Today's NYT Mini Crossword is live, and leans on crisp trivia, playful definitions, and a compact burst of misdirection. Settle in for a friendly grid with enough bite to stay lively.
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: 6x8
Total Clues: 18 (8 Across, 10 Down)
Trickiest Clue: 3D is the trickiest clue because its platform shorthand points to a person rather than a website.
Gimme Clue: 13A is the clearest gimme, a direct geography clue asking for Canada's seat of government.
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. Vacation rental
Hint: Think of the home-sharing platform used to reserve someone else's place for a trip. Six letters, starts with A.
7A. When woolly mammoths and saber-toothed tigers roamed the earth
Hint: The clue points to a prehistoric glacial era associated with mammoths and saber-toothed cats. Six letters, starts with I.
8A. Father figure?
Hint: Read “figure” as physique, then think of a rhyming expression for a father's unsculpted build. Six letters, starts with D.
9A. Comedian Samberg
Hint: Picture the comedian known for Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Saturday Night Live. Four letters, starts with A.
10A. ___-bitty
Hint: Complete the familiar hyphenated expression that intensifies “bitty.” Four letters, starts with I.
13A. Canada's capital
Hint: Name the city that houses Canada's federal government. Six letters, starts with O.
15A. April 1st prankster
Hint: The clue wants a label for the person playing an April 1 practical joke. Six letters, starts with F.
16A. Like the tongues of snakes
Hint: Picture a snake's tongue divided into separate branches at the tip. Six letters, starts with F.
Down Hints
1D. Famed opera with over 1,000 performances at the Met
Hint: Think of the Verdi opera set in ancient Egypt that remains a Met repertory staple. Four letters, starts with A.
2D. "As far as ___ tell ..."
Hint: Complete the stock phrase by asserting first-person ability. Four letters, starts with I.
3D. Frequent visitor to websites with "r/" in their names
Hint: Identify a participant on the link-sharing forum whose communities use the cited prefix. Eight letters, starts with R.
4D. Wittle, e.g.
Hint: Classify the childlike pronunciation represented by the altered word in the clue. Eight letters, starts with B.
5D. Many a foreign aid grp.
Hint: Think of an independent relief group that operates outside state control. Three letters, starts with N.
6D. What a convertible sofa converts into
Hint: Picture the flat sleeping surface hidden inside a convertible sofa. Three letters, starts with B.
11D. Overly cutesy
Hint: Use the adjective for something so quaintly cute that it becomes cloying. Four letters, starts with T.
12D. Football field unit
Hint: This is the standard distance unit marked along a gridiron. Four letters, starts with Y.
13D. Not working today
Hint: Think of an employee who is away from duty for the day. Three letters, starts with O.
14D. In addition
Hint: Use the compact adverb meaning “as well.” Three letters, starts with T.
Full Answers
Spoilers below. Scroll only when you're ready for the solutions.
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Across Answers
1A. Vacation rental
Answer: AIRBNB
7A. When woolly mammoths and saber-toothed tigers roamed the earth
Answer: ICEAGE
8A. Father figure?
Answer: DADBOD
9A. Comedian Samberg
Answer: ANDY
10A. ___-bitty
Answer: ITTY
13A. Canada's capital
Answer: OTTAWA
15A. April 1st prankster
Answer: FOOLER
16A. Like the tongues of snakes
Answer: FORKED
Down Answers
1D. Famed opera with over 1,000 performances at the Met
Answer: AIDA
2D. "As far as ___ tell ..."
Answer: ICAN
3D. Frequent visitor to websites with "r/" in their names
Answer: REDDITOR
4D. Wittle, e.g.
Answer: BABYTALK
5D. Many a foreign aid grp.
Answer: NGO
6D. What a convertible sofa converts into
Answer: BED
11D. Overly cutesy
Answer: TWEE
12D. Football field unit
Answer: YARD
13D. Not working today
Answer: OFF
14D. In addition
Answer: TOO
Grid Breakdown
Here's what made today's puzzle tick:
Standout Clue: 8A, “Father figure?,” with DADBOD defines the grid's playful side. The question mark redirects “figure” from a person to a physique, producing a clean pun with an instantly recognizable phrase.
Wordplay Winner: BABYTALK wins the wordplay round at 4D. “Wittle” performs the childlike pronunciation that the answer names, so the example doubles as the mechanism.
Quick Fill: OTTAWA is the fastest confident fill because the capital clue is completely direct. It anchors OFF and TOO on the left, REDDITOR and BABYTALK through the center, and TWEE and YARD on the right.
Speed Solver Tips
Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:
Start with direct trivia such as OTTAWA and ANDY, then let their crossings expose the more playful vocabulary. Firm proper nouns are especially useful when neighboring clues depend on tone or idiom.
When a question mark signals a meaning shift, leave room for the crossings before committing. At 8A, AIDA, ICAN, REDDITOR, BABYTALK, NGO, and BED make the DADBOD pun unmistakable.
Tomorrow's Puzzle
The grid treated solvers fairly, balancing direct anchors with livelier language in DADBOD and BABYTALK. Its best clues rewarded a quick change in perspective rather than obscure knowledge.
See you at the next grid.
