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NYT’s The Mini Crossword Answers and Hints
Across
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The clue "Give me some ___" suggests a request or plea for something. SPACE fits as people often ask for "space" when needing distance, freedom, or personal room, making it a fitting, conversational answer to complete the phrase naturally.
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MOCHA is the solution because it refers to a popular coffee beverage made by blending coffee (often espresso) with chocolate or cocoa. The clue directly describes this drink, as it is well-known for its rich, chocolate-infused flavor, aligning perfectly with "Chocolate-flavored coffee drink."
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The clue refers to a wedding ceremony. The "walk down the aisle" is what the bride traditionally does, ending at the altar, where the marriage ceremony takes place. Hence, ALTAR is the correct answer as it marks the final destination of this symbolic walk.
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The answer "SKORT" combines "skirt" and "shorts," making it a hybrid piece of clothing. It is popular in sports like golf because it provides the look of a skirt with the comfort and practicality of shorts underneath, fitting the clue "Hybrid women's golfing attire" perfectly.
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The clue "Overly tough" refers to something excessively severe or strict. "HARSH" matches this definition, as it describes actions, conditions, or treatment that are unkind, severe, or unreasonably hard—synonymous with being overly tough or intense. Thus, "HARSH" is the fitting solution.
Down
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The clue "Huge hit" refers to something extremely successful or impactful. The word SMASH is often used to describe such success, for instance, a “smash hit” in entertainment means a big triumph, aligning perfectly with the clue's definition. Hence, SMASH is the correct answer.
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The answer is POLKA because it is a lively dance music genre that prominently features the accordion as one of its key instruments. Originating in Central Europe, polka's upbeat tempo and signature accordion sound make it an apt fit for the "Music genre" described in the clue.
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Jamie Foxx and Michael J. Fox are both widely recognized as performers in film and television. The clue directly describes their profession, which is "ACTOR," someone who portrays characters in productions. Both share the same career, making ACTOR the accurate and straightforward solution.
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The clue "Blackens on the grill" refers to the process of partially burning or searing food directly on high heat, which gives it a blackened, charred surface. "CHARS" accurately describes this cooking technique, making it the fitting solution to the clue.
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"You are here" is a phrase seen on maps, but in a cosmic sense, it points to Earth, where we all are.
Today’s Game Difficulty
Normal
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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 Wednesday Mini by Ian Livengood is a fun one—all 5-letter answers and a clean grid with no black squares! There’s a nice variety of topics packed into it, from fashion to music to geography. A mix of straightforward clues and some trickier wordplay makes for an engaging solve.
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.