NYT Mini Today October 12, 2025: Complete Walkthrough with Progressive 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: September 05 2023 NYT Clues Solutions | February 18 2020 NYT Clues Solutions | June 24 2023 NYT Clues Solutions |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | October 12, 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 | 25. Low-pitched jazz instruments, for short |
| 2 Across | 34. "Project Hail Mary" creatures, in brief |
| 3 Across | 74. Platoon or battalion |
| 4 Across | 18. Like |
| 5 Across | 97. Facility |
| 6 Across | 63. Carpenter's adage illustrated four times in this puzzle |
| 7 Across | 14. Cry of frustration |
| 8 Across | 122. "Uh, your point is ...?" |
| 9 Across | 37. Rock band? |
| 10 Across | 1. Common sight near the entrance of a mall |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:
- January 27 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- July 18 2019 NYT Clues Solutions
- December 19 2023 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Across: "25. Low-pitched jazz instruments, for short"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 9 letters
- It starts with 'B' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: B_______S
Answer: Click to reveal
BARISAXES
2 Across: "34. "Project Hail Mary" creatures, in brief"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'S'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
ETS
3 Across: "74. Platoon or battalion"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'U' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: U__T
Answer: Click to reveal
UNIT
4 Across: "18. Like"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'A'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
ALA
5 Across: "97. Facility"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: E__E
Answer: Click to reveal
EASE
6 Across: "63. Carpenter's adage illustrated four times in this puzzle"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 19 letters
- It starts with 'M' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: M_________________E
Answer: Click to reveal
MEASURETWICECUTONCE
7 Across: "14. Cry of frustration"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'H'
- Word pattern: A__H
Answer: Click to reveal
ARGH
8 Across: "122. "Uh, your point is ...?""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'Y' and ends with 'O'
- Word pattern: Y____O
Answer: Click to reveal
YEAHSO
9 Across: "37. Rock band?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'M'
- Word pattern: S__M
Answer: Click to reveal
SEAM
10 Across: "1. Common sight near the entrance of a mall"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'M' and ends with 'P'
- Another word like this: map out
Answer: Click to reveal
MAP
Down Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 85. "More or less" |
| 2 Down | 16. Fairy tale sibling |
| 3 Down | 69. Hot French beverage |
| 4 Down | 33. It's covered in kernels |
| 5 Down | 11. Chews (out) |
| 6 Down | 3. Freak out |
| 7 Down | 56. Camera type, for short |
| 8 Down | 26. CPR pressure points |
| 9 Down | 51. Sharply dressed |
| 10 Down | 39. Wood found in restaurant furniture |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
- January 03 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- September 05 2023 NYT Clues Solutions
- September 18 2023 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Down: "85. "More or less""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'H'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
ISH
2 Down: "16. Fairy tale sibling"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'G' and ends with 'L'
- Word pattern: G____L
Answer: Click to reveal
GRETEL
3 Down: "69. Hot French beverage"
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
THE
4 Down: "33. It's covered in kernels"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'B'
- Another word like this: cobnut
Answer: Click to reveal
COB
5 Down: "11. Chews (out)"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: R___S
Answer: Click to reveal
REAMS
6 Down: "3. Freak out"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'C'
- Word pattern: P___C
Answer: Click to reveal
PANIC
7 Down: "56. Camera type, for short"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'R'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
SLR
8 Down: "26. CPR pressure points"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: S____A
Answer: Click to reveal
STERNA
9 Down: "51. Sharply dressed"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'C'
- Word pattern: C__C
Answer: Click to reveal
CHIC
10 Down: "39. Wood found in restaurant furniture"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'H'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
ASH
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: | A bit tricky |
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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