Today's NYT Mini Crossword is live, and mixes clean trivia with compact wordplay and a couple of satisfying clue turns. Settle in for a friendly grid with just enough resistance to keep it lively.
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 it asks for the original numerical sense behind a familiar word rather than its modern meaning.
Gimme Clue: 7A is the clearest gimme, since the familiar storefront prompt leaves little room for ambiguity.
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. Rolling series of comments on a Twitch stream
Hint: Think of the continuously updating message stream beside a live online broadcast. Four letters, starts with C.
5A. It wasn't built in a day
Hint: Complete the famous proverb about patience by identifying the European capital at its center. Four letters, starts with R.
6A. Flavor of yellow Skittles
Hint: Picture the bright yellow candy in a standard fruit-flavored assortment. Five letters, starts with L.
7A. Store window sign
Hint: Look for the welcoming status displayed when a shop is ready for customers. Four letters, starts with O.
8A. Floating mountain of ice
Hint: Picture a towering mass of frozen freshwater drifting at sea. Four letters, starts with B.
Down Hints
1D. Parisian pancake
Hint: Think of the very thin French pancake served with sweet or savory fillings. Five letters, starts with C.
2D. Creator of the "Odyssey"
Hint: Name the ancient Greek poet traditionally credited with the epic of Odysseus's journey home. Five letters, starts with H.
3D. "Relax, you're ___ friends"
Hint: Supply the preposition that says you are surrounded by companions. Five letters, starts with A.
4D. The word "decimate" initially meant to reduce something by a factor of this
Hint: Trace the word back to the Roman punishment imposed on one member out of every fixed-size group. Three letters, starts with T.
6D. Defensive tennis shot
Hint: Think of a high, arcing tennis return used to send the ball over an opponent near the net. Three letters, starts with L.
Full Answers
Spoilers below. Scroll only when you're ready for the solutions.
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Across Answers
1A. Rolling series of comments on a Twitch stream
Answer: CHAT
5A. It wasn't built in a day
Answer: ROME
6A. Flavor of yellow Skittles
Answer: LEMON
7A. Store window sign
Answer: OPEN
8A. Floating mountain of ice
Answer: BERG
Down Answers
1D. Parisian pancake
Answer: CREPE
2D. Creator of the "Odyssey"
Answer: HOMER
3D. "Relax, you're ___ friends"
Answer: AMONG
4D. The word "decimate" initially meant to reduce something by a factor of this
Answer: TEN
6D. Defensive tennis shot
Answer: LOB
Grid Breakdown
Here's what made today's puzzle tick:
Standout Clue: 1A, “Rolling series of comments on a Twitch stream,” delivers CHAT, the entry that best captures the grid's current, conversational flavor. The clue turns an ordinary word into a precise label for the rapid message feed beside a livestream.
Wordplay Winner: 5A wins the wordplay prize with ROME. “It wasn't built in a day” converts a familiar proverb into a crisp identification clue.
Quick Fill: LEMON at 6A is the fastest confident fill because the yellow Skittles association is immediate. It anchors LOB, CREPE, HOMER, AMONG, and TEN through five crossings.
Speed Solver Tips
Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:
Start with concrete visual clues such as LEMON and OPEN, then use their crossings to settle entries that require cultural or linguistic recall.
When a clue quotes a stock phrase, hear the whole sentence before typing. That approach makes AMONG far quicker than testing prepositions one by one.
Tomorrow's Puzzle
This grid treated solvers fairly, pairing direct fills with a few rewarding bits of recall. CHAT gave the puzzle its sharpest contemporary touch.
See you at the next grid.
