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NYT’s The Mini Crossword Answers and Hints
Across
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The clue "Sound of hard impact" suggests an onomatopoeic word that mimics the noise of something hitting forcefully. "BAM" is such a sound, often used to represent a loud, sudden impact in comics, pop culture, or everyday expressions, perfectly fitting the clue.
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The clue "Hoo-wee!" is an exclamation of excitement or amazement, often expressed in an informal, enthusiastic way. The answer, OHBABY, captures this tone perfectly as it's a phrase commonly used to convey similar emotions, fitting the context of the clue's spoken, energetic vibe.
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The answer "DOUBLE" refers to the iconic "double-decker bus" associated with London. The clue is split between two entries: "DOUBLE" at this location and "8-Across," which completes the phrase as "DECKER." Together, they describe the famous red buses seen across London.
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Since 7-Across is DOUBLE, the combined answer is "DOUBLE-DECKER." This type of clue cross-references another answer, so you need to solve them together. So, DECKER, paired with DOUBLE, refers to the iconic two-story buses seen in London.
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The clue refers to "sponsored posts" found in a social media newsfeed. These are paid promotional content designed to advertise products or services. The abbreviation "ADS" (short for advertisements) accurately describes this type of content, making it the correct answer.
Down
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BABKA is the solution because it is a sweet, yeasted dessert that combines elements of both bread and cake. Its dough is enriched like bread but has a rich, moist, and layered texture associated with cake, often filled with chocolate or cinnamon, fitting the "half-bread, half-cake" description perfectly.
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The term "ABLED" is used to describe someone who possesses a full range of physical or mental abilities, contrasting with "disabled." The clue directly refers to this concept, making "ABLED" a fitting solution. It's a concise descriptor aligning with the clue's plain, straightforward language.
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The answer is MYERS because Mike Myers is the actor who famously played the title role in the "Austin Powers" film series. Known for his comedic roles, Myers brought the quirky British spy persona to life in the popular spy parody movies.
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The clue "Quirky" points to something unusual, strange, or out of the ordinary. The word "odd" aligns with this meaning as it describes peculiar or unconventional traits. It's a direct synonym for "quirky," making it the perfect fit for the clue.
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The answer "HOE" fits because it is a common gardening tool specifically designed for tasks like weeding. Its flat blade efficiently cuts weeds at the soil surface, making it ideal for maintaining gardens. The clue is straightforward, directly describing the function of a hoe in gardening.
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The Tampa Bay football team is the Buccaneers, and "BUC" is a common abbreviation for Buccaneer. The clue specifies "for short," indicating an abbreviation. Hence, BUC perfectly represents a Tampa Bay football player in shortened form.
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
Sam Ezersky and Joel Fagliano strike again! This Mini pushes boundaries with a 6x5 grid—a first—bringing even more Thursday-level trickery from The Crossword into the Mini. Cross-referencing DOUBLE/DECKER mimics classic Thursday-style clues, making solvers think outside the box. This duo keeps making the Mini tougher and more clever—just how we like it!
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.