NYT Mini Crossword September 25, 2025 Hints & Answers - Beat the Average 1-Minute Time
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: June 05 2023 NYT Clues Solutions | February 02 2021 NYT Clues Solutions | November 19 2020 NYT Clues Solutions |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | September 25, 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 | 5. Dad on "Family Guy" |
| 2 Across | 45. Look greedily |
| 3 Across | 63. Steakhouse choice |
| 4 Across | 52. What each Down answer needs from its clue in order to make sense |
| 5 Across | 36. Savanna antelope |
| 6 Across | 65. Disapproving sounds |
| 7 Across | 15. "Pardon me," in Padua |
| 8 Across | 1. Onetime capital of the Mughal Empire |
| 9 Across | 60. Only president not born in the continental U.S. |
| 10 Across | 41. Android alternative |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:
- March 02 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- February 03 2023 NYT Clues Solutions
- May 29 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Across: "5. Dad on "Family Guy""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: P___R
Answer: Click to reveal
PETER
2 Across: "45. Look greedily"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: O__E
Answer: Click to reveal
OGLE
3 Across: "63. Steakhouse choice"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'F' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: F___T
Answer: Click to reveal
FILET
4 Across: "52. What each Down answer needs from its clue in order to make sense"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 15 letters
- It starts with 'F' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: F_____________S
Answer: Click to reveal
FIRSTTWOLETTERS
5 Across: "36. Savanna antelope"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: E___D
Answer: Click to reveal
ELAND
6 Across: "65. Disapproving sounds"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: T__S
Answer: Click to reveal
TSKS
7 Across: "15. "Pardon me," in Padua"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'I'
- Word pattern: S___I
Answer: Click to reveal
SCUSI
8 Across: "1. Onetime capital of the Mughal Empire"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: A__A
Answer: Click to reveal
AGRA
9 Across: "60. Only president not born in the continental U.S."
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: O___A
Answer: Click to reveal
OBAMA
10 Across: "41. Android alternative"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'S'
- Another word like this: Io
Answer: Click to reveal
IOS
Down Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 58. Beat in competition |
| 2 Down | 21. Terrible storm |
| 3 Down | 55. Shipwreck locales, often |
| 4 Down | 29. Stop slouching |
| 5 Down | 8. Programs in advance |
| 6 Down | 13. Carved part of a piece of jewelry |
| 7 Down | 34. Freeze-___ |
| 8 Down | 31. Determined |
| 9 Down | 6. Spell out |
| 10 Down | 12. Scratch and save |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
- November 19 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
- June 05 2023 NYT Clues Solutions
- January 29 1990 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Down: "58. Beat in competition"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'B' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: B____D
Answer: Click to reveal
BESTED
2 Down: "21. Terrible storm"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: T_____T
Answer: Click to reveal
TEMPEST
3 Down: "55. Shipwreck locales, often"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: S____S
Answer: Click to reveal
SHOALS
4 Down: "29. Stop slouching"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 12 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'P'
- Word pattern: S__________P
Answer: Click to reveal
STRAIGHTENUP
5 Down: "8. Programs in advance"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: P_____S
Answer: Click to reveal
PRESETS
6 Down: "13. Carved part of a piece of jewelry"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'O'
- Word pattern: C___O
Answer: Click to reveal
CAMEO
7 Down: "34. Freeze-___"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'F' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: F___E
Answer: Click to reveal
FRAME
8 Down: "31. Determined"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: D_____T
Answer: Click to reveal
DEADSET
9 Down: "6. Spell out"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'Y'
- Word pattern: S_____Y
Answer: Click to reveal
SPECIFY
10 Down: "12. Scratch and save"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'P'
- Word pattern: S____P
Answer: Click to reveal
SCRIMP
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: | Easy |
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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