Today's NYT Mini Crossword is live, and leans into crisp trivia and a lively run of question-mark wordplay. Settle in for a compact grid with satisfying double meanings.
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: 6x5
Total Clues: 11 (5 Across, 6 Down)
Trickiest Clue: 5D is the trickiest clue because it hides a snack reference inside an association with Santa's laugh.
Gimme Clue: 4D is the cleanest gimme, since reversing each component of the stated compass direction leads directly to the target.
Theme Spotted: The question-mark clues make their fills situationally appropriate through double meanings and sound associations.
Clue Decoder (Hints Only)
Need a nudge without the full answer? Here's a hint for each clue.
Across Hints
1A. Appropriate shoes to wear on moving day?
Hint: Think beyond footwear and connect a skate-shoe brand with the vehicles used to haul belongings. Four letters, starts with V.
5A. Optimists keep them high
Hint: Focus on the positive expectations that optimists refuse to let sink. Five letters, starts with H.
6A. Baked entree with a flaky crust
Hint: Picture a savory filling baked beneath a flaky pastry lid. Six letters, starts with P.
7A. Appropriate gas station to find by the beach?
Hint: Look for a fuel brand that also names something collected at the shore. Five letters, starts with S.
8A. Days of old
Hint: Reach for an old-fashioned noun describing a bygone era. Four letters, starts with Y.
Down Hints
1D. Ballot caster
Hint: The ballot is being cast by a person, not treated as an object. Five letters, starts with V.
2D. Appropriate store beside a farmer's market?
Hint: The target is a technology retailer whose name also belongs at a farm stand. Five letters, starts with A.
3D. Actor ___ Patrick Harris
Hint: The actor is known for playing Barney Stinson in How I Met Your Mother and for hosting major awards shows. Four letters, starts with N.
4D. Opposite of NNW
Hint: Reverse each component of the compass direction named in the clue. Three letters, starts with S.
5D. Appropriate snack for Santa?
Hint: Think of rolled chocolate snack cakes whose name echoes Santa's laugh. Four letters, starts with H.
6D. "Gangnam Style" rapper
Hint: Recall the South Korean performer behind the viral music video featuring a horse-riding dance. Three letters, starts with P.
Full Answers
Spoilers below. Scroll only when you're ready for the solutions.
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Across Answers
1A. Appropriate shoes to wear on moving day?
Answer: VANS
5A. Optimists keep them high
Answer: HOPES
6A. Baked entree with a flaky crust
Answer: POTPIE
7A. Appropriate gas station to find by the beach?
Answer: SHELL
8A. Days of old
Answer: YORE
Down Answers
1D. Ballot caster
Answer: VOTER
2D. Appropriate store beside a farmer's market?
Answer: APPLE
3D. Actor ___ Patrick Harris
Answer: NEIL
4D. Opposite of NNW
Answer: SSE
5D. Appropriate snack for Santa?
Answer: HOHO
6D. "Gangnam Style" rapper
Answer: PSY
Grid Breakdown
Here's what made today's puzzle tick:
Standout Clue: 7A, “Appropriate gas station to find by the beach?”, with SHELL, defines the grid's style. The answer is simultaneously a fuel brand and a beach find, so the surface lands cleanly in either setting.
Wordplay Winner: VANS wins the wordplay honors at 1A. The clue shifts smoothly between shoes made by Vans and the vehicles suited to moving day.
Quick Fill: POTPIE is the fastest confident fill because its literal clue leaves little ambiguity. It also provides useful crossings for PSY, HOHO, VOTER, APPLE, NEIL, and SSE.
Speed Solver Tips
Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:
Bank the direct entries POTPIE, VOTER, NEIL, SSE, and PSY before wrestling with the question-mark clues. Their crossings expose the intended readings of VANS, SHELL, APPLE, and HOHO.
Tomorrow's Puzzle
The grid treated solvers to direct trivia around a compact cluster of clean puns. SHELL captures its best quality, a familiar answer made fresh by the clue's setting.
See you at the next grid.
