Today's NYT Mini Crossword is live, and mixes crisp definitions, music trivia, British vocabulary, and a neat repeated-clue twist. Come ready to switch quickly between literal and figurative readings.
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: 5A is the trickiest because the clue reads like an idiom before its literal culinary sense clicks.
Gimme Clue: 1D is the cleanest gimme, a direct workshop definition with no wordplay to unpack.
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. Instrument with an iconic solo in Phil Collins's "In the Air Tonight"
Hint: For 1A, focus on the percussion instrument behind the famous solo in Phil Collins’s “In the Air Tonight.” Four letters, starts with D.
5A. It's in a pickle
Hint: For 5A, read the pickle literally and identify the salty liquid surrounding it. Five letters, starts with B.
6A. Elevators, in British English
Hint: For 6A, use the everyday British term for machines that carry passengers between floors. Five letters, starts with L.
7A. Certain choir voices
Hint: For 7A, think of choir singers whose range sits between soprano and tenor. Five letters, starts with A.
8A. Sports org. for the Chicago Fire and New York Red Bulls: Abbr.
Hint: For 8A, identify the abbreviated league shared by the Chicago Fire and New York Red Bulls. Three letters, starts with M.
Down Hints
1D. Carpentry tool
Hint: For 1D, picture the powered carpentry tool used to bore holes and drive screws. Five letters, starts with D.
2D. Personal fallouts
Hint: For 2D, seek a plural term for serious breaks in personal relationships. Five letters, starts with R.
3D. "Do ___ others ..." (start of the Golden Rule)
Hint: For 3D, complete the familiar opening of the Golden Rule with its traditional preposition. Four letters, starts with U.
4D. Pickle
Hint: For 4D, read “Pickle” as a difficult or disorderly situation rather than food. Four letters, starts with M.
5D. "Kapow!"
Hint: For 5D, supply a comic-book impact sound in the same punchy family as “Kapow!” Four letters, starts with B.
Full Answers
Spoilers below. Scroll only when you're ready for the solutions.
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Across Answers
1A. Instrument with an iconic solo in Phil Collins's "In the Air Tonight"
Answer: DRUM
5A. It's in a pickle
Answer: BRINE
6A. Elevators, in British English
Answer: LIFTS
7A. Certain choir voices
Answer: ALTOS
8A. Sports org. for the Chicago Fire and New York Red Bulls: Abbr.
Answer: MLS
Down Answers
1D. Carpentry tool
Answer: DRILL
2D. Personal fallouts
Answer: RIFTS
3D. "Do ___ others ..." (start of the Golden Rule)
Answer: UNTO
4D. Pickle
Answer: MESS
5D. "Kapow!"
Answer: BLAM
Grid Breakdown
Here's what made today's puzzle tick:
Standout Clue: 5A, “It’s in a pickle,” yields BRINE and defines today’s puzzle because its literal food reading plays directly against the figurative “Pickle” at 4D, MESS.
Wordplay Winner: 4D is the wordplay winner: “Pickle” becomes MESS, while 5A uses the food sense to produce BRINE. The repeated word flips cleanly from predicament to preserved-food context.
Quick Fill: 8A, MLS, is the fastest confident fill because the named clubs and abbreviation identify the league immediately. Its letters complete BLAM, DRILL, and RIFTS at the bottom crossings.
Speed Solver Tips
Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:
Bank explicit abbreviations early. The club names at 8A make MLS a strong anchor and lock the endings of BLAM, DRILL, and RIFTS.
When a short grid repeats a clue word, test a different sense each time. Here, the literal BRINE and figurative MESS readings turn the pickle clues into mutual confirmation.
Tomorrow's Puzzle
The grid played fair while rewarding flexible reading, especially around BRINE and MESS. DRUM supplied the memorable cultural note, and the compact crossings kept everything tight.
See you at the next grid.
