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NYT’s The Mini Crossword Answers and Hints
Across
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The mnemonic involves counting months on your knuckles to remember which have 31 days. Each knuckle represents a 31-day month, while the dips between them represent shorter months. For example, starting with your left hand’s pinky knuckle: January (31), dip (February, 28/29), knuckle (March, 31), and so on. Thus, the answer is "MONTH."
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Anora is a 2025 Best Picture nominee, making this a timely clue. Mikey Madison, known for roles in Better Things and Scream (2022), stars in the film. Since her name isn't widely recognized, the clue relies on solvers being familiar with this year's Oscar contenders.
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A microwave often has a TIMER function to control cooking duration. "Something set" refers to what you program when preparing food. The TIMER ensures cooking stops after the set time, making it the logical answer to the clue.
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The clue "Here's to love!," e.g. suggests a celebratory or spoken phrase, marked by the quotes. A verbal salute like this is typically a toast, which is a short speech or statement offered during celebrations while raising a glass. Hence, the answer is TOAST.
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The answer "ENDS" refers to "burnt ends," which are flavorful, crispy pieces of meat cut from the edges of barbecued brisket. These tidbits are often caramelized and prized for their rich, smoky taste, making the term a perfect fit for this clue about barbecue.
Down
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The clue "Not glossy, as a photo" describes a finish that lacks shine or reflectiveness. The term "matte" is often used to describe photos with a dull, non-reflective surface, making it the perfect opposite of "glossy." Thus, MATTE fits the description and solves the clue.
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The clue references "The Onion," a satirical news publication known for humorous, fictional headlines. "History Sighs, Repeats Itself" aligns with its style of mockery and wit. The quotation marks and exaggerated nature of the headline signal satire, pointing to The Onion as the answer.
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The answer "NOMAD" fits because a nomad is a person who moves from place to place without a permanent home, essentially a wanderer. The clue directly describes this lifestyle, making "NOMAD" the apt solution. No wordplay or special markers are present here — it's a straightforward definition.
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The answer "TRESS" fits the clue "Lock of hair" because a tress specifically refers to a long lock or strand of hair. It is a direct synonym, often used in poetic or descriptive contexts to describe a piece of hair or a braid.
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The answer "HART" refers to comedian Kevin Hart. The clue mentions "a name that's fitting for Valentine's Day," which is a play on words. A "hart" is an old term for a male deer but sounds like "heart," a common symbol of love and Valentine’s Day.
Today’s Game Difficulty
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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 Valentine’s Day Mini by Christina Iverson has a fun mix of romance and pop culture, fitting for the season. Love-themed clues like "Here's to love!" and Comedian Kevin (with a name fitting for Valentine's Day) set the mood, while ANORA, a Best Picture nominee, nods to the upcoming Oscars. A nice balance of timely and classic references!
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.
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 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.