Today's NYT Mini Crossword is live, and a playful turn of phrase gives the everyday vocabulary and trivia a little extra personality. Come on in, there are friendly footholds among the trickier clues.
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: 4D is the trickiest because its conversational phrasing calls for a deliberately playful verb form. Read it aloud if the expected grammar gets you stuck.
Gimme Clue: 5A is the clearest gimme, a familiar ruler conversion with no verbal disguise.
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. Like bullet trains
Hint: 1A points to how these trains move, rather than their shape or power source. Four letters, starts with F.
5A. 1/12 of a foot
Hint: 5A calls for a familiar unit marked on a ruler. Four letters, starts with I.
6A. Place for online discussion
Hint: 6A is an online space organized around discussion threads and replies. Five letters, starts with F.
8A. Fashion development
Hint: 8A asks for a direction that clothing styles take as tastes change. Five letters, starts with T.
9A. Atlanta N.B.A. team
Hint: 9A uses a bird-based nickname for Atlanta's basketball team. Five letters, starts with H.
Down Hints
1D. Like Staten Island, among all N.Y.C. boroughs in population
Hint: 1D wants an ordinal ranking, with the least populous borough at the bottom of the list. Five letters, starts with F.
2D. Best Picture winner after "Oppenheimer"
Hint: 2D is the film about a Brooklyn sex worker whose whirlwind marriage sets the story in motion. Five letters, starts with A.
3D. Threaded fastener
Hint: 3D is a hardware item turned into place with a driver. Five letters, starts with S.
4D. "Who'd have ___ it!?"
Hint: 4D completes an expression of surprise with a jokingly irregular verb form. Five letters, starts with T.
7D. Many characters on "Scrubs": Abbr.
Hint: 7D wants abbreviated credentials for the hospital's physicians. Three letters, starts with M.
Full Answers
Spoilers below. Scroll only when you're ready for the solutions.
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Across Answers
1A. Like bullet trains
Answer: FAST
5A. 1/12 of a foot
Answer: INCH
6A. Place for online discussion
Answer: FORUM
8A. Fashion development
Answer: TREND
9A. Atlanta N.B.A. team
Answer: HAWKS
Down Answers
1D. Like Staten Island, among all N.Y.C. boroughs in population
Answer: FIFTH
2D. Best Picture winner after "Oppenheimer"
Answer: ANORA
3D. Threaded fastener
Answer: SCREW
4D. "Who'd have ___ it!?"
Answer: THUNK
7D. Many characters on "Scrubs": Abbr.
Answer: MDS
Grid Breakdown
Here's what made today's puzzle tick:
Standout Clue: 4D, "Who'd have ___ it!?", gives THUNK its moment. The familiar expression makes the deliberately nonstandard substitute for thought feel natural when spoken aloud.
Wordplay Winner: THUNK wins the wordplay prize by turning a past participle into a joke. The clue's casual voice invites the mock irregular form of think.
Quick Fill: INCH at 5A is the quickest confident anchor because the measurement is exact. It supplies crossing letters to FIFTH, ANORA, SCREW and THUNK, giving the longer Down entries useful support.
Speed Solver Tips
Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:
Bank direct definitions such as FAST and INCH before wrestling with the film reference. Their crossings give ANORA a foothold even if the award sequence does not come to mind.
Read conversational fill-in clues aloud and listen for the expression's tone. THUNK shows why a joking phrase can require a form you would avoid in formal writing.
Tomorrow's Puzzle
The direct vocabulary gives this grid a welcoming base, while the trivia adds a little resistance. THUNK supplies the satisfying final wink.
See you at the next grid.