NYT Mini Today September 26, 2025: Complete Walkthrough with Progressive Hints
Quick Summary: Today's NYT Mini Crossword has 20 clues total. We have all the answers plus helpful hints to make solving easier!
Popular Puzzles: April 21 2020 NYT Clues Solutions | September 24 2022 NYT Clues Solutions | November 02 2022 NYT Clues Solutions |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | September 26, 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 | 23. Comic book sound |
| 2 Across | 53. Sign before picking up |
| 3 Across | 52. Put together |
| 4 Across | 49. In need of an evening out? |
| 5 Across | 43. Chew on |
| 6 Across | 15. Stream with a lot of shade? |
| 7 Across | 45. "The Walking Dead" network |
| 8 Across | 58. Race, in a way |
| 9 Across | 14. Start of a count-off |
| 10 Across | 37. It gets pumped at a party |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:
- September 24 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- July 08 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- NYT Across Crossword September 18 2025
1 Across: "23. Comic book sound"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'W'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
POW
2 Across: "53. Sign before picking up"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 9 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: O_______E
Answer: Click to reveal
ORDERHERE
3 Across: "52. Put together"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'G' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: G_____D
Answer: Click to reveal
GROUPED
4 Across: "49. In need of an evening out?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: C_____D
Answer: Click to reveal
CREASED
5 Across: "43. Chew on"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: P____R
Answer: Click to reveal
PONDER
6 Across: "15. Stream with a lot of shade?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 9 letters
- It starts with 'H' and ends with 'H'
- Word pattern: H_______H
Answer: Click to reveal
HATEWATCH
7 Across: "45. "The Walking Dead" network"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'C'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
AMC
8 Across: "58. Race, in a way"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'P'
- Word pattern: R___P
Answer: Click to reveal
REVUP
9 Across: "14. Start of a count-off"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: E___E
Answer: Click to reveal
EENIE
10 Across: "37. It gets pumped at a party"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'K' and ends with 'G'
- Another word like this: kegful
Answer: Click to reveal
KEG
Down Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 20. Patronized, in a way |
| 2 Down | 8. "Who am ___ question?" |
| 3 Down | 49. Cockatoo feature |
| 4 Down | 11. Serving a purpose |
| 5 Down | 51. Purifying filter acronym |
| 6 Down | 56. Org. that measures A.Q.I. |
| 7 Down | 9. Bowdlerize, maybe |
| 8 Down | 6. Drinks made with cardamom |
| 9 Down | 4. Cleaning product commonly used by pet owners |
| 10 Down | 3. It might be on display at Comic-Con |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
- July 08 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- October 11 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
- NYT Across Crossword September 18 2025
1 Down: "20. Patronized, in a way"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: A___T
Answer: Click to reveal
ATEAT
2 Down: "8. "Who am ___ question?""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'O'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
ITO
3 Down: "49. Cockatoo feature"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: C___T
Answer: Click to reveal
CREST
4 Down: "11. Serving a purpose"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'U' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: U___E
Answer: Click to reveal
UTILE
5 Down: "51. Purifying filter acronym"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'H' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: H__A
Answer: Click to reveal
HEPA
6 Down: "56. Org. that measures A.Q.I."
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'A'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
EPA
7 Down: "9. Bowdlerize, maybe"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: C____R
Answer: Click to reveal
CENSOR
8 Down: "6. Drinks made with cardamom"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: C___S
Answer: Click to reveal
CHAIS
9 Down: "4. Cleaning product commonly used by pet owners"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 10 letters
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: L________R
Answer: Click to reveal
LINTROLLER
10 Down: "3. It might be on display at Comic-Con"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 9 letters
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'K'
- Word pattern: I_______K
Answer: Click to reveal
INNERGEEK
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 45 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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