Today's NYT Mini Crossword is live, and familiar phrases and echoed clues give the grid a playful rhythm. Come on in and follow the verbal connections.
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: 5A is the toughest clue, with a computing-history reference that demands more specialized knowledge than the surrounding everyday vocabulary.
Gimme Clue: 1A is the clearest foothold, a familiar comparison whose button image practically completes the phrase for you.
Theme Spotted: There is a light theme of echoed clue wording linking 6A with 1D and 1A with 9A.
Clue Decoder (Hints Only)
Need a nudge without the full answer? Here's a hint for each clue.
Across Hints
1A. ___ as a button
Hint: 1A describes someone adorably charming. Four letters, starts with C.
5A. Computer operating system since 1969
Hint: 5A points to the operating-system family developed at Bell Labs. Four letters, starts with U.
6A. Units of ice cream or beer
Hint: 6A wants a volume measure used for both frozen desserts and pub orders. Five letters, starts with P.
8A. Green-skinned monster, perhaps
Hint: 8A asks for the kind of fairy-tale creature Shrek is. Four letters, starts with O.
9A. ___ as a pin
Hint: 9A describes someone impeccably tidy. Four letters, starts with N.
Down Hints
1D. Container for ice cream or beer
Hint: 1D wants the vessel itself, rather than the amount it holds. Three letters, starts with C.
2D. Worker's collective
Hint: 2D is an organization that bargains with employers on behalf of its members. Five letters, starts with U.
3D. Slightest bit of color
Hint: 3D describes a faint trace of a hue. Five letters, starts with T.
4D. Background actor
Hint: 4D is a performer who helps populate a film scene without a featured role. Five letters, starts with E.
7D. Word before "... go!"
Hint: 7D is the command between getting ready and beginning a race. 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. ___ as a button
Answer: CUTE
5A. Computer operating system since 1969
Answer: UNIX
6A. Units of ice cream or beer
Answer: PINTS
8A. Green-skinned monster, perhaps
Answer: OGRE
9A. ___ as a pin
Answer: NEAT
Down Answers
1D. Container for ice cream or beer
Answer: CUP
2D. Worker's collective
Answer: UNION
3D. Slightest bit of color
Answer: TINGE
4D. Background actor
Answer: EXTRA
7D. Word before "... go!"
Answer: SET
Grid Breakdown
Here's what made today's puzzle tick:
Standout Clue: 6A, "Units of ice cream or beer," gives PINTS and captures the grid's playful repetition. Its echo at 1D leads to CUP, shifting the question from a measure to a container.
Wordplay Winner: 4D, "Background actor," earns the wordplay nod with EXTRA. The clue selects the noun for a performer from a word also familiar as an adjective meaning additional.
Quick Fill: CUTE at 1A is the fastest confident fill, thanks to the familiar button comparison. Its crossings feed CUP, UNION, TINGE and EXTRA, giving the Down clues an immediate foothold.
Speed Solver Tips
Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:
Fill familiar phrase completions early, as CUTE and NEAT demonstrate here. Then work their Down crossings to build support for the more specialized UNIX clue.
When clues repeat wording, isolate the part that changes. Here, units calls for PINTS while container calls for CUP, so the shared ice cream and beer imagery serves different purposes.
Tomorrow's Puzzle
The familiar phrases offer a welcoming start, while UNIX supplies a sharper knowledge check. PINTS and CUP give the grid its best little conversation between clues.
See you at the next grid.