Today's NYT Mini Crossword is live, and a circled-letter gimmick adds a playful twist alongside familiar vocabulary and a Beatles reference. Come on in and use the straightforward clues to get your footing.
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: 8A is the trickiest clue because it asks you to connect a physical activity with an illustration in the circled letters.
Gimme Clue: 6A is the gimme: the jellyfish and bee pairing points directly to their shared painful defense.
Theme Spotted: 8A signals a stone-skipping visual gimmick in the circled letters.
Clue Decoder (Hints Only)
Need a nudge without the full answer? Here's a hint for each clue.
Across Hints
1A. Towel (off)
Hint: 1A treats the towel as an action; think of rubbing yourself dry. Four letters, starts with W.
5A. Result of brainstorming
Hint: 5A wants a thought you could propose after a creative discussion. Four letters, starts with I.
6A. What jellyfish and bees do
Hint: 6A asks for the painful action these creatures can inflict, rather than the sensation afterward. Five letters, starts with S.
7A. Glowed bright
Hint: 7A needs a past-tense verb for giving off light. Five letters, starts with S.
8A. Surface over which to skip a stone … as illustrated in the circled letters
Hint: 8A asks what a flat stone bounces across when you toss it along a lake's surface. Five letters, starts with W.
Down Hints
1D. The Beatles' "___ Little Help From My Friends"
Hint: 1D wants the opening words of the Beatles song title about getting by through friends' support. Five letters, starts with W.
2D. Dummy
Hint: 2D uses “dummy” as an insult for a foolish person. Five letters, starts with I.
3D. Pasta that can be made "alla vodka"
Hint: 3D points to short pasta tubes with diagonally cut ends. Five letters, starts with P.
4D. Like a beaver, in a saying
Hint: 4D recalls the rhyming expression for someone enthusiastic and ready to work. Five letters, starts with E.
6D. Direction from N.Y.C. to Miami: Abbr.
Hint: 6D needs a compass abbreviation for traveling mostly south and slightly west. Three letters, starts with S.
Full Answers
Spoilers below. Scroll only when you're ready for the solutions.
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Across Answers
1A. Towel (off)
Answer: WIPE
5A. Result of brainstorming
Answer: IDEA
6A. What jellyfish and bees do
Answer: STING
7A. Glowed bright
Answer: SHONE
8A. Surface over which to skip a stone … as illustrated in the circled letters
Answer: WATER
Down Answers
1D. The Beatles' "___ Little Help From My Friends"
Answer: WITHA
2D. Dummy
Answer: IDIOT
3D. Pasta that can be made "alla vodka"
Answer: PENNE
4D. Like a beaver, in a saying
Answer: EAGER
6D. Direction from N.Y.C. to Miami: Abbr.
Answer: SSW
Grid Breakdown
Here's what made today's puzzle tick:
Standout Clue: 8A pairs “Surface over which to skip a stone” with WATER, then directs you to the circled letters for an illustration. That extra visual cue turns a straightforward definition into the grid's defining feature.
Wordplay Winner: 1A, “Towel (off),” earns the wordplay nod with WIPE. The clue uses “towel” as a verb, making you translate an action instead of naming an object.
Quick Fill: 6A's STING is the fastest confident fill, since both creatures point to the same action. It anchors the middle row and supplies a crossing letter to every Down entry, WITHA, IDIOT, PENNE, EAGER and SSW.
Speed Solver Tips
Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:
Use a direct clue like 6A's STING to seed the Down answers, then let those crossings settle broader clues such as 2D's “Dummy.” A precise shared action gives you firmer footing than an insult with several possible synonyms.
Match the clue's grammar before reaching for a synonym. “Towel (off)” needs the action WIPE, while “Glowed bright” needs the past-tense SHONE.
Tomorrow's Puzzle
The direct clues give this grid a welcoming foothold, while WATER adds a visual payoff. It's a satisfying reminder to look at the puzzle's markings as closely as its words.
See you at the next grid.
