Today's 5×5 NYT Mini September 23, 2025 - Instant Answers Plus Learning Hints
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: April 02 2021 NYT Clues Solutions | June 26 2024 NYT Clues Solutions | Xwordhint Crossword Answers June 16 |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | September 23, 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 | 18. *Serves, as soup or ice cream |
| 2 Across | 47. Treasure holder |
| 3 Across | 42. Detergent brand |
| 4 Across | 13. Holly locales, in a Christmas carol |
| 5 Across | 23. *Gymgoer's goal, perhaps |
| 6 Across | 30. Shambles |
| 7 Across | 68. Worker with a van |
| 8 Across | 49. Nov. 11 honoree |
| 9 Across | 15. Passover mo., usually |
| 10 Across | 1. Some cookbook measurements: Abbr. |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:
- March 10 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
- September 05 2023 NYT Clues Solutions
- December 26 2023 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Across: "18. *Serves, as soup or ice cream"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 9 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: S_______T
Answer: Click to reveal
SPOONSOUT
2 Across: "47. Treasure holder"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: C___T
Answer: Click to reveal
CHEST
3 Across: "42. Detergent brand"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'A'
- Another word like this: epoch
Answer: Click to reveal
ERA
4 Across: "13. Holly locales, in a Christmas carol"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'H' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: H___S
Answer: Click to reveal
HALLS
5 Across: "23. *Gymgoer's goal, perhaps"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 12 letters
- It starts with 'W' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: W__________S
Answer: Click to reveal
WASHBOARDABS
6 Across: "30. Shambles"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'M' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: M__S
Answer: Click to reveal
MESS
7 Across: "68. Worker with a van"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'M' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: M___R
Answer: Click to reveal
MOVER
8 Across: "49. Nov. 11 honoree"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'V' and ends with 'T'
- Another word like this: veteran
Answer: Click to reveal
VET
9 Across: "15. Passover mo., usually"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'R'
- Another word like this: April
Answer: Click to reveal
APR
10 Across: "1. Some cookbook measurements: Abbr."
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: T__S
Answer: Click to reveal
TSPS
Down Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 7. Like generalizations |
| 2 Down | 32. Son of Adam |
| 3 Down | 30. Gym sight |
| 4 Down | 10. Onetime nickname on the Yankees |
| 5 Down | 4. Doesn't give proper respect |
| 6 Down | 38. Gaping opening |
| 7 Down | 34. Mayo ingredient |
| 8 Down | 1. "Superman & Lois" airer |
| 9 Down | 59. The Big Easy |
| 10 Down | 40. It's not said seriously |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
- January 04 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- June 26 2024 NYT Clues Solutions
- April 02 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Down: "7. Like generalizations"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'B' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: B___D
Answer: Click to reveal
BROAD
2 Down: "32. Son of Adam"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'H'
- Word pattern: S__H
Answer: Click to reveal
SETH
3 Down: "30. Gym sight"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'M' and ends with 'T'
- Another word like this: felt up
Answer: Click to reveal
MAT
4 Down: "10. Onetime nickname on the Yankees"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: A__D
Answer: Click to reveal
AROD
5 Down: "4. Doesn't give proper respect"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: S_____S
Answer: Click to reveal
SLIGHTS
6 Down: "38. Gaping opening"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'M' and ends with 'W'
- Another word like this: hole
Answer: Click to reveal
MAW
7 Down: "34. Mayo ingredient"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'G'
- Another word like this: eggs
Answer: Click to reveal
EGG
8 Down: "1. "Superman & Lois" airer"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'W'
- Word pattern: T___W
Answer: Click to reveal
THECW
9 Down: "59. The Big Easy"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'N' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: N__A
Answer: Click to reveal
NOLA
10 Down: "40. It's not said seriously"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'J' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: J__T
Answer: Click to reveal
JEST
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: | 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.
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