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NYT’s The Mini Crossword Answers and Hints
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The clue "Smoke tendrils" refers to thin, delicate strands or curls of smoke that rise and drift. The word "wisps" perfectly captures this imagery, as it describes something light, thin, and insubstantial, often used for strands of smoke, mist, or hair.
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The clue "Undo, as 'I do's'" refers to reversing a marriage commitment ("I do" from wedding vows). The legal term for invalidating a marriage is "annul," which means to cancel or nullify something formally. The question mark signals a pun, connecting "undo" with this marital context. The answer is ANNUL.
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The clue "What's the point of church?" uses wordplay, with "point" hinting at something sharp or high. A spire is the tall, pointed structure commonly found on top of churches, making it the "point" of a church, both literally and figuratively.
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The solution "PUDGE" refers to chubby, soft, or squishy areas of the body often considered endearingly cute, capturing the "Adorable flab" description. It’s a playful term commonly used for baby fat or lovable small rolls of body fat. The clue’s tone fits the affectionate nature of "PUDGE."
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The answer "STEEP" fits because both high prices and cliffs (precipices) can be described as "steep." Prices can be excessively high (figuratively steep), and a precipice refers to a steep vertical drop or slope (literally). The shared characteristic ties the clue to the answer perfectly.
Down
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WASPS are common pests in apple orchards as they are attracted to the sweet scent of ripening or fallen fruit. They often feed on and damage apples, making them a nuisance for orchard owners. This clue refers to their pest-like behavior in such environments.
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The clue "Two cents, so to speak" is a playful way of referring to offering an opinion or suggestion, as the phrase "putting in your two cents" commonly means sharing your thoughts. The word "INPUT" fits perfectly as it means contribution or feedback, aligning with this figurative expression.
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The word "SNIDE" describes something mocking, contemptuous, or sarcastic in tone—just as a sarcastic "dig" or remark typically conveys subtle disdain or criticism. The connection lies in the shared connotation of scorn or derision. Thus, "SNIDE" aptly fits the description "Like a sarcastic dig."
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The answer "PURGE" fits "Get rid of" as both mean to remove or eliminate something completely, often undesired elements. "Purge" often conveys cleansing or clearing out, aligning perfectly with the clue's intent. It is a direct synonym.
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The clue "Succumb to a lullaby" suggests the act of being soothed or relaxed into a state of rest, as lullabies are typically sung to help someone fall asleep. "Succumb" means to give in, aligning perfectly with the natural response to a lullaby—SLEEP.
Today’s Game Difficulty
Hard
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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
Today’s Thursday Mini Crossword, constructed by Tracy Bennett, who also edits Wordle, has a fun and fitting twist. Every entry is a five-letter word, just like a Wordle solution! That adds a subtle layer of consistency and challenge, as solvers might find themselves slipping into Wordle-mode and trying to spot letter patterns.
The topics in the grid cover a nice range. There’s some language play, a bit of architecture, and even a nod to relationships and nature. It’s a tight little puzzle that rewards attention to tone and vocabulary, and fans of Wordle will feel right at home.
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.