Quick NYT Mini Crossword September 30, 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: August 25 2023 NYT Clues Solutions | February 02 1990 NYT Clues Solutions | July 27 2022 NYT Clues Solutions |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | September 30, 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 | 34. Informal top |
| 2 Across | 11. Yuletide beverage |
| 3 Across | 69. Run-down |
| 4 Across | 58. Something found in a pen or octopus |
| 5 Across | 20. "Already accomplished!" |
| 6 Across | 6. Frank who directed "It's a Wonderful Life" |
| 7 Across | 17. *What a straw man in a cornfield is for? |
| 8 Across | 52. "Unfortunately that's wrong" |
| 9 Across | 64. Year in Spain |
| 10 Across | 15. How tuna may be packed |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:
- March 24 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
- April 24 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
- December 03 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Across: "34. Informal top"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'E'
- Another word like this: tee up
Answer: Click to reveal
TEE
2 Across: "11. Yuletide beverage"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'N' and ends with 'G'
- Another word like this: peg
Answer: Click to reveal
NOG
3 Across: "69. Run-down"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'Y'
- Word pattern: S___Y
Answer: Click to reveal
SEEDY
4 Across: "58. Something found in a pen or octopus"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'K'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
INK
5 Across: "20. "Already accomplished!""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: D____T
Answer: Click to reveal
DONEIT
6 Across: "6. Frank who directed "It's a Wonderful Life""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: C___A
Answer: Click to reveal
CAPRA
7 Across: "17. *What a straw man in a cornfield is for?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 11 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'L'
- Word pattern: C_________L
Answer: Click to reveal
CROWCONTROL
8 Across: "52. "Unfortunately that's wrong""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'O'
- Word pattern: A____O
Answer: Click to reveal
ALASNO
9 Across: "64. Year in Spain"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'O'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
ANO
10 Across: "15. How tuna may be packed"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'L'
- Word pattern: I___L
Answer: Click to reveal
INOIL
Down Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 57. Planet whose name is also a candy company |
| 2 Down | 49. When nothing goes right |
| 3 Down | 3. General on a Chinese menu |
| 4 Down | 2. ___ Lingus |
| 5 Down | 32. Babyish |
| 6 Down | 41. Puppeteer with "Sesame Street" and "The Muppet Show" |
| 7 Down | 12. One way to stop |
| 8 Down | 26. Big name in tea |
| 9 Down | 1. Fond du ___, Wis. |
| 10 Down | 8. Left of a ship ... or what a ship may have left |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
- March 24 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
- July 27 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- December 03 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Down: "57. Planet whose name is also a candy company"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'M' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: M__S
Answer: Click to reveal
MARS
2 Down: "49. When nothing goes right"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'Y'
- Word pattern: O____Y
Answer: Click to reveal
OFFDAY
3 Down: "3. General on a Chinese menu"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'O'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
TSO
4 Down: "2. ___ Lingus"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'R'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
AER
5 Down: "32. Babyish"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 9 letters
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: I_______E
Answer: Click to reveal
INFANTILE
6 Down: "41. Puppeteer with "Sesame Street" and "The Muppet Show""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'F' and ends with 'Z'
- Word pattern: F_____Z
Answer: Click to reveal
FRANKOZ
7 Down: "12. One way to stop"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: O_____E
Answer: Click to reveal
ONADIME
8 Down: "26. Big name in tea"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'O'
- Word pattern: T__O
Answer: Click to reveal
TAZO
9 Down: "1. Fond du ___, Wis."
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'C'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
LAC
10 Down: "8. Left of a ship ... or what a ship may have left"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: P__T
Answer: Click to reveal
PORT
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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