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NYT’s The Mini Crossword Answers and Hints
Across
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The clue "With 5-Down, mystery meet?" relies on wordplay. When combined, 5-Down ("DATE"), the phrase becomes "Blind date," describing a type of meeting where participants do not know each other beforehand (hence "mystery"). The pun lies in the use of "meet" to hint at a meeting or date.
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The clue "___ Puffs (cereal)" directly points to the popular cereal "Cocoa Puffs." The blank indicates you're filling in the first word of the brand name. "Cocoa" refers to the chocolate flavor of the cereal, making COCOA the correct solution.
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The answer is COAST because "coasting" refers to moving smoothly and effortlessly, often downhill, without actively pedaling. This fits the description of biking without pedaling, as gravity or momentum allows the bike to move forward without active effort.
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The clue "Spending binge" directly describes a "SPREE," which refers to a period of unrestrained activity, such as shopping or spending excessively. It's a straightforward synonym where "binge" highlights the excessive and impulsive nature of an activity like a shopping spree.
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The clue refers to a proposal scenario, where one traditionally kneels ("on bended knee") to ask for marriage. The "hoped-for answer" in such cases is "YES," indicating acceptance. The capitalization and phrasing evoke this universally recognized moment.
Down
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The answer "BCCS" refers to "blind carbon copies," a feature in email where recipients are secretly included in a message. Unlike CC (carbon copy), others can't see who was BCC'd, making the inclusion discreet—perfect for "Secretly includes."
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The answer "LOOPY" aligns with "In a silly mood" because "loopy" colloquially describes someone acting eccentric, silly, or slightly out of sorts, fitting the playful context of the clue. It conveys a lighthearted or whimsical state, perfectly matching the tone of the clue.
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The answer "ICARE" fits because it is a direct expression of empathy or concern. When someone says "I care," they are signaling understanding or compassion, encapsulating the essence of "Empathetic words." It directly conveys emotional connection and support, aligning perfectly with the clue.
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The clue "Spots for septum piercings" refers to the body part where a septum piercing is placed. The septum is the cartilage separating the nostrils, located in the nose. Plural "spots" aligns with the plural answer, "NOSES," as multiple noses could have septum piercings.
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This is a cross-reference clue, meaning you need to look at 1-Across to make full sense of it. Together, they form a common phrase—“blind date.” Alone, “DATE” might be vague, but paired with 1-Across, the full meaning comes into focus.
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 Christina Iverson packs a lot of variety into a small grid. There’s a fun bit of clue cross-referencing with a mystery meeting that pairs perfectly with a calendar entry, that duo is a nice little “aha” moment. Another square hints at a hoped-for answer when someone’s down on one knee, tapping into relationship territory again. Elsewhere, the puzzle touches on breakfast foods, email etiquette, and even facial piercings. It’s a neat mix of everyday ideas and slightly quirkier ones, and while most clues are pretty straightforward, a few might make you pause and think twice.
Today's Tricky Wordplay
Here's what caught our attention today:
- With 5-Down, mystery meet?
- ___ Puffs (cereal)
- Secretly includes, as on an email
- In a silly mood
- Empathetic words
- Spots for septum piercings
- See 1-Across
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.