Today's NYT Mini Crossword is live, and playful fill-in-the-blank clues give the grid its personality, while geography and everyday objects add variety. Start wherever a clue clicks and let the crossings help.
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: 6A is the trickiest because the candy reference invites thoughts of flavor, while the clue asks for geometric vocabulary.
Gimme Clue: 1A is the clearest gimme, with its parenthetical pointing directly to a familiar flying mammal.
Theme Spotted: There is a theme linking 1A, 4A, and 7A through the shared mood of their clue openings.
Clue Decoder (Hints Only)
Need a nudge without the full answer? Here's a hint for each clue.
Across Hints
1A. Vampire ___ (flying mammal)
Hint: 1A points to a nocturnal mammal associated with blood-drinking. Three letters, starts with B.
4A. Ghost ___ (abandoned place)
Hint: 4A describes a deserted settlement whose buildings remain after its residents leave. Four letters, starts with T.
5A. Land on the northern edge of Mount Everest
Hint: 5A asks for the Himalayan region on Everest's Chinese side. Five letters, starts with T.
6A. Shapes of Whopper candies
Hint: 6A wants a noun for spherical objects, rather than anything about the candy's ingredients. Four letters, starts with O.
7A. Skeleton ___ (super's item)
Hint: 7A uses super in the building-management sense. Think of an implement that opens locks. Three letters, starts with K.
Down Hints
1D. Celebrity chef Flay
Hint: 1D points to the Food Network chef associated with grilling and televised cooking competitions. Five letters, starts with B.
2D. Amazes
Hint: 2D calls for a verb meaning inspires wonder or astonishment. Four letters, starts with A.
3D. Explosive material
Hint: 3D wants the abbreviated name of a substance associated with demolition charges. Three letters, starts with T.
4D. Something attached to a rope for a tree swing
Hint: 4D asks for a rubber vehicle component repurposed as a hanging seat. Four letters, starts with T.
5D. Tik___
Hint: 5D completes the name of the short-video app. Three letters, starts with T.
Full Answers
Spoilers below. Scroll only when you're ready for the solutions.
---
---
---
---
---
Across Answers
1A. Vampire ___ (flying mammal)
Answer: BAT
4A. Ghost ___ (abandoned place)
Answer: TOWN
5A. Land on the northern edge of Mount Everest
Answer: TIBET
6A. Shapes of Whopper candies
Answer: ORBS
7A. Skeleton ___ (super's item)
Answer: KEY
Down Answers
1D. Celebrity chef Flay
Answer: BOBBY
2D. Amazes
Answer: AWES
3D. Explosive material
Answer: TNT
4D. Something attached to a rope for a tree swing
Answer: TIRE
5D. Tik___
Answer: TOK
Grid Breakdown
Here's what made today's puzzle tick:
Standout Clue: 4A, "Ghost ___ (abandoned place)", gives TOWN a neat double life. The opening supplies an eerie image, while the completed phrase describes a deserted settlement.
Wordplay Winner: 7A, "Skeleton ___ (super's item)", wins with KEY. Skeleton suggests something macabre until the parenthetical steers you toward a superintendent and a lock-opening implement.
Quick Fill: BAT at 1A is the fastest confident fill because the flying-mammal qualifier makes the target clear. It supplies the opening letters of BOBBY, AWES, and TNT, giving the upper grid a firm anchor.
Speed Solver Tips
Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:
Read parentheticals as direct solving help. The qualifiers at 1A, 4A, and 7A narrow the intended meanings and make useful starting points before the geography clue.
Match the requested part of speech before chasing associations. At 6A, Shapes calls for a plural noun, which helps steer the candy reference toward ORBS.
Tomorrow's Puzzle
The grid offers friendly footholds while asking you to stay precise about meaning. KEY delivers the nicest payoff, turning an eerie opening into an everyday object.
See you at the next grid.