Today's NYT Mini Crossword is live, and a whispering gimmick gives familiar clues an extra layer. Come on in and enjoy the quiet ingenuity.
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 demands the closest attention because its clue connects a sound with circled letters elsewhere in the grid.
Gimme Clue: 1D offers a friendly foothold, asking for Wilbur's barnyard identity in Charlotte's Web.
Theme Spotted: A circled-letter theme links 1A, 5A and 9A.
Clue Decoder (Hints Only)
Need a nudge without the full answer? Here's a hint for each clue.
Across Hints
1A. With 5-Across, words whispered in a game of telephone
Hint: Think of the quiet instruction to relay a message to the next person. Four letters, starts with P.
5A. See 1-Across
Hint: Complete the instruction begun at 1A, keeping the telephone game in mind. Four letters, starts with I.
6A. Modern way of creating images and text, for short
Hint: Think of the shortened term for technology that produces fresh content from prompts. Five letters, starts with G.
8A. Some fuzzy brown boots
Hint: Think of the footwear brand associated with sheepskin-lined boots. Four letters, starts with U.
9A. Whisper appropriately spelled (in order!) by the circled letters of 1-/5-Across
Hint: Think of the hushed sound used to get someone's attention, then check the circled letters in the linked entries. Four letters, starts with P.
Down Hints
1D. Wilbur in "Charlotte's Web," e.g.
Hint: Name the farm animal Charlotte saves through her web. Three letters, starts with P.
2D. Devoured completely
Hint: Think of finishing a meal and leaving nothing on the plate. Five letters, starts with A.
3D. Spotify playlist makeup
Hint: Think of the individual musical tracks you queue for listening. Five letters, starts with S.
4D. Unexpected problems
Hint: Think of unforeseen hitches that interrupt a plan. Five letters, starts with S.
7D. Suffix with "novel" or "capital"
Hint: The same ending turns the clue's examples into a fiction writer and an advocate of an economic system. Three letters, starts with I.
Full Answers
Spoilers below. Scroll only when you're ready for the solutions.
---
---
---
---
---
Across Answers
1A. With 5-Across, words whispered in a game of telephone
Answer: PASS
5A. See 1-Across
Answer: ITON
6A. Modern way of creating images and text, for short
Answer: GENAI
8A. Some fuzzy brown boots
Answer: UGGS
9A. Whisper appropriately spelled (in order!) by the circled letters of 1-/5-Across
Answer: PSST
Down Answers
1D. Wilbur in "Charlotte's Web," e.g.
Answer: PIG
2D. Devoured completely
Answer: ATEUP
3D. Spotify playlist makeup
Answer: SONGS
4D. Unexpected problems
Answer: SNAGS
7D. Suffix with "novel" or "capital"
Answer: IST
Grid Breakdown
Here's what made today's puzzle tick:
Standout Clue: 1A's telephone-game clue, completed at 5A as PASS IT ON, defines the puzzle. The instruction keeps a whispered message moving and gives the circled-letter reveal a fitting setting.
Wordplay Winner: 9A's PSST wins for turning a whisper into a letter-extraction payoff. Its clue identifies the circled letters in 1A and 5A as spelling that sound in order, neatly joining the mechanism to the telephone-game setup.
Quick Fill: PIG at 1D is the clearest confident fill because Wilbur's identity is direct literary recall. It supplies the opening letters of PASS at 1A, IT ON at 5A and GEN AI at 6A.
Speed Solver Tips
Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:
Treat linked clues as a single phrase before worrying about the grid's spacing. Reading 1A and 5A together makes PASS IT ON easier to recognize than considering ITON alone.
Use suffix clues to secure crossings when a shortened term looks unfamiliar. IST at 7D checks the final letter of GEN AI and also crosses UGGS and PSST.
Tomorrow's Puzzle
The direct clues offer footholds while PSST supplies the little reward for looking beyond individual answers. The telephone-game connection makes the finish feel neatly tied together.
See you at the next grid.