Mini Crossword Solver

The NYT Mini Crossword is a compact 5×5 grid with five Across clues and five Down clues — designed to be solved in under two minutes, making it a popular daily warm-up for puzzle players. Every letter in the Mini grid is checked, meaning each cell belongs to both an Across and a Down answer, so confirming one answer immediately helps with the crossing answer. Clues in the Mini tend to be more pop culture-forward and contemporary than the full crossword. To use this solver, type your clue exactly as written, set the answer length to match the grid slot, and enter any crossing letters you've already confirmed from other answers. Hit Solve Clue and Claude AI returns the answer directly — far more useful than a pattern matcher for the Mini's occasionally tricky cluing style.

Disclaimer: PuzzleUnlock is an independent puzzle help site and is not affiliated with The New York Times, Wordle, Connections, Spelling Bee, Strands, Scrabble, Hasbro, Boggle, or any other puzzle publisher. All trademarks belong to their respective owners.

About Mini Crossword

The New York Times Mini Crossword was introduced in August 2014 as a faster, more accessible alternative to the full NYT Crossword. Where the standard crossword can take anywhere from five minutes for expert Monday solvers to over an hour for Saturday diehards, the Mini is designed to be completable in under two minutes — making it perfect for a quick daily brain exercise on a phone during a commute, a coffee break, or any brief pause in the day.

The Mini uses a 5×5 grid with five Across clues and five Down clues. Despite its small size, the clues maintain the wit, wordplay, and cultural currency of the full crossword. Clue writer Joel Fagliano has described the Mini as having its own distinct personality — more pop culture-forward, more likely to reference current events, and quicker to embrace contemporary slang than the more traditional full crossword. The Mini is free to play without a NYT subscription, unlike the full crossword.

The Mini has become enormously popular in its own right, with many dedicated players who never attempt the full crossword. It has an app leaderboard that shows how your solve time compares to friends and the global player base, adding a competitive element absent from the full crossword. The fastest Mini solvers complete it in under 20 seconds — a testament to pattern recognition and clue familiarity that develops with daily practice.

The Mini has served as an entry point to crossword solving for millions of players. The five-clue format is approachable and completable even for players with no crossword experience, while still offering genuine satisfying challenge. Many players describe the Mini as their daily warm-up before attempting the full crossword, and others find the Mini's quick satisfaction perfectly suited to their puzzle preferences without the full crossword's time commitment.

In a 5×5 grid, every single letter intersects with both an Across and a Down answer. One confirmed letter provides a constraint for both its row and column answer. Solve your most confident clue first and use every letter it reveals to constrain crossing answers — the small grid size means confident fills cascade quickly.

Mini clues skew strongly toward contemporary pop culture: current movies, TV shows, streaming platforms, social media, music, and internet culture. If a clue feels opaque and vocabulary-based approaches haven't worked, try thinking about recent pop culture references. The Mini's audience skews younger than the full crossword's.

With five-letter maximum answers and many three and four-letter slots, the Mini relies heavily on common short words. Once you've confirmed two or three letters of a short answer, the number of possibilities becomes very small. Enter what you know in the solver for rapid elimination.

Unlike the full crossword, the Mini doesn't follow a difficulty progression through the week. Each Mini is its own entity with consistent but unpredictable difficulty. Don't expect Monday's Mini to be easier than Wednesday's.

Every letter is checking — use it

Pop culture is more prominent than in the full crossword

Short words have limited options

The Monday-Saturday difficulty gradient doesn't apply

Q: Is the Mini Crossword free to play?

Yes — the NYT Mini Crossword is free to play without any subscription, unlike the full NYT Crossword which requires a subscription. The Mini is available on the NYT Games website and in the NYT Games app.

Q: Can I use the PuzzleUnlock solver for the full NYT Crossword?

Yes — the same crossword solver works for any crossword regardless of size or publication. For full crossword use, enter individual clues one at a time with their length and any crossing letters you've confirmed.

Q: How does the Mini leaderboard work?

The NYT Mini leaderboard shows your solve time compared to friends you've connected through the NYT Games app, as well as your personal best time and solve streak. Competitive Mini players aim for sub-30-second solves.

Q: Why does the Mini sometimes feel harder than expected?

Mini difficulty is not predictable. Some Minis with unfamiliar pop culture references can stump experienced crossword solvers, while others solve in seconds. The clue writer, theme, and specific cultural references used that day all affect perceived difficulty.

Q: What's a good target solve time for the Mini?

Beginners typically solve in 2-5 minutes. Regular solvers average 60-90 seconds. Competitive players target under 30 seconds, with expert times under 15 seconds for familiar clue types. Any completion is a win — the streak is what matters.