Monday NYT Mini Crossword Answers October 13, 2025 - Quick 5×5 Grid Solutions & 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: June 03 2022 NYT Clues Solutions | December 28 2022 NYT Clues Solutions | May 08 2023 NYT Clues Solutions |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | October 13, 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 | 63. Fares at McDonald's and KFC … or a literal description of 17-, 29- and 47-Across |
| 2 Across | 16. Easily fooled |
| 3 Across | 23. Give temporarily |
| 4 Across | 20. Sephora competitor |
| 5 Across | 51. Baby announcement, as on some blue balloons |
| 6 Across | 69. Viral internet jokes |
| 7 Across | 34. Taste, metaphorically |
| 8 Across | 58. Sci. class in a lab |
| 9 Across | 39. In ___ (unborn) |
| 10 Across | 9. Cook's garment |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:
- January 22 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- July 01 2023 NYT Clues Solutions
- June 03 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Across: "63. Fares at McDonald's and KFC … or a literal description of 17-, 29- and 47-Across"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 9 letters
- It starts with 'F' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: F_______S
Answer: Click to reveal
FASTFOODS
2 Across: "16. Easily fooled"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'N' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: N___E
Answer: Click to reveal
NAIVE
3 Across: "23. Give temporarily"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: L__D
Answer: Click to reveal
LEND
4 Across: "20. Sephora competitor"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'U' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: U__A
Answer: Click to reveal
ULTA
5 Across: "51. Baby announcement, as on some blue balloons"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'Y'
- Word pattern: I_____Y
Answer: Click to reveal
ITSABOY
6 Across: "69. Viral internet jokes"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'M' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: M___S
Answer: Click to reveal
MEMES
7 Across: "34. Taste, metaphorically"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: P____E
Answer: Click to reveal
PALATE
8 Across: "58. Sci. class in a lab"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'M'
- Word pattern: C__M
Answer: Click to reveal
CHEM
9 Across: "39. In ___ (unborn)"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'U' and ends with 'O'
- Word pattern: U___O
Answer: Click to reveal
UTERO
10 Across: "9. Cook's garment"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: A___N
Answer: Click to reveal
APRON
Down Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 10. Spanish rice dish |
| 2 Down | 57. Molecule bit |
| 3 Down | 53. More bizarre |
| 4 Down | 26. China's Mao ___-tung |
| 5 Down | 18. Eggs that can cost $1,000 per ounce |
| 6 Down | 55. Like your chances of winning the lottery |
| 7 Down | 48. Assistant professor's goal |
| 8 Down | 54. Nintendo dinosaur |
| 9 Down | 45. More than awesome |
| 10 Down | 32. Scraped (out) |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
1 Down: "10. Spanish rice dish"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: P____A
Answer: Click to reveal
PAELLA
2 Down: "57. Molecule bit"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'M'
- Word pattern: A__M
Answer: Click to reveal
ATOM
3 Down: "53. More bizarre"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: O___R
Answer: Click to reveal
ODDER
4 Down: "26. China's Mao ___-tung"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'E'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
TSE
5 Down: "18. Eggs that can cost $1,000 per ounce"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: C____R
Answer: Click to reveal
CAVIAR
6 Down: "55. Like your chances of winning the lottery"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'M'
- Word pattern: S__M
Answer: Click to reveal
SLIM
7 Down: "48. Assistant professor's goal"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: T____E
Answer: Click to reveal
TENURE
8 Down: "54. Nintendo dinosaur"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'Y' and ends with 'I'
- Word pattern: Y___I
Answer: Click to reveal
YOSHI
9 Down: "45. More than awesome"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'C'
- Word pattern: E__C
Answer: Click to reveal
EPIC
10 Down: "32. Scraped (out)"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: E__D
Answer: Click to reveal
EKED
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: | 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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