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NYT’s The Mini Crossword Answers and Hints
Across
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The phrase "belly of the beast" refers to being in the most dangerous or challenging part of a situation, while "nature of the beast" describes inherent traits, often difficult or undesirable, of something. Both phrases include "beast," making it the word that logically follows both.
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The answer is LATTE because a latte is a popular coffee drink made with espresso and steamed milk, topped with a layer of frothy milk foam. The “frothy top” directly describes the characteristic foam on a latte, making it the perfect solution for this clue.
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The clue "Ann ___, Mich." refers to the city "Ann Arbor" in Michigan. "Arbor" completes the name of this well-known city, which is home to the University of Michigan. The blank signals that a part of the name, "Arbor," is missing and needs to be filled in.
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The clue "Night lights?" ends with a question mark, signaling wordplay. STARS are naturally visible lights in the night sky, fitting the "Night lights" phrase. The playful pun highlights stars as both literal lights at night and figurative "stars" that shine or stand out.
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The clue includes a pun. "A lot of it on your hands" hints at a chef frequently handling many ingredients. "Thyme" is a herb often used in cooking, and humorously plays on the homophone "time," which chefs also manage carefully in the kitchen.
Down
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The answer "BLAST" fits the clue "Really fun time" as the term is commonly used to describe an exciting, enjoyable, or memorable experience. Phrases like "We had a blast!" encapsulate the idea of a truly fun occasion, matching the clue perfectly.
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The clue "Our world" directly refers to the planet we inhabit. Earth is commonly known as "our world" in both a literal and universal sense, making it the perfect fit for the clue. This straightforward clue points to Earth's unique role as our home planet.
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"AT BAY" is a phrase meaning to keep something or someone at a distance or under control, aligning with "held in check." It suggests maintaining a defensive or cautious position to prevent a threat, fitting the clue's intent.
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The answer "STORM" fits because winter weather warnings are often issued in anticipation of severe weather conditions, such as snowstorms, ice storms, or blizzards. The clue directly references the type of hazardous weather expected, making STORM a clear solution.
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The word "TERSE" means brief and to the point, often in a way that seems abrupt or curt. The clue "Abruptly worded" directly describes this characteristic, as terse language can feel sudden or blunt due to its brevity. Hence, TERSE is the fitting answer.
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 5×5 Tuesday puzzle is a fun twist from Tracy Bennett! Every answer is a five-letter word, just like in Wordle—fitting, since she's the Wordle editor. The puzzle also plays with nature and time-related themes, making for a clever and satisfying solve. A neat blend of two beloved word games!
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.