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NYT’s The Mini Crossword Answers and Hints
Across
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The clue refers to the game "rock-paper-scissors." In this game, rock beats (or "wins over") scissors but loses to paper, matching the description given. This logical relationship makes "ROCK" the correct answer.
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The clue references Angelina Jolie, the famous actress who starred alongside Brad Pitt in the 2005 movie Mr. & Mrs. Smith. "JOLIE" is her last name, making it the correct answer for this clue.
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The clue "What a time to be ___!" is a commonly used exclamation expressing amazement or enthusiasm about the present. The word "ALIVE" fits perfectly as it completes the phrase, highlighting the appreciation or excitement about experiencing life during a remarkable time.
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The answer is "DEVIL" because devils are traditionally depicted with red horns, making it a popular and recognizable Halloween costume. The clue directly references this classic imagery, clearly linking the costume to the devil's iconic horns.
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The C-suite refers to top corporate executives with titles like CEO, CFO, or COO. "EXEC" is shorthand for "executive," fitting as a general term for a C-suite member. The clue directly points to the role without wordplay, making "EXEC" the concise and accurate solution.
Down
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ROLEX is the answer because it matches the clue perfectly: it's a prestigious watch brand known for high achievements. The word "Crown" in the slogan alludes to Rolex's crown logo, symbolizing luxury and excellence, aligning with the brand’s reputation and tagline.
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The answer is OLIVE because an olive is a classic and iconic garnish traditionally served with a martini. This small fruit is typically either skewered or dropped directly into the drink, adding a subtle, briny flavor that complements the cocktail’s taste perfectly.
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The answer "CIVIC" refers to a well-known Honda car model. It is described as having a "palindromic name" because "CIVIC" reads the same backward and forward, fitting both the car reference and the palindrome requirement in the clue.
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KEEL is the solution because it refers to the structural backbone of a boat at its very bottom, running along the center of its hull. It provides stability and support, making it a fundamental part of a boat’s design. The clue directly describes its function.
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The clue "Green gemstone" directly describes JADE, a precious stone commonly green in color. Known for its vibrant green hue, jade has been valued throughout history, especially in jewelry and art. This straightforward, definition-style clue points to JADE as the correct 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 Sunday Mini, by Ian Livengood (also the editor of Pips), is on the very easy side. The grid leans heavily on familiar references, from a household gemstone to a garnish you’ve seen a hundred times in cocktails plus some instantly recognizable names in film and luxury branding. Even the trivia clue lands on something many solvers will know without hesitation. It’s a smooth solve with little resistance, more about breezing through than puzzling over, which makes for a light and satisfying Sunday treat.
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.