Saturday NYT Mini Crossword Answers September 20, 2025 - Quick 5×5 Grid Solutions & Tips
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: January 26 2021 NYT Clues Solutions | NYT2429 Wednesday August 29 2024 NYT | February 07 2022 NYT Clues Solutions |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | September 20, 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 | 17. Spare no indulgence |
| 2 Across | 51. Strip of wood from which a bow is carved |
| 3 Across | 19. Free of typos, say |
| 4 Across | 43. Typically exaggerated length of time |
| 5 Across | 57. Big names |
| 6 Across | 39. Kate and Allie of 1980s TV, e.g. |
| 7 Across | 35. Sullen sorts |
| 8 Across | 25. M.L.B. third baseman ___ Bohm |
| 9 Across | 46. Keep to oneself |
| 10 Across | 40. Conference acronym |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:
- May 07 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
- February 07 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- January 07 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Across: "17. Spare no indulgence"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 9 letters
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: L_______E
Answer: Click to reveal
LIVELARGE
2 Across: "51. Strip of wood from which a bow is carved"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: S___E
Answer: Click to reveal
STAVE
3 Across: "19. Free of typos, say"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: E___D
Answer: Click to reveal
EMEND
4 Across: "43. Typically exaggerated length of time"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: A__S
Answer: Click to reveal
AGES
5 Across: "57. Big names"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: S___S
Answer: Click to reveal
STARS
6 Across: "39. Kate and Allie of 1980s TV, e.g."
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'M' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: M_____S
Answer: Click to reveal
MOTHERS
7 Across: "35. Sullen sorts"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'M' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: M____S
Answer: Click to reveal
MOPERS
8 Across: "25. M.L.B. third baseman ___ Bohm"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'C'
- Word pattern: A__C
Answer: Click to reveal
ALEC
9 Across: "46. Keep to oneself"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'H' and ends with 'G'
- Another word like this: grunter
Answer: Click to reveal
HOG
10 Across: "40. Conference acronym"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'D'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
TED
Down Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 2. Kink |
| 2 Down | 14. Hidden assets |
| 3 Down | 46. Some pilgrims |
| 4 Down | 9. Who wrote "Humankind cannot bear very much reality" |
| 5 Down | 13. Drink drunk the morning after, maybe |
| 6 Down | 21. B to C, but not A to B |
| 7 Down | 42. Demand upon reaching an "enemy border" |
| 8 Down | 24. Big mess |
| 9 Down | 31. "I don't like it," in Spanish |
| 10 Down | 48. Commencement |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
- January 29 2024 NYT Clues Solutions
- January 07 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- December 23 2023 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Down: "2. Kink"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'P'
- Word pattern: C___P
Answer: Click to reveal
CRIMP
2 Down: "14. Hidden assets"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 9 letters
- It starts with 'H' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: H_______S
Answer: Click to reveal
HOLECARDS
3 Down: "46. Some pilgrims"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'H' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: H___S
Answer: Click to reveal
HAJIS
4 Down: "9. Who wrote "Humankind cannot bear very much reality""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: T_____T
Answer: Click to reveal
TSELIOT
5 Down: "13. Drink drunk the morning after, maybe"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 9 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: S_______R
Answer: Click to reveal
STALEBEER
6 Down: "21. B to C, but not A to B"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 8 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: S______E
Answer: Click to reveal
SEMITONE
7 Down: "42. Demand upon reaching an "enemy border""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'K' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: K____E
Answer: Click to reveal
KINGME
8 Down: "24. Big mess"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 8 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: R______T
Answer: Click to reveal
RATSNEST
9 Down: "31. "I don't like it," in Spanish"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 9 letters
- It starts with 'N' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: N_______A
Answer: Click to reveal
NOMEGUSTA
10 Down: "48. Commencement"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'G' and ends with 'O'
- Word pattern: G___O
Answer: Click to reveal
GETGO
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: | Normal |
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment