How to play the NYT Mini Crossword
The Mini is the NYT's bite-size crossword: a tiny grid, around ten clues, and a timer that has turned it into a daily speed sport. It's edited by Joel Fagliano, it's free (unlike the big crossword), and it's the game people race their friends on — which makes every second of technique worth having.
Stuck on today's puzzle? NYT Mini Crossword Answers Today → — every clue explained, each answer behind its own reveal.
The rules
- Fill the grid so every Across and Down answer matches its clue — standard crossword rules, tiny scale.
- Answers cross: every letter you place belongs to one Across and one Down answer, so each solved clue makes its neighbours easier.
- The timer starts when you open the puzzle and stops when the grid is complete and correct.
- There's no penalty for wrong letters — the puzzle simply won't register as finished until everything is right.
How to get faster
1Don't read clues in order — sweep
Fast solvers read 1-Across, and if the answer isn't instant, they're already on the next clue. Any answer you're sure of plants letters that make the stubborn clues trivial on the second pass.
2Trust crossing letters over clever readings
Mini clues love misdirection, but a crossing letter is a fact. When a clue seems impossible, look at the letters already in its slot — three letters of a five-letter answer usually spell the solution before you've re-read the clue.
3Learn the Mini's vocabulary
Small grids recycle friendly letter patterns: short vowel-heavy words (OREO, ERA, IDEA), current names, and playful fill. If you play daily, yesterday's obscure answer is tomorrow's instant one — streaks literally make you faster.
4Type through, never deliberate
With no wrong-answer penalty, hesitation is the only real time cost. Guess confidently, let the crossings confirm or veto, and fix errors at the end — a wrong letter costs two keystrokes, a pause costs five seconds.
NYT Mini Crossword — common questions
What time does the NYT Mini come out?
Unusually early: the next day's Mini is released at 10pm Eastern the evening before on weekdays, and 6pm Eastern on weekends — so 'today's' Mini has usually been available since the previous evening.
Is the NYT Mini Crossword free?
Yes — the daily Mini is free to play, unlike the full NYT Crossword which needs a Games subscription. Only the Mini archive is subscriber-gated.
How big is the Mini Crossword?
Usually a 5×5 grid with around ten clues, taking most solvers under two minutes. Saturday Minis are often larger — typically 7×7 — with a few more clues.