Mini Crossword NYT September 17, 2025 - Today's Puzzle Solved in Under 1 Minutes
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: July 25 2022 NYT Clues Solutions | 27434 Sat Dec 21 2024 Ny Times | January 17 2024 NYT Clues Solutions |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | September 17, 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 | 49. Pressing |
| 2 Across | 17. Olympian Strug |
| 3 Across | 74. Like a smart aleck |
| 4 Across | 24. Sound effect in a slapstick routine |
| 5 Across | 15. Some garage jobs |
| 6 Across | 5. Ditto, in footnotes |
| 7 Across | 29. Awakening |
| 8 Across | 20. Elder brother of Moses |
| 9 Across | 22. Perfectly pitched? |
| 10 Across | 73. Really loving |
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 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- 2410 Sat Oct 12 2024 Ny Times Crossword
- 27449 Mon Jan 06 2025 Ny Times
1 Across: "49. Pressing"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: D__E
Answer: Click to reveal
DIRE
2 Across: "17. Olympian Strug"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'K' and ends with 'I'
- Word pattern: K___I
Answer: Click to reveal
KERRI
3 Across: "74. Like a smart aleck"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'Y'
- Word pattern: S___Y
Answer: Click to reveal
SASSY
4 Across: "24. Sound effect in a slapstick routine"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'B' and ends with 'K'
- Word pattern: B__K
Answer: Click to reveal
BONK
5 Across: "15. Some garage jobs"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: L___S
Answer: Click to reveal
LUBES
6 Across: "5. Ditto, in footnotes"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'M'
- Word pattern: I__M
Answer: Click to reveal
IDEM
7 Across: "29. Awakening"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'L'
- Word pattern: A_____L
Answer: Click to reveal
AROUSAL
8 Across: "20. Elder brother of Moses"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: A___N
Answer: Click to reveal
AARON
9 Across: "22. Perfectly pitched?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'N' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: N___T
Answer: Click to reveal
NOHIT
10 Across: "73. Really loving"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'O'
- Word pattern: I__O
Answer: Click to reveal
INTO
Down Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 65. When Hamilton arrives in New York City, in "Hamilton" |
| 2 Down | 68. With 28-Down, longtime McDonald's chief |
| 3 Down | 54. Screwballs |
| 4 Down | 39. Body of policy advisers |
| 5 Down | 31. Enjoy |
| 6 Down | 40. Take home |
| 7 Down | 10. Soothing home remedy for puffy eyes |
| 8 Down | 16. Go over lightly |
| 9 Down | 9. Rocksteady precursor |
| 10 Down | 43. Like some short tennis matches |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
- July 25 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- September 11 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
- August 22 2023 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Down: "65. When Hamilton arrives in New York City, in "Hamilton""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'I'
- Word pattern: A__I
Answer: Click to reveal
ACTI
2 Down: "68. With 28-Down, longtime McDonald's chief"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'Y'
- Another word like this: beam
Answer: Click to reveal
RAY
3 Down: "54. Screwballs"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'K' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: K___S
Answer: Click to reveal
KOOKS
4 Down: "39. Body of policy advisers"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 9 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'K'
- Word pattern: T_______K
Answer: Click to reveal
THINKTANK
5 Down: "31. Enjoy"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: L__E
Answer: Click to reveal
LIKE
6 Down: "40. Take home"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: E__N
Answer: Click to reveal
EARN
7 Down: "10. Soothing home remedy for puffy eyes"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: T_____S
Answer: Click to reveal
TEABAGS
8 Down: "16. Go over lightly"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'M'
- Word pattern: S__M
Answer: Click to reveal
SKIM
9 Down: "9. Rocksteady precursor"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'A'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
SKA
10 Down: "43. Like some short tennis matches"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with '2' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: 2__T
Answer: Click to reveal
2SET
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 58 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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