NYT Mini September 29, 2025: Fast Answers, Strategic Hints & Speed-Solving Guide
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: March 29 2023 NYT Clues Solutions | December 19 2022 NYT Clues Solutions | May 01 2023 NYT Clues Solutions |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | September 29, 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 | 43. A dance or a dip |
| 2 Across | 25. 3, 4 or 5, for a golf hole |
| 3 Across | 23. Hyphenated brand of fruit-flavored drinks |
| 4 Across | 14. Touch-and-go |
| 5 Across | 72. Send to a specialist, say |
| 6 Across | 52. Photo ___ (media events) |
| 7 Across | 68. Fertile soil |
| 8 Across | 35. Free souvenirs |
| 9 Across | 53. Fertilization targets |
| 10 Across | 37. Yoko to whom the 1971 song "Oh Yoko!" is dedicated |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:
- May 01 2023 NYT Clues Solutions
- March 09 2024 NYT Clues Solutions
- February 08 2023 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Across: "43. A dance or a dip"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: S___A
Answer: Click to reveal
SALSA
2 Across: "25. 3, 4 or 5, for a golf hole"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'R'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
PAR
3 Across: "23. Hyphenated brand of fruit-flavored drinks"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'H' and ends with 'C'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
HIC
4 Across: "14. Touch-and-go"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'Y'
- Word pattern: D___Y
Answer: Click to reveal
DICEY
5 Across: "72. Send to a specialist, say"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: R___R
Answer: Click to reveal
REFER
6 Across: "52. Photo ___ (media events)"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'S'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
OPS
7 Across: "68. Fertile soil"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'M'
- Word pattern: L__M
Answer: Click to reveal
LOAM
8 Across: "35. Free souvenirs"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'G'
- Word pattern: S__G
Answer: Click to reveal
SWAG
9 Across: "53. Fertilization targets"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'A'
- Another word like this: ovum
Answer: Click to reveal
OVA
10 Across: "37. Yoko to whom the 1971 song "Oh Yoko!" is dedicated"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'O'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
ONO
Down Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 36. "You go, ___!" |
| 2 Down | 50. Laser pointer or rubber mouse |
| 3 Down | 11. Composer Stravinsky |
| 4 Down | 51. Sweet drink |
| 5 Down | 6. "Shucks!," only stronger |
| 6 Down | 59. Word after pen, pet or proper |
| 7 Down | 61. Bro |
| 8 Down | 62. Trade punches |
| 9 Down | 42. Castaway's call for help |
| 10 Down | 3. Berry that's a "superfood" |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
1 Down: "36. "You go, ___!""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'G' and ends with 'L'
- Word pattern: G__L
Answer: Click to reveal
GIRL
2 Down: "50. Laser pointer or rubber mouse"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'Y'
- Word pattern: C____Y
Answer: Click to reveal
CATTOY
3 Down: "11. Composer Stravinsky"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: I__R
Answer: Click to reveal
IGOR
4 Down: "51. Sweet drink"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'N' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: N____R
Answer: Click to reveal
NECTAR
5 Down: "6. "Shucks!," only stronger"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: D__N
Answer: Click to reveal
DAMN
6 Down: "59. Word after pen, pet or proper"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'N' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: N__E
Answer: Click to reveal
NAME
7 Down: "61. Bro"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: D__E
Answer: Click to reveal
DUDE
8 Down: "62. Trade punches"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: S__R
Answer: Click to reveal
SPAR
9 Down: "42. Castaway's call for help"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'S'
- Another word like this: sol
Answer: Click to reveal
SOS
10 Down: "3. Berry that's a "superfood""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'I'
- Word pattern: A__I
Answer: Click to reveal
ACAI
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 1 minute 3 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.
No comments:
Post a Comment