The NYT Mini Crossword: A Quick and Fun Daily Challenge

The NYT Mini Crossword is a quick and engaging version of the newspaper's larger and long-running crossword puzzle. Most days, the Mini Crossword features between three and five clues in each direction on a five by five grid, although the puzzles can sometimes be larger, especially on Saturdays.

Unlike its larger sibling, the NYT Mini Crossword is free to play on the NYT website or the NYT Games app. However, accessing previous puzzles in the archives requires an NYT Games subscription.

The NYT Mini Crossword is a fun daily distraction that usually takes very little time to complete. Some enthusiasts aim to solve the standard weekday grid in less than a minute, but occasionally, a few clues can be challenging and may require revealing the answer.

To help you avoid needing to reveal answers, here are some sample NYT Mini Crossword answers:

1. Breed of sled dog - HUSKY

2. Ante establishment? - CASINO

3. Golden brown drizzle on an ice cream sundae - CARAMEL

4. Guitarist’s accessory - AMP

5. Tree that makes acorns - OAK

6. Shoot off again, as an email - RESEND

7. Unmanned aircraft - DRONE

8. Castle material that’s not very sturdy - SAND

9. Talks persistently about - HARPSON

10. Olympic women’s gymnastics powerhouse - USA

11. Biles who represents 2-down - SIMONE

12. Works with hands, as dough - KNEAD

13. Egg’s center - YOLK

14. Backup ___ (modern auto feature) - CAMERA

15. Birthday messages may be written on them - CARDS

16. Fitting final Down answer - END

The NYT Mini Crossword is part of the Times' extensive collection of online games, which also includes Wordle, Spelling Bee, and other popular puzzles. While the current day's Mini Crossword is free to play, accessing older puzzles from the archives requires a subscription to the Times Games section.

The New York Times offers a variety of word games, but the standard crossword puzzle remains a favorite. Solving a crossword is a skill that improves with practice, and the NYT puzzle provides interesting trivia and mental flexibility. If you're having trouble completing today's NYT Crossword, there are resources available to help you with the clues.

In addition to the crossword puzzles, the New York Times has announced that Wordle is now playable within The New York Times Crossword app on Android and iOS. Players can access Wordle in the same app as three other games: The Crossword, The Mini Crossword, and Spelling Bee.