NY Times Crossword
NY Times Wordle
NY Times Connections
NY Times Connections Sports Edition
NY Times Strands
NY Times Spelling Bee
NY Times Pips
Word Salad
Contexto
Blossom
Betweenle
Conexo
Bracket City
Fluxis
Stacks
Atlantic Crossword
LA Times Mini
LA Times Crossword
Anagram Solver
Scrabble Word Finder
Words With Friends Word Finder
Atlantic Games
LA Times
Zorzzle
Word of Fortune
Browser Extension
NYT’s The Mini Crossword Answers and Hints
Across
-
The answer "STEP" fits because "step aerobics" is a popular fitness class that uses raised platforms, known as steps, for exercises. The clue describes the defining feature of the class—using platforms—making "STEP" the precise and logical solution.
-
The clue "Like crackers that have lost some crunch" describes the diminished texture of crackers over time. Crackers that are no longer crispy and fresh are referred to as "stale." This explains why STALE is the correct answer, as it perfectly aligns with the described state of the crackers.
-
The answer "TOXIC" fits because it describes something harmful or damaging, much like a "not healthy" relationship. This aligns metaphorically, as toxic relationships negatively impact emotional or mental well-being, paralleling the literal harm associated with toxins. The clue directly points to the figurative expression.
-
The answer is OREOS because they are iconic black-and-white cookies with dark chocolate wafers and white crème filling. The clue doesn’t mean literal black-and-white cookie types (like a New York cookie), but uses word association to point to the well-known sandwich cookie, Oreos.
-
The clue "W, as in Waze?" includes a pun/play on directions. In Waze (a navigation app), "W" commonly represents "West," one of the cardinal directions. The question mark indicates wordplay, suggesting the answer isn't literal but tied to directional usage. Hence, WEST is correct.
Down
-
The clue "H&M or Home Depot" refers to examples of places where goods are sold, fitting the definition of a "STORE." Both are retail establishments, with H&M focusing on clothing and Home Depot on home improvement items, making STORE the accurate and logical answer.
-
The clue refers to deductions from a paycheck, which commonly include income taxes. Employers routinely withhold a portion of employees’ earnings for federal, state, and sometimes local taxes, making "TAXES" the correct answer. The word "withheld" specifically points to this regular payroll practice.
-
The answer "ELIOT" refers to T. S. Eliot, a renowned writer and poet known for works like The Waste Land and The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock. The clue directly hints at his initials, "T. S.," and the blank completes his last name.
-
The clue "Chest muscles, for short" asks for a shortened term for the primary muscles in the chest. "Pectoral muscles" are the full name of these muscles, and their common abbreviation or informal term is "PECS." Hence, PECS is the correct answer.
-
The clue "Put safely away" suggests storing something securely. The word "STOW" means to pack or place items in a safe, compact way, often used for luggage, cargo, or belongings. Thus, it directly matches the clue's meaning.
Today’s Game Difficulty
Easy
Rate Your Difficulty
Rate This Solver
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 Tuesday Mini by Joel Fagliano leans easy, with clues that stay very accessible. There’s fitness in the mix, food references that most solvers will know right away, and even a touch of workplace and paycheck vocabulary. Nothing here feels too out-of-reach, making this puzzle smooth and beginner-friendly while still offering a satisfying range of topics in just a small grid.
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.