Today's NYT Mini Crossword is live, and leans into crisp phrase completion, brand trivia, and a neat double definition. Settle in for a compact grid with rewarding 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: 7A is the trickiest clue because its building reference and social-media reference point to the same everyday term.
Gimme Clue: 6A is the clearest gimme, since the blank completes a familiar expression of wonder.
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. [Guests must provide drinks]
Hint: Think of the invitation abbreviation telling attendees to supply their own drinks. Four letters, starts with B.
5A. "A hearty congratulations!"
Hint: Picture the enthusiastic cry delivered after an excellent performance. Five letters, starts with B.
6A. ___ and aahed
Hint: Complete the familiar expression describing sounds of admiration and wonder. Five letters, starts with O.
7A. Part of a skyscraper or Snapchat feed
Hint: Find one term that can mean a building level or an item posted on Snapchat. Five letters, starts with S.
8A. Goal-scoring attempt
Hint: In sports, this is an attempt directed at the goal. Four letters, starts with S.
Down Hints
1D. Soup base
Hint: Think of the savory liquid that forms the foundation of a soup. Five letters, starts with B.
2D. Internet giant with a purple logo
Hint: Recall the internet company long associated with purple branding. Five letters, starts with Y.
3D. In-your-face
Hint: Choose an adjective for something blatant, undisguised, and directly apparent. Five letters, starts with O.
4D. Word before "language" or "lotion"
Hint: Find the shared word that can precede both a form of nonverbal communication and a skin-care product. Four letters, starts with B.
5D. Person to whom you might say "I'll have it on your desk tomorrow"
Hint: Think of the workplace authority expecting that promised item on the desk tomorrow. 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. [Guests must provide drinks]
Answer: BYOB
5A. "A hearty congratulations!"
Answer: BRAVO
6A. ___ and aahed
Answer: OOHED
7A. Part of a skyscraper or Snapchat feed
Answer: STORY
8A. Goal-scoring attempt
Answer: SHOT
Down Answers
1D. Soup base
Answer: BROTH
2D. Internet giant with a purple logo
Answer: YAHOO
3D. In-your-face
Answer: OVERT
4D. Word before "language" or "lotion"
Answer: BODY
5D. Person to whom you might say "I'll have it on your desk tomorrow"
Answer: BOSS
Grid Breakdown
Here's what made today's puzzle tick:
Standout Clue: 7A, “Part of a skyscraper or Snapchat feed,” is STORY. It works because a story can be a building level or a temporary social-media post, giving one compact clue two clean readings.
Wordplay Winner: 1A wins the wordplay prize with BYOB. The bracketed instruction “Guests must provide drinks” compresses naturally into the familiar invitation abbreviation.
Quick Fill: 6A OOHED is the fastest confident fill because “___ and aahed” supplies a fixed phrase. Its letters confirm BOSS, BROTH, YAHOO, OVERT, and BODY across the full row of Down crossings.
Speed Solver Tips
Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:
Fill fixed expressions first. OOHED drops in from “___ and aahed,” and BRAVO follows quickly once the congratulatory exclamation is read as something spoken aloud.
When a clue offers two unrelated contexts, search for a compact double definition. That approach unlocks STORY from the skyscraper and Snapchat references, then strengthens every crossing on its row.
Tomorrow's Puzzle
The grid treated solvers fairly, pairing direct entries with one especially satisfying double definition. STORY provided the cleanest spark in a compact, well-crossed finish.
See you at the next grid.
