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NYT’s The Mini Crossword Answers and Hints
Across
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The solution "JKQXZ" consists of the five Scrabble letters worth 8 (J), 5 (K), 10 (Q), 8 (X), and 10 (Z) points. These are the only letters with values of five or more, listed alphabetically as the clue specifies.
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The answer is OHARE because O'Hare International Airport (ORD), located in Chicago, Illinois, is the largest and busiest airport in the Midwest. It serves as a major hub for domestic and international travel, making it well-known and fitting for this clue.
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The clue "The Devil" directly refers to SATAN, a common name for the devil in various religious and mythological contexts. SATAN is often depicted as the ultimate symbol of evil or temptation, making it a straightforward match for this clue.
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The answer is KAY because the clue refers to the famous slogan of Kay Jewelers: "Every Kiss Begins With Kay." This slogan plays on the double meaning that "Kay" is the brand name, and "K" is the first letter of "kiss," tying to their association with romance and jewelry.
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The IRS (Internal Revenue Service) is the U.S. government agency responsible for collecting taxes. April 15th is the traditional deadline for filing federal tax returns, making the IRS extremely busy on that day as taxpayers rush to submit. Hence, IRS fits the clue perfectly.
Down
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The clue "Blank A. Bank (menswear retailer)" requires the abbreviation of a proper name. The correct answer, "JOS," stands for "Jos." in "Jos. A. Bank," a well-known menswear retailer. The abbreviation reflects the company's name, where "Jos." is short for "Joseph."
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The answer "KHAKI" fits the clue "Yellowish-brown pants material" because khaki is a fabric often used for pants or uniforms, characterized by its distinctive yellowish-brown color. The word originates from the Persian word for "dust," referencing its earthy tone. Thus, it directly matches both the color and material description.
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The answer is QATAR because it is a small nation located on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, directly neighboring Saudi Arabia to the south. Its tiny size, both geographically and population-wise, aligns with the descriptor "Tiny neighbor" in the clue.
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The clue "Pictures of fractures, perhaps?" hints at medical imaging used to identify fractures. The question mark signals a wordplay. X-rays (XRAYS) are a diagnostic tool capturing images of bones to reveal breaks or fractures, making it the perfect answer here.
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The word "ZEN" refers to a state of calm and mindfulness, often associated with meditation and inner peace. Thus, it perfectly aligns with the clue "In a chill state of mind," as it describes a serene and relaxed mental state.
Today’s Game Difficulty
Hard
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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 Wednesday Mini by Sam Ezersky, editor of Spelling Bee, leans into his trademark style: a touch trickier than the average solve. The standout is a clue drawing on Scrabble scoring knowledge, demanding solvers recall which letters carry the highest point values. That’s not everyday trivia for casual players! The grid also mixes in geography, retail, and some clever wordplay, giving it a wide range of topics. It feels very much like a Sam puzzle—tight, challenging, and satisfying.
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.