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NYT’s The Mini Crossword Answers and Hints
Across
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The answer "HOST" fits because a host is the central figure of a late-night show, often the most important person (V.I.P.) who guides the program, conducts interviews, and entertains the audience.
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KAUAI is the correct answer because it is a Hawaiian island nicknamed the "Garden Isle" and known for its lush landscapes. Waimea Canyon, referred to as the "Grand Canyon of Hawaii," is a famous landmark located on Kauai, making it the island referenced in the clue.
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The answer is EBILL because it refers to an "electronic bill," which is a digital notification sent online by utility companies to inform customers about payment dues. "Online notice" aligns with the digital nature of EBILL, and "utilities" hints at typical bills like water, electricity, or internet services.
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The answer is "GIJOE" because G.I. Joe is a famous action figure, first introduced by Hasbro in 1964 as a "movable fighting man." It became iconic and was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in 2004, honoring its cultural and historic significance in the toy industry.
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The suffix "STAN" means "land of" in Persian, commonly used in Central Asian country names like Kazakhstan ("land of the Kazakhs") and Kyrgyzstan ("land of the Kyrgyz"). Hence, "STAN" is the fitting suffix shared by Kazakh and Kyrgyz.
Down
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The answer "HABIT" fits the clue "Repeated activity" because a habit is an action or behavior performed regularly or repeatedly, often without much conscious thought. It aligns perfectly with the definition of an activity occurring repeatedly, making it the correct solution.
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The answer is OUIJA because a "spiritualist's board" refers to the Ouija board, a tool used in séances to communicate with spirits. Participants use the board to spell out messages as a planchette moves across the letters, allegedly guided by spiritual energy.
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The answer "SALON" fits because a salon is a business where stylists typically work, providing haircuts, styling, and other beauty-related services. The clue directly refers to the workplace of such professionals, making "SALON" the logical solution.
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TILE is the solution because much of the iconic signage in the NYC subway system, such as station names and directional signs, is made using ceramic tiles. This durable and visually distinct material has been a hallmark of the subway’s historic design since its early days.
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KEGS is the answer because it refers to cylindrical containers used to store and serve beer, commonly associated with large quantities. The clue specifies "Big beer barrels," and kegs are essentially smaller beer barrels but still considered "big" in a casual or relative sense.
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 Sunday Mini by Joel Fagliano is a tight and well-balanced 5x5, touching on a mix of topics—from toy history and spiritualism to Central Asian geography and NYC infrastructure. A couple of clues lean trivia-heavy, while others rely on everyday logic, making for a satisfying small solve.
Today's Tricky Wordplay
Here's what caught our attention today:
- Island that's home to Waimea Canyon, a.k.a. the Grand Canyon of Hawaii
- Online notice to pay utilities
- Action figure inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame
- Suffix with Kazakh and Kyrgyz
- Spiritualist's board
- Material for much signage in the N.Y.C. subway system
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.