Today's NYT Mini Crossword September 19, 2025 - Complete Solutions with Smart Hints | 5-Minute Solve
Quick Summary: Today's NYT Mini Crossword has 20 clues total. We have all the answers plus helpful hints to make solving easier!
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About Today's Puzzle

Detail | Information |
---|---|
Date | September 19, 2025 |
Grid Size | 5 x 5 squares |
Total Clues | 20 clues |
Across Clues | 10 clues |
Down Clues | 10 clues |
Average Solve Time | Under 1 minute |
Today's NYT Mini Crossword Grid Layout
This puzzle uses a 5 by 5 grid. That means 5 boxes across and 5 boxes down.
Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 | Column 4 | Column 5 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Row 1 | |||||
Row 2 | |||||
Row 3 | |||||
Row 4 | |||||
Row 5 |
How to Solve This Puzzle Fast
- Read all the clues first - your brain will start working on them
- Fill in the short words first (3 letters or less)
- Use the crossing letters to help with harder words
- If a clue has a question mark (?), it's probably a joke or play on words
- Common short words: THE, AND, ARE, FOR, NOT
Quick Facts About This Puzzle
- Total squares in grid: 25 (5 times 5)
- Average time to solve: Less than 1 minute
- Best time to play: During a coffee break
- Difficulty level: Made for everyone to enjoy
Across Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from left to right in the puzzle.
Number | Clue |
---|---|
1 Across | 49. Tennis star Stephens who won the 2017 U.S. Open |
2 Across | 48. Figs. on a 4-point scale |
3 Across | 16. Actress Chaplin |
4 Across | 23. One of four for a bat or a cat |
5 Across | 20. ___ Seymour, third wife of King Henry VIII |
6 Across | 43. The "A" in STEAM |
7 Across | 62. Editor's marking |
8 Across | 44. "I, personally, wouldn't boast about that" |
9 Across | 25. Not with it |
10 Across | 30. With (it) |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:
- 2408 Thu Aug 22 2024 Usa Today
- March 31 2023 NYT Clues Solutions
- February 15 2024 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Across: "49. Tennis star Stephens who won the 2017 U.S. Open"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: S____E
Answer: Click to reveal
SLOANE
2 Across: "48. Figs. on a 4-point scale"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'G' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: G__S
Answer: Click to reveal
GPAS
3 Across: "16. Actress Chaplin"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: O__A
Answer: Click to reveal
OONA
4 Across: "23. One of four for a bat or a cat"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'F' and ends with 'G'
- Word pattern: F__G
Answer: Click to reveal
FANG
5 Across: "20. ___ Seymour, third wife of King Henry VIII"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'J' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: J__E
Answer: Click to reveal
JANE
6 Across: "43. The "A" in STEAM"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: A__S
Answer: Click to reveal
ARTS
7 Across: "62. Editor's marking"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: S__T
Answer: Click to reveal
STET
8 Across: "44. "I, personally, wouldn't boast about that""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 14 letters
- It starts with 'W' and ends with 'K'
- Word pattern: W____________K
Answer: Click to reveal
WEIRDFLEXBUTOK
9 Across: "25. Not with it"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 14 letters
- It starts with 'B' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: B____________S
Answer: Click to reveal
BEHINDTHETIMES
10 Across: "30. With (it)"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: I__N
Answer: Click to reveal
INON
Down Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
Number | Clue |
---|---|
1 Down | 54. "___ the Man" (2006 film inspired by "Twelfth Night") |
2 Down | 57. On the newsstand, say |
3 Down | 49. Wrapped dress |
4 Down | 23. Done: Fr. |
5 Down | 4. Bud |
6 Down | 28. Salutation for a mass email |
7 Down | 50. Author Jorge ___ Borges |
8 Down | 33. Learning center? |
9 Down | 3. Handling things |
10 Down | 51. Apt rhyme for fire |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
1 Down: "54. "___ the Man" (2006 film inspired by "Twelfth Night")"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: S__S
Answer: Click to reveal
SHES
2 Down: "57. On the newsstand, say"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'T'
- Another word like this: stunned
Answer: Click to reveal
OUT
3 Down: "49. Wrapped dress"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'I'
- Word pattern: S__I
Answer: Click to reveal
SARI
4 Down: "23. Done: Fr."
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'F' and ends with 'I'
- Word pattern: F__I
Answer: Click to reveal
FINI
5 Down: "4. Bud"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'L'
- Another word like this: brother
Answer: Click to reveal
PAL
6 Down: "28. Salutation for a mass email"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'H' and ends with 'L'
- Word pattern: H___L
Answer: Click to reveal
HIALL
7 Down: "50. Author Jorge ___ Borges"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: L__S
Answer: Click to reveal
LUIS
8 Down: "33. Learning center?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'K'
- Word pattern: D__K
Answer: Click to reveal
DESK
9 Down: "3. Handling things"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: O__T
Answer: Click to reveal
ONIT
10 Down: "51. Apt rhyme for fire"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: P__E
Answer: Click to reveal
PYRE
How to Solve the NYT Mini Crossword Faster
Here are the best tips from expert solvers:
Step-by-Step Strategy
- Quick Scan: Read all clues once. Your brain starts working on them right away.
- Easy First: Fill in the shortest words (2-3 letters). These are usually simple words like "IT" or "ON".
- Use Crossings: When letters cross, they help you figure out harder words.
- Watch for Wordplay: Clues with question marks (?) are jokes or puns.
- Common Words: Remember these appear often: ERA, ORE, ATE, ICE.
Letter Tips That Really Help
- The letter E is the most common in English
- Words ending in S are often plurals
- If you see "___" in a clue, the answer fits those blanks exactly
- Abbreviations in clues mean the answer is also abbreviated
Time Goals to Aim For
Your Time | Skill Level | What It Means |
---|---|---|
Under 30 seconds | Expert | You know the puzzle patterns very well! |
30-60 seconds | Advanced | Great job! You solve quickly. |
1-2 minutes | Good | You're doing well. Keep practicing! |
Over 2 minutes | Learning | You'll get faster with practice. |
Puzzle Numbers and Facts
Total Clues: | 20 clues to solve |
Grid Size: | 5 boxes across, 5 boxes down |
Total Squares: | 25 squares to fill |
Average Time: | Most people solve in 52 seconds |
Difficulty: | Medium |
Common Questions About NYT Mini Crossword
When can I play the NYT Mini?
The puzzle comes out at 10 PM Eastern Time the night before. So you can play Monday's puzzle starting Sunday at 10 PM.
How fast should I be able to solve it?
Most people solve the Mini in 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Don't worry if you take longer - speed comes with practice!
Do I need to pay to play?
No! The NYT Mini is completely free. You don't need a subscription like the big crossword.
What makes a good Mini solver?
Good Mini solvers know common short words, can spot wordplay quickly, and use crossing letters well. Practice helps a lot!
Are the puzzles harder on certain days?
Unlike the big NYT crossword, the Mini stays about the same difficulty every day. Sometimes Saturday might be a tiny bit harder.
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