NYT Mini Crossword Hints, Clues and Answers for Wednesday, April 29, 2026

Today's NYT Mini Crossword is live, and Wednesday's grid packs a playful mix of pop culture, idioms, and word associations into a tight 5x5. Whether you're racing the clock or just enjoying a quick brain break, we've got hints and answers to keep you moving.

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: "It doesn't fall far from the 3-Down, in an idiom" for APPLE

Gimme Clue: "The Tell-Tale Heart" writer for POE

Theme Spotted: Idiom interconnectivity, 2-Down and 3-Down form a classic expression

Click to expand

Clue Decoder (Hints Only)

Need a nudge without the full answer? Here's a hint for each clue.

Across Hints

1A. Notoriously antisocial pets
Hint: They knock things off tables and hiss at visitors. Four letters.

5A. ___ Sun (drink in a pouch)
Hint: Italian island brand, also a style of pants. Five letters.

6A. Extremely excited
Hint: Slang for hyped up, starts with A. Five letters.

7A. All-out fight
Hint: A chaotic brawl, rhymes with "flee". Five letters.

8A. "The Tell-Tale Heart" writer
Hint: Master of macabre, three-letter initials.

Down Hints

1D. Brief appearance in a movie
Hint: A short on-screen role, often by a famous person. Five letters.

2D. It doesn't fall far from the 3-Down, in an idiom
Hint: This fruit stays close to its source. Five letters.

3D. See 2-Down
Hint: The thing the fruit falls from. Four letters.

4D. Heads or tails
Hint: One of two possible outcomes when flipping a coin. Four letters.

5D. Spend a few nights in the woods, perhaps
Hint: Sleep under the stars in a tent. Four letters.

Full Answers

Spoilers below. Scroll only when you're ready for the solutions.

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Across Answers

1A. Notoriously antisocial pets
Answer: CATS

5A. ___ Sun (drink in a pouch)
Answer: CAPRI

6A. Extremely excited
Answer: AMPED

7A. All-out fight
Answer: MELEE

8A. "The Tell-Tale Heart" writer
Answer: POE

Down Answers

1D. Brief appearance in a movie
Answer: CAMEO

2D. It doesn't fall far from the 3-Down, in an idiom
Answer: APPLE

3D. See 2-Down
Answer: TREE

4D. Heads or tails
Answer: SIDE

5D. Spend a few nights in the woods, perhaps
Answer: CAMP

Click to expand

Grid Breakdown

Here's what made today's puzzle tick:

Standout Clue: "It doesn't fall far from the 3-Down, in an idiom" for APPLE. This clue forces you to solve 3-Down first (TREE), then connect the dots to the classic phrase "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree." Clever interdependency between clues.

Wordplay Winner: "See 2-Down" for TREE. The shortest clue in the grid is also the most meta, it's a direct pointer that rewards solvers who recognize the idiom structure.

Quick Fill: "The Tell-Tale Heart" writer for POE. Edgar Allan Poe is a crossword staple. If you know American literature, this is a three-letter gimme that unlocks the entire bottom row.

Speed Solver Tips

Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:

Cross-reference clues are your friends. When you see "See 2-Down" or similar, solve the referenced clue first, the answer to 3-Down (TREE) directly feeds into 2-Down (APPLE). That's a two-for-one deal.

Short answers are often pop culture or common nouns. CATS, POE, CAMP, SIDE, these are high-frequency crossword words. Memorize the Mini's favorite fill: three-to-five-letter common words that constructors lean on. CAPRI and AMPED are slightly more modern but still well within the Mini's vocabulary range.

Tomorrow's Puzzle

The next Mini drops tonight at 10 p.m. EST. How did today's grid treat you? The idiom-linked clues in the Down column made this Wednesday's solve more interconnected than usual, the APPLE/TREE pair rewarded solvers who think in phrases, not just words. Every puzzle sharpens your instincts for the next one.

See you at the next grid.