terms and conditions?"
Hint: The joke asks for the response almost nobody can honestly give after skipping the fine print. Three letters, starts with Y.
6D. ___-free (label on water bottles)
Hint: Think of the chemical abbreviation that bottle labels often advertise as absent. Three letters, starts with B.
Full Answers
Spoilers below. Scroll only when you're ready for the solutions.
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Across Answers
1A. Work's opposite
Answer: PLAY
5A. Glass-encased flower in "Beauty and the Beast"
Answer: ROSE
6A. Stack on a nightstand
Answer: BOOKS
7A. Tree or cobra, in yoga class
Answer: POSE
8A. Not that many
Answer: AFEW
Down Answers
1D. Measure of alcoholic content
Answer: PROOF
2D. Feeling relaxed
Answer: LOOSE
3D. Slightly crooked
Answer: ASKEW
4D. Rarely true response to "Have you read our terms and conditions?"
Answer: YES
6D. ___-free (label on water bottles)
Answer: BPA
Grid Breakdown
Here's what made today's puzzle tick:
Standout Clue: 4D, “Rarely true response to ‘Have you read our terms and conditions?’,” lands perfectly on YES. It turns a familiar bit of digital dishonesty into a crisp punch line.
Wordplay Winner: 7A wins the wordplay prize with POSE. “Tree or cobra” initially suggests living things, but “in yoga class” recasts both as positions.
Quick Fill: BOOKS is the fastest confident fill because the nightstand image is immediate. It anchors every Down entry it crosses, including BPA, PROOF, LOOSE, ASKEW, and YES.
Speed Solver Tips
Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:
Fill concrete images before abstract definitions. BOOKS and ROSE provide stronger initial footing than the broader clues for PROOF and LOOSE.
When a clue offers two vivid nouns, check whether the final phrase changes their category. That move turns tree and cobra into POSE without chasing botanical or zoological answers.
Tomorrow's Puzzle
This grid treated solvers fairly, mixing direct fills with just enough reframing to create a spark. YES supplies the sharpest laugh at the finish.
See you at the next grid.
