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NYT’s The Mini Crossword Answers and Hints
Across
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The answer is HOST because George Carlin was the host for the very first episode of "Saturday Night Live" in 1975. The host is the primary presenter who introduces sketches and interacts with the cast, a key role on the show.
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The answer "POUTY" fits "Sulky-looking" because "pouty" describes someone expressing displeasure or annoyance through a protruding lower lip and moody facial expression, which matches the visual of someone looking sulky or sullen. It aligns both in meaning and context.
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The clue mimics spoken language. When someone raises their hand and says, “Up top!,” they’re asking for a high-five above shoulder level. It’s more playful than “gimme five” and fits the casual, conversational tone the crossword is aiming for.
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The clue "Subway system" directly hints at METRO, which is a term commonly used worldwide for underground train networks like subways. The term "Metro" originates from "Metropolitan Railway," often associated with public transit systems in major cities. It's a fitting synonym for Subway system.
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This refers to New York City’s upcoming 2025 mayoral election. Eric Adams, the current mayor, is running for re-election as an Independent. The clue highlights him as the candidate directly facing Cuomo and Mamdani, making Adams the clear crossword answer.
Down
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The phrase "Crossed one's fingers" is commonly associated with wishing or desiring for a favorable outcome. This directly aligns with the word "HOPED," which means to have a positive expectation or wish, encapsulating the act of crossing fingers for good luck.
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The phrase "Straight ___ Compton" directly references the iconic 1988 rap album Straight Outta Compton by N.W.A. "Outta" is colloquial for "out of," matching the casual tone of the title. The quotation marks signify a spoken or cultural phrase, making OUTTA the fitting answer.
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The answer is STORM because during a storm, especially one with lightning, it is extremely dangerous to be outside holding a tall metal rod, as it can act as a lightning conductor. The clue hints at this hazardous situation, making STORM the logical answer.
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The clue "What autocorrect corrects" refers to the primary function of autocorrect: fixing unintentional errors made while typing, known as typos (short for "typographical errors"). These mistakes often occur due to misspelling or accidental keystrokes, which autocorrect aims to automatically identify and revise. Hence, the answer is TYPOS.
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PUMA is the answer because it refers to both a big cat (another name for a cougar or mountain lion) and the popular sneaker brand named after this agile animal. The clue cleverly ties the animal's attributes to the brand's identity.
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
Joel Fagliano’s Thursday Mini brings a smooth balance of trivia, everyday language, and playful phrasing. You’ll spot a nod to classic comedy, a dash of political context, and a few colloquial expressions that feel very modern. The grid mixes pop culture with simple wordplay, making for a quick but satisfying solve. Nothing too tricky today, but enough variety in topics to keep it lively for a Thursday.
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.