Today's NYT Mini Crossword is live, and a musical link gives this grid its personality, with a playful clue tucked among concrete definitions. Come on in and find your foothold.
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: 5D is the toughest recall test, since its magazine clue hinges on a specific cover-history detail.
Gimme Clue: 3D is a friendly foothold, pointing directly to a familiar household mishap.
Theme Spotted: There is a theme linking 1A and 7A through matching endpoints.
Clue Decoder (Hints Only)
Need a nudge without the full answer? Here's a hint for each clue.
Across Hints
1A. Music genre for Joni Mitchell or Woody Guthrie
Hint: Think of the acoustic storytelling tradition associated with these artists. Four letters, starts with F.
5A. Flood embankment
Hint: Picture a raised barrier built to hold back river water. Five letters, starts with L.
6A. "That is to say ..."
Hint: Try a conversational phrase used to clarify what you just said. Five letters, starts with I.
7A. Music genre with the same first and last letters as 1-Across
Hint: Think of a bass-driven, syncopated groove, then check its endpoints against 1A. Four letters, starts with F.
8A. Hosp. areas that are usually on the ground floor
Hint: Think of hospital spaces that handle urgent arrivals, and match the clue's abbreviated style. Three letters, starts with E.
Down Hints
1D. Strongest bone in the human body
Hint: Look to the upper leg for this weight-bearing bone. Five letters, starts with F.
2D. Array in a culinary classroom
Hint: Picture the appliances students use to bake their dishes. Five letters, starts with O.
3D. Plumbing problem
Hint: Think of water escaping through a faulty pipe joint. Four letters, starts with L.
4D. He's a doll!
Hint: Take doll literally and think of Barbie's male companion. Three letters, starts with K.
5D. Magazine whose cover featured Elizabeth Taylor a record 14 times
Hint: Think of the American magazine associated with photojournalism and a red rectangular masthead. Four letters, starts with L.
Full Answers
Spoilers below. Scroll only when you're ready for the solutions.
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Across Answers
1A. Music genre for Joni Mitchell or Woody Guthrie
Answer: FOLK
5A. Flood embankment
Answer: LEVEE
6A. "That is to say ..."
Answer: IMEAN
7A. Music genre with the same first and last letters as 1-Across
Answer: FUNK
8A. Hosp. areas that are usually on the ground floor
Answer: ERS
Down Answers
1D. Strongest bone in the human body
Answer: FEMUR
2D. Array in a culinary classroom
Answer: OVENS
3D. Plumbing problem
Answer: LEAK
4D. He's a doll!
Answer: KEN
5D. Magazine whose cover featured Elizabeth Taylor a record 14 times
Answer: LIFE
Grid Breakdown
Here's what made today's puzzle tick:
Standout Clue: 7A, Music genre with the same first and last letters as 1-Across, earns its spotlight with FUNK. Its F and K match FOLK, turning a music connection into an explicit spelling constraint.
Wordplay Winner: 4D, He's a doll!, wins the misdirection prize with KEN. The phrase sounds like praise for a charming man, but the answer makes doll literal.
Quick Fill: LEAK at 3D is my fastest confident fill because the plumbing clue is so direct. It crosses FOLK, LEVEE, I MEAN and FUNK, giving a foothold across the grid.
Speed Solver Tips
Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:
Follow explicit cross-references as soon as their source entry is secure. Here, FOLK at 1A gives you the endpoints of FUNK at 7A before you settle the middle.
Use crossings to narrow trivia you cannot immediately recall. For LIFE at 5D, LEVEE, I MEAN, FUNK and ERS supply the entire answer.
Tomorrow's Puzzle
The FOLK-to-FUNK connection gives this grid a satisfying snap, while KEN adds a neat literal-minded joke. Direct definitions provide welcome traction around the trivia.
See you at the next grid.