Today's NYT Mini Crossword is live, and a compact mix of cultural trivia, familiar phrases, and crisp action clues keeps the grid lively without a formal gimmick. 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: 5x6
Total Clues: 10 (5 Across, 5 Down)
Trickiest Clue: 7A is the trickiest clue because it asks you to judge the story behind a song lyric instead of simply recalling the lyric itself.
Gimme Clue: 5D is the clearest gimme, since the central divider on a ping-pong table has one immediate name.
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. ___-Dixon line
Hint: 1A completes the name of the historic boundary associated with Dixon and the division between Maryland and Pennsylvania. Five letters, starts with M.
6A. More than enough
Hint: 6A wants an adjective meaning comfortably sufficient, with room to spare. Five letters, starts with A.
7A. Obvious verdict in Shaggy's "It Wasn't Me"
Hint: 7A asks for the verdict suggested by the narrator's repeated denial in Shaggy's song. Five letters, starts with G.
8A. Hit the slopes
Hint: 8A means to descend a snowy slope using paired narrow runners. Three letters, starts with S.
9A. Something to "keep on the prize"
Hint: 9A draws on the familiar expression about maintaining focus on a reward. Three letters, starts with E.
Down Hints
1D. People or Rolling Stone, for short
Hint: 1D treats People and Rolling Stone as the same kind of periodical, then requests a clipped form. Three letters, starts with M.
2D. Make laugh
Hint: 2D wants a verb for causing someone to laugh or find something entertaining. Five letters, starts with A.
3D. Like the skin of a durian fruit
Hint: 3D describes a surface covered with sharp, projecting points, just like a durian's rind. Five letters, starts with S.
4D. Skate park jump
Hint: 4D names the skateboard jump in which the rider and board rise together without a hand grab. Five letters, starts with O.
5D. Part of a ping-pong table
Hint: 5D is the taut divider stretched across the middle of the playing surface. Three letters, starts with N.
Full Answers
Spoilers below. Scroll only when you're ready for the solutions.
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Across Answers
1A. ___-Dixon line
Answer: MASON
6A. More than enough
Answer: AMPLE
7A. Obvious verdict in Shaggy's "It Wasn't Me"
Answer: GUILT
8A. Hit the slopes
Answer: SKI
9A. Something to "keep on the prize"
Answer: EYE
Down Answers
1D. People or Rolling Stone, for short
Answer: MAG
2D. Make laugh
Answer: AMUSE
3D. Like the skin of a durian fruit
Answer: SPIKY
4D. Skate park jump
Answer: OLLIE
5D. Part of a ping-pong table
Answer: NET
Grid Breakdown
Here's what made today's puzzle tick:
Standout Clue: 7A, “Obvious verdict in Shaggy's ‘It Wasn't Me,’” with GUILT, defines the grid's playful tone. The clue turns the song's emphatic denial into a judgment about what the narrator plainly appears to be hiding.
Wordplay Winner: 9A wins the wordplay prize with EYE. The clue removes that word from the familiar instruction to “keep your eye on the prize,” leaving the solver to restore the missing body part.
Quick Fill: NET at 5D is the fastest confident fill, and its crossings lock the final letters of MASON, AMPLE, and GUILT in sequence.
Speed Solver Tips
Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:
Start with concrete objects and actions such as NET and SKI, then use their crossings to settle broader definitions such as AMPLE.
When a clue quotes a familiar phrase, identify the missing grammatical role before chasing synonyms. That approach makes EYE much quicker to recognize at 9A.
Tomorrow's Puzzle
The grid rewarded direct recall while saving its sharpest smile for GUILT. Its blend of clean definitions and compact cultural references made every crossing useful.
See you at the next grid.
