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NYT’s The Mini Crossword Answers and Hints
Across
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The phrase "All roads lead to Rome" is a common saying meaning that many different paths or methods can lead to the same outcome. The clue plays on this proverb, and the answer "ALL" reflects that universally, all roads metaphorically lead to Rome.
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The solution "RIOT" works here because "Total laughfest" is a playful phrase suggesting something extremely funny. A "riot" is a common informal term for an event, situation, or person that is wildly funny or hilarious, matching the clue perfectly.
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The clue "Flip phone?" with a question mark signals wordplay. If you "flip" (reverse) the word "phone," it spells "ENOHP." This creates the playful connection between the literal act of flipping and the reversed word being the answer.
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The clue "Reverse dunk?" with a question mark signals wordplay. Reversing the letters in "dunk" gives "KNUD," satisfying the "reverse" part of the clue. It's a clever trick involving reversing the word itself, not its definition or meaning.
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The clue "Ass-backwards?" with a question mark signals wordplay. Reversing "Ass" gives "SSA," making it "backwards" as per the clue's playful pun.
Down
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"Where the Wild Things ___" is referencing the famous children’s book Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. The missing word in the title is "ARE," completing the phrase and providing a direct and straightforward solution.
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The answer is LINK because "link" refers to the URL or web address required to join an online meeting. To access such meetings, participants typically need to click or enter a specific online connection provided by the host, making "LINK" a perfect fit for the clue.
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The answer is LOONS because loons are aquatic birds known for their exceptional diving abilities. They swim underwater to catch fish, their primary diet, using their streamlined bodies and powerful legs. The clue describes this exact behavior, making "LOONS" the natural and accurate answer.
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The clue "And so, as a result ..." signals a transitional or cause-and-effect term. "THUS" is a synonym that means "as a result" or "therefore," perfectly fitting the logical flow indicated by the clue. The use of ellipses hints at a continuation of reasoning, aligning with "THUS."
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The answer "PDA" stands for "Public Display of Affection," which describes actions like kissing or hugging in public settings, such as on a park bench. The clue specifies "for short," indicating an abbreviation is required, making PDA the fitting solution.
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
Today’s Wednesday Mini from Sam Ezersky, the editor of Spelling Bee, has a neat little twist: several entries hide in plain sight if you’re willing to read in reverse. It feels almost like a mini Thursday Daily, since Thursday crosswords are the ones that usually lean into this kind of wordplay. A playful midweek surprise.
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.