Quick NYT Mini Crossword September 22, 2025 - Mobile-Friendly Solutions & Speed 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: November 11 2020 NYT Clues Solutions | Xwordhint Crossword Answers June 11 | July 25 2023 NYT Clues Solutions |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | September 22, 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 | 54. Cigarette butt receptacle |
| 2 Across | 14. Tree with "American" and "slippery" varieties |
| 3 Across | 33. Put to work |
| 4 Across | 42. "Du-u-ude!" |
| 5 Across | 32. Cyber Monday sector |
| 6 Across | 57. Major N.Y.C. concert venue |
| 7 Across | 58. Do the backstroke or breaststroke |
| 8 Across | 66. Fixed, as a piano |
| 9 Across | 68. Frequently, to a poet |
| 10 Across | 48. Platform for Donkey Kong Country |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:
- July 25 2023 NYT Clues Solutions
- October 01 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- Xwordhint Crossword Answers May 31 2025
1 Across: "54. Cigarette butt receptacle"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: A____N
Answer: Click to reveal
ASHCAN
2 Across: "14. Tree with "American" and "slippery" varieties"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'M'
- Another word like this: elmwood
Answer: Click to reveal
ELM
3 Across: "33. Put to work"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'U' and ends with 'E'
- Another word like this: expend
Answer: Click to reveal
USE
4 Across: "42. "Du-u-ude!""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'B' and ends with 'O'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
BRO
5 Across: "32. Cyber Monday sector"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'L'
- Word pattern: E___L
Answer: Click to reveal
ETAIL
6 Across: "57. Major N.Y.C. concert venue"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'M' and ends with 'G'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
MSG
7 Across: "58. Do the backstroke or breaststroke"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'M'
- Word pattern: S__M
Answer: Click to reveal
SWIM
8 Across: "66. Fixed, as a piano"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: T___D
Answer: Click to reveal
TUNED
9 Across: "68. Frequently, to a poet"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'T'
- Another word like this: often
Answer: Click to reveal
OFT
10 Across: "48. Platform for Donkey Kong Country"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 13 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'O'
- Word pattern: S___________O
Answer: Click to reveal
SUPERNINTENDO
Down Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 57. Castle defense |
| 2 Down | 41. Hurdles for srs. |
| 3 Down | 5. Like some bars in gymnastics |
| 4 Down | 13. "Need You Tonight" rock band |
| 5 Down | 19. Like speakeasies and refrigerators, at times |
| 6 Down | 11. Crash of thunder |
| 7 Down | 4. Certain evergreen |
| 8 Down | 25. Opposite of tame |
| 9 Down | 50. "Yeah, right" |
| 10 Down | 9. Pamper |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
- July 25 2023 NYT Clues Solutions
- January 18 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- NYT0831 Saturday August 31 2024 NYT
1 Down: "57. Castle defense"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'M' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: M__T
Answer: Click to reveal
MOAT
2 Down: "41. Hurdles for srs."
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: S__S
Answer: Click to reveal
SATS
3 Down: "5. Like some bars in gymnastics"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'U' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: U____N
Answer: Click to reveal
UNEVEN
4 Down: "13. "Need You Tonight" rock band"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: I__S
Answer: Click to reveal
INXS
5 Down: "19. Like speakeasies and refrigerators, at times"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: R____D
Answer: Click to reveal
RAIDED
6 Down: "11. Crash of thunder"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'P'
- Word pattern: C__P
Answer: Click to reveal
CLAP
7 Down: "4. Certain evergreen"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'F' and ends with 'R'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
FIR
8 Down: "25. Opposite of tame"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'W' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: W__D
Answer: Click to reveal
WILD
9 Down: "50. "Yeah, right""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: I____E
Answer: Click to reveal
IMSURE
10 Down: "9. Pamper"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: C____E
Answer: Click to reveal
CODDLE
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: | A bit tricky |
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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