Today's NYT Mini Crossword is live, and wordplay gives everyday language a playful twist, with a little trivia mixed in. Come on in and enjoy the grid.
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: 9A is the trickiest clue because its arithmetic-looking setup calls for a language trick.
Gimme Clue: 3D is the gimme, offering a direct definition without a change of meaning to untangle.
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. Say "C-H-E-E-S-E"?
Hint: 1A: Focus on saying each letter aloud, rather than posing for a camera. Five letters, starts with S.
6A. Number of stripes on many world flags
Hint: 6A: Picture the horizontal bands on the flags of Germany or the Netherlands. Five letters, starts with T.
7A. Places visited on a Clue board
Hint: 7A: Think of the mansion's destinations, such as the kitchen and library. Five letters, starts with R.
8A. "Go back" command
Hint: 8A: Look for the editing command that reverses your latest action. Four letters, starts with U.
9A. Follower of six or seven, but not five
Hint: 9A: Think about a suffix attached to the clue's number words, rather than what comes next in a sequence. Four letters, starts with T.
Down Hints
1D. Walk with swagger
Hint: 1D: Picture a proud walk with plenty of chest-out confidence. Five letters, starts with S.
2D. What gets texts (and also scrolls?)
Hint: 2D: Think of a handheld device for messages and swiping through a feed. Five letters, starts with P.
3D. Wear away slowly
Hint: 3D: Think of what wind and water do to an exposed coastline. Five letters, starts with E.
4D. Kind of juice in a French 75 cocktail
Hint: 4D: Look for the tart citrus that supplies the cocktail's acidic kick. Five letters, starts with L.
5D. "___ Misérables"
Hint: 5D: Supply the French plural definite article at the front of the title. 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. Say "C-H-E-E-S-E"?
Answer: SPELL
6A. Number of stripes on many world flags
Answer: THREE
7A. Places visited on a Clue board
Answer: ROOMS
8A. "Go back" command
Answer: UNDO
9A. Follower of six or seven, but not five
Answer: TEEN
Down Answers
1D. Walk with swagger
Answer: STRUT
2D. What gets texts (and also scrolls?)
Answer: PHONE
3D. Wear away slowly
Answer: ERODE
4D. Kind of juice in a French 75 cocktail
Answer: LEMON
5D. "___ Misérables"
Answer: LES
Grid Breakdown
Here's what made today's puzzle tick:
Standout Clue: 2D, "What gets texts (and also scrolls?)", yields PHONE. The pairing works because texts are messages, while scrolls become movement through content on the screen.
Wordplay Winner: 1A, "Say 'C-H-E-E-S-E'?", earns SPELL by turning a familiar camera prompt into an instruction to recite letters. The hyphens make the literal reading visible from the start.
Quick Fill: ERODE at 3D is the fastest confident fill, thanks to its direct definition. It anchors the grid by crossing SPELL, THREE, ROOMS, UNDO and TEEN.
Speed Solver Tips
Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:
Start with direct definitions such as ERODE and STRUT, then use their crossing letters to revisit the playful clues. A question mark is a useful cue to test a less obvious reading, as SPELL demonstrates.
When a clue seems to describe a numerical sequence but the fit resists, test how the number words are built. TEEN follows six and seven in sixteen and seventeen, while fifteen uses a different construction.
Tomorrow's Puzzle
The direct definitions provide footholds, while SPELL and TEEN reward a closer reading. It's a satisfying balance of confident fills and small changes in perspective.
See you at the next grid.