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NYT’s The Mini Crossword Answers and Hints
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The clue "Christmas ___" refers to the day or evening directly preceding Christmas Day, which is widely known as Christmas Eve. "Eve" signifies the evening or the day before a specific event, and in this case, it fits perfectly as the answer to complete the phrase.
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The clue "Hanker for, as Christmas cookies" suggests a strong desire or yearning, like one might feel for delicious cookies during the holidays. "Hanker for" is synonymous with "crave," making CRAVE the perfect match. The phrase evokes the longing associated with seasonal treats.
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The answer is ORGAN because this instrument is traditionally associated with church settings, where many Christmas hymns are sung. Its powerful sound is ideal for leading congregational singing, making it a staple in performing festive hymns like "Silent Night" and "O Come, All Ye Faithful."
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The clue "Rounded heap" directly describes a MOUND, which is a natural or artificial small, raised pile often with a rounded shape. This makes "MOUND" a fitting answer as it aligns both with the shape ("Rounded") and the concept of a heap or pile.
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A vintner is a winemaker, and a key device in winemaking is a wine press. It’s used to crush grapes and extract juice for fermentation. This directly ties the clue "Vintner's device" to the answer PRESS.
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The answer "ERROR" fits because a proofreader's job is to find mistakes (spelling, grammar, or formatting issues) in written text. "Catch" in this context means to identify or notice these mistakes. An error is precisely what a proofreader is tasked to catch and correct.
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The answer is VAGUE because a Christmas wish list that simply says "toys" lacks specificity. It is unclear what kind of toys are desired, making the list imprecise or "vague." The clue’s phrasing hints at ambiguity, perfectly aligning with the solution.
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The answer is EVANS because Chris Evans is a well-known actor who starred as Ransom Drysdale in the 2019 mystery film Knives Out. The clue directly references his first name and his role in the movie.
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The answer "COMP" is short for "complimentary," which means provided free of charge. For example, a "comped" meal or ticket is one that's offered without cost. The clue's wording directly aligns with this definition, making "COMP" a suitable solution.
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The clue "Comes to a close" directly defines the answer ENDS, as "ends" means to conclude or finish, aligning perfectly with the phrase "comes to a close" as its synonym. This is a straightforward, literal clue without wordplay.
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Hit a roadblock solving today's NYT The Mini? Lady Puzzle is happy to lend a hand. Click her for hints, reveal the entire puzzle, uncover squares one by one, or explore clue answers. Whatever solving style you prefer, this is your go-to tool for finishing NYT's The Mini Crossword!
Today’s NYT Mini Highlights
This festive Mini puzzle by Ian Livengood feels perfectly timed for December 24! The opening clue nods to Christmas Eve, setting a warm holiday tone, while the rest of the grid ties in nicely with cozy seasonal themes. A delightful solve for the holiday spirit. 🎄
Today's Tricky Wordplay
Here's what caught our attention today:
What is NYT The Mini Crossword?
NYT The Mini Crossword is a compact version of the New York Times Crossword puzzle. Usually 5 x 5, with larger grids on Saturdays, it offers mid-week equivalent difficulty clues with no progression over the week. It is accessible to anyone with or without a New York Times account. You can play it on nytimes.com/crosswords, The New York Times Games app (iOS and Android), and the Play tab of the New York Times News app. Games and All Access Subscribers can solve past Mini Crossword puzzles in the archive.
For years, the Mini was free to play daily without a subscription. However, starting August 27, 2025, it became subscriber-only. This change has frustrated many fans, especially as the Mini had grown more ambitious, incorporating themes, wordplay tricks, linked clues, and even echoing entries from the Daily Crossword. In hindsight, these evolutions may have been the Times’ way of positioning the Mini closer to its flagship puzzle.
Here on our page, access is still free, and we also feature the most complete Mini archive and solving resources available anywhere.
We also offer a fresh daily game, Word of Fortune, inspired by Mini-style clues and blending features from other favorites: players must guess a single word from a clue, with the option to spin a wheel for letter hints.
Daily Availability
Puzzles are accessible the evening before the publish date. Weekday and Saturday puzzles: 10 p.m. EST the previous day. Sunday puzzles: 6 p.m. EST on Saturday.
Today's NYT Puzzle Guides by LadyPuzzle Pro
- Today's Wordle
- Connections Hint Today
- NYT Pips Today - Hints & Solutions
- NYT Crossword Answers Today
- Strands Answers Today
- Spelling Bee Hints
- Connections Sports Edition (The Athletic)
How to Play - Features and Tips
Fill white squares with letters to form intersecting words or phrases by solving clues in Across and Down columns. Read our guide to NYT Mini Mastery to learn how to read the different types of clues. Successfully completed puzzle triggers music and a congratulatory message.
Keyboard Shortcuts
- Arrow keys: Change direction within the same square, move in the direction of the arrow, jump back to the first blank in the word, or jump to the next clue.
- Spacebar: Clear the current square, advance, or toggle between Across and Down.
- Backspace (Delete on Macs): Remove words or a letter from a word.
- Tab key: Jump to the next clue.
- Shift + Tab keys: Jump to the previous clue.
- Escape: Enter Rebus mode.
- Pen and Pencil Modes. Switch between pen and pencil modes by selecting the respective icon. Letters in pen mode are black; in pencil mode, gray.
Letter Colors
Black: Default pen mode entries.
Gray: Pencil mode entries.
Blue: Confirmed letters with Check.
Mini Timer
Time your solving with the timer displayed above the puzzle. Pause/resume using the respective buttons. The timer restarts if the entire puzzle is cleared. Option to hide the timer in Puzzle settings.
In-game Help
- Reveal: Unveil correct letters for a square, answer, or the entire puzzle.
- Check: Verify correctness.
The answers you get using help are marked with a red triangle in the upper right-hand corner of the box while those confirmed with a check become blue.
Leaderboards
It’s an additional social resource provided by NYT. You can add friends (up to 100 invitees) to track daily completion and compete.