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NYT’s The Mini Crossword Answers and Hints
Across
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The clue "Slumber party attire, casually" suggests informal sleepwear. "Casually" implies an abbreviation or shorthand. PJS is a common, relaxed abbreviation for "pajamas," making it the perfect fit for what attendees of a slumber party typically wear.
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"Surplus" refers to an excess or overabundance of something, which perfectly aligns with the meaning of "GLUT." A glut occurs when there is more of something than needed or can be used, making this a concise synonym and the correct solution for the clue.
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The answer is SEALE because Bobby Seale is a historical figure who co-founded the Black Panther Party, a revolutionary organization advocating for Black empowerment and social justice, alongside Huey P. Newton in 1966. Recognizing his name completes the clue referencing this activist leader.
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The clue "Soccer announcer's cry after a goal" suggests an enthusiastic, spoken phrase often heard during commentary. "It's in!" (ITSIN) is a celebratory exclamation used to confirm the ball has successfully entered the net, aligning perfectly with what an announcer might exclaim after a goal.
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ROMEO is the famous star-crossed lover from Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet. The term “star-crossed” refers to their doomed love, as their fate was determined by the stars. Romeo’s deep love and tragic story with Juliet make him the perfect fit for this clue.
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The Washington Nationals, often called the "Nats," are D.C.'s Major League Baseball (MLB) team. The clue refers to a player from this team, and "NAT" is a commonly used shorthand or nickname for a Nationals player, making it the correct answer.
Down
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PLASMA is the solution because early flat-screen TVs, known as plasma TVs, contained plasma—a state of matter with ionized gas. This plasma was used to create individual pixels that emitted light to form images on the screen, making it the "substance" inside those televisions.
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JULIET is the solution because she is one of the central characters in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, a classic tale of "star-crossed lovers." The term "star-crossed" refers to their tragic fate, influenced by unfavorable astrological forces and family conflict. She is famously known as Romeo's ill-fated lover.
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The answer is STENO because it refers to a stenographer, a person who transcribes speech in real time using shorthand during courtroom proceedings. This is the "recorder" capturing everything said in the courtroom for legal records.
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The clue "Hop aboard!" is a spoken instruction or command, suggesting an action to board something like a bus, train, or vehicle. "GET ON" directly matches this phrase as it conveys the action of boarding or climbing onto something, fitting both the clue's meaning and tone.
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The clue "___, yes, ___!" indicates a spoken phrase, emphasized by the quotation marks. "Sir, yes, sir!" is a formal response often associated with military settings, where respect and acknowledgment are key. The repetitive "sir" fits perfectly into the blanks, making "SIR" the solution.
Today’s Game Difficulty
Easy
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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 Friday Mini by Christina Iverson has an unusual 5×6 grid, taller than the usual square shape. That layout choice isn’t random, it makes space for a clever bit of wordplay built around a pair of 'famously star-crossed lovers.' Their crossing entries create the puzzle’s standout moment and explain the taller, slimmer grid. The rest of the fill stays quick and approachable, mixing trivia, sports, and everyday language to give solvers a smooth but still memorable Friday solve.
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.