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NYT’s The Mini Crossword Answers and Hints
Across
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The answer is CAPS because the clue playfully suggests that the crossword creator inadvertently left the "CAPS LOCK" key on while constructing the puzzle. Paired with 8-Across, it highlights the literal use of all capital letters, adding a humorous twist.
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The San Diego professional baseball team is the San Diego Padres. "Padre," which means "father" in Spanish, refers to the team's name, as it honors the Spanish Franciscan friars who established missions in California. Therefore, “PADRE” is the correct answer for a San Diego baseball player.
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The HIHAT is a pair of cymbals found on a drum set, mounted on a stand with a foot pedal. Drummers can close them together or hit them with sticks, making it a key element of many drum setups. This fits "PAIR OF CYMBALS ON A DRUM SET."
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The answer is IRON because in 2013, Hasbro held a public vote to retire a classic Monopoly token. The iron was the least popular token and was replaced by a cat. This historical change links IRON directly to the clue about the retired Monopoly token of that year.
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The clue "SEE 1-ACROSS" means the answer connects directly to the 1-Across clue in the puzzle, which playfully refers to this puzzle being written in uppercase because CAPS LOCK was 'left on.'
Down
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The clue "CAPITAL OF EGYPT" is straightforward, asking for the name of Egypt's capital city. The answer is CAIRO, as it is the largest city in Egypt and its political, cultural, and historical hub, making it a direct fit for the clue.
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The answer "ADHOC" fits because "ad hoc" refers to something created or done for a specific purpose, often temporary, such as a temporary committee formed to address a particular issue. It directly aligns with the clue's description of being temporary and special-purpose.
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The clue refers to a humorous or mischievous act typical of April Fools' Day. "Foolery" hints at playful deception, making "PRANK" the fitting answer, as pranks are a hallmark of this day dedicated to jokes and harmless tricks.
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The phrase "READY-GO GO-BETWEEN" hints at the sequence in "Ready, Set, Go!" where "Set" is the word that comes between "Ready" and "Go." This puzzle employs wordplay, referencing this familiar progression. Thus, the answer is SET.
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The clue "SINGER COLLINS" refers to Phil Collins, a renowned musician known for his solo career and as the drummer and lead singer for the band Genesis. The answer is "PHIL," his first name, directly matching the clue's indication of a singer with the surname Collins.
Today’s Game Difficulty
Normal
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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
This April Fool’s Day Mini by Christina Iverson pulls a clever trick on solvers by writing every clue in uppercase, making the entire grid feel like it’s shouting at you. The real punchline comes with the cross-referenced clues “WHAT WAS LEFT ON WHILE MAKING THIS PUZZLE” and “SEE 1-ACROSS”, leading to CAPS LOCK—a perfect meta-joke about the visual gimmick. Beyond the wordplay, the puzzle covers a fun mix of topics, from Monopoly tokens to drum kits, ensuring solvers get both a challenge and a laugh. A well-executed April Fool’s prank in crossword form!
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.