Today's NYT Mini Crossword is live, and it's a friendly mix of everyday knowledge, a musical wink, and linked clues. Come on in and let the crossings help you find 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: 5D is the trickiest, because the abbreviated wording asks you to identify what traffic delays push later.
Gimme Clue: 9A is the gimme, with a precise keyboard location pointing toward a familiar key.
Theme Spotted: A linked-clue theme connects 7A and 8A. Solve the former to unlock the latter.
Clue Decoder (Hints Only)
Need a nudge without the full answer? Here's a hint for each clue.
Across Hints
1A. Puzzle solver's cry of delight
Hint: 1A: Think of the exclamation that bursts out when a stubborn clue finally clicks. Three letters, starts with A.
4A. Batting practice enclosures
Hint: 4A: Picture the netted spaces where hitters practice their swings. Five letters, starts with C.
7A. Like dishes in the sink
Hint: 7A: Think of the condition that makes those plates need washing. Five letters, starts with D.
8A. Opposite of 7-Across
Hint: 8A: Use your response to 7A, then reverse its meaning. Five letters, starts with C.
9A. Upper-left keyboard key
Hint: 9A: Think of the key often used to dismiss a menu or cancel an operation. Three letters, starts with E.
Down Hints
1D. Rock band with an "electric" name
Hint: 1D: The band's name borrows the abbreviations for different forms of electrical current. Four letters, starts with A.
2D. Frozen rain
Hint: 2D: Picture pellets of ice rattling against a window during a storm. Four letters, starts with H.
3D. What a subject and verb must do
Hint: 3D: Think of the grammatical requirement that makes a subject fit its verb. Five letters, starts with A.
5D. Figs. that rise in traffic jams
Hint: 5D: Think of the abbreviated arrival predictions a navigation app revises when roads clog. Four letters, starts with E.
6D. Make sure everyone is on the same page, with "up"
Hint: 6D: Think of coordinating with colleagues so everyone has matching information. Four letters, starts with S.
Full Answers
Spoilers below. Scroll only when you're ready for the solutions.
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Across Answers
1A. Puzzle solver's cry of delight
Answer: AHA
4A. Batting practice enclosures
Answer: CAGES
7A. Like dishes in the sink
Answer: DIRTY
8A. Opposite of 7-Across
Answer: CLEAN
9A. Upper-left keyboard key
Answer: ESC
Down Answers
1D. Rock band with an "electric" name
Answer: ACDC
2D. Frozen rain
Answer: HAIL
3D. What a subject and verb must do
Answer: AGREE
5D. Figs. that rise in traffic jams
Answer: ETAS
6D. Make sure everyone is on the same page, with "up"
Answer: SYNC
Show the solved Mini grid
Grid Breakdown
Here's what made today's puzzle tick:
Standout Clue: 8A, "Opposite of 7-Across", gives CLEAN after DIRTY. It makes the neighboring entries work together, turning the dishes clue into a useful foothold for another answer.
Wordplay Winner: 1D earns the wordplay nod with ACDC. The clue's "electric" points to the band's name and its electrical abbreviations, giving the musical description a literal payoff.
Quick Fill: AHA at 1A is a quick, confident fill for a solver's cry of delight. It supplies the opening letters of ACDC, HAIL, and AGREE, giving the top of the grid a useful foothold.
Speed Solver Tips
Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:
Follow explicit clue references as soon as their source is filled. Here, DIRTY at 7A immediately points to CLEAN at 8A, so the linked clue rewards solving them together.
Treat abbreviations in clues as signals about the answer's form. The shortened "Figs." at 5D helps steer you toward ETAS when the traffic context supplies the meaning.
Tomorrow's Puzzle
The grid rewards everyday knowledge and attention to clue wording, with DIRTY and CLEAN providing a satisfying handoff. AHA feels like an apt opening for a puzzle built around small moments of recognition.
See you at the next grid.