NYT Mini Crossword

📝 Words nytimes.com/crosswords/game/mini

🎯 What is NYT Mini Crossword?

The NYT Mini Crossword is the daily 5×5 crossword from the New York Times. Each day the puzzle drops a tiny grid — usually solvable in one or two minutes — with across and down clues that range from straightforward definitions to clever wordplay and pop culture references.

The Mini runs in the NYT Games app and on the NYT website alongside Wordle, Connections, and Strands. The same answer goes out to every player at midnight local time, and the puzzle is designed to be the lightest possible daily crossword — a way to warm up before the day's main crossword.

💡 How to Play NYT Mini Crossword

Open nytimes.com/crosswords/game/mini to see today's 5×5 grid and the across/down clues.
Start with the easiest clue — usually a fill-in-the-blank or a pop culture reference you recognize — and type your answer into the grid.
Use the crossing letters to lock in subsequent answers. The Mini's small grid means each correct letter affects a lot of other words.
Tap Rebus if you need to enter multi-letter squares (the Mini occasionally uses them).
Solve every across and down clue to complete the puzzle. The Mini usually takes between 30 seconds and 3 minutes for regular players.
A new Mini drops at midnight local time and the archive stores the past few weeks. Your solve time and streak save to your NYT account if you're logged in.