Today's NYT Mini Crossword October 27, 2025 - Complete Solutions with Smart Hints | 5-Minute Solve
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: October 02 2020 NYT Clues Solutions | March 18 2020 NYT Clues Solutions | January 17 2022 NYT Clues Solutions |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | October 27, 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 | 24. Application that might be put on with a spray mop |
| 2 Across | 30. Useful gadget for international travelers |
| 3 Across | 14. Olympic gymnast Sunisa |
| 4 Across | 59. First-class |
| 5 Across | 39. Openly gay |
| 6 Across | 57. Mom on "Family Guy" |
| 7 Across | 47. Miseries |
| 8 Across | 40. Browser that competes with Chrome |
| 9 Across | 4. National park in Alberta |
| 10 Across | 49. Pretty ___ picture |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:
1 Across: "24. Application that might be put on with a spray mop"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 8 letters
- It starts with 'F' and ends with 'X'
- Word pattern: F______X
Answer: Click to reveal
FLOORWAX
2 Across: "30. Useful gadget for international travelers"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: A_____R
Answer: Click to reveal
ADAPTER
3 Across: "14. Olympic gymnast Sunisa"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'E'
- Another word like this: leeward
Answer: Click to reveal
LEE
4 Across: "59. First-class"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: A__E
Answer: Click to reveal
AONE
5 Across: "39. Openly gay"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'T'
- Another word like this: KO'd
Answer: Click to reveal
OUT
6 Across: "57. Mom on "Family Guy""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: L__S
Answer: Click to reveal
LOIS
7 Across: "47. Miseries"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: S_____S
Answer: Click to reveal
SORROWS
8 Across: "40. Browser that competes with Chrome"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'F' and ends with 'X'
- Word pattern: F_____X
Answer: Click to reveal
FIREFOX
9 Across: "4. National park in Alberta"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'B' and ends with 'F'
- Word pattern: B___F
Answer: Click to reveal
BANFF
10 Across: "49. Pretty ___ picture"
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
ASA
Down Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 35. Headed the cast of |
| 2 Down | 10. Words set in stone? |
| 3 Down | 52. One of seven won by "Oppenheimer" |
| 4 Down | 1. Stuff of little substance |
| 5 Down | 51. Full of passion |
| 6 Down | 2. What matching ends of magnets do |
| 7 Down | 9. Baseball's Gehrig |
| 8 Down | 58. Send-___ (farewells) |
| 9 Down | 13. "___ sells" (advertising catchphrase) |
| 10 Down | 55. Chemical element whose name starts with an 8-point Scrabble letter |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
- February 28 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- October 02 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
- July 30 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Down: "35. Headed the cast of"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 9 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: S_______N
Answer: Click to reveal
STARREDIN
2 Down: "10. Words set in stone?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'H'
- Word pattern: E_____H
Answer: Click to reveal
EPITAPH
3 Down: "52. One of seven won by "Oppenheimer""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: O___R
Answer: Click to reveal
OSCAR
4 Down: "1. Stuff of little substance"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'F' and ends with 'F'
- Word pattern: F___F
Answer: Click to reveal
FLUFF
5 Down: "51. Full of passion"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'F' and ends with 'Y'
- Word pattern: F___Y
Answer: Click to reveal
FIERY
6 Down: "2. What matching ends of magnets do"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'L'
- Word pattern: R___L
Answer: Click to reveal
REPEL
7 Down: "9. Baseball's Gehrig"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'U'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
LOU
8 Down: "58. Send-___ (farewells)"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: O__S
Answer: Click to reveal
OFFS
9 Down: "13. "___ sells" (advertising catchphrase)"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'X'
- Another word like this: wind up
Answer: Click to reveal
SEX
10 Down: "55. Chemical element whose name starts with an 8-point Scrabble letter"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'X' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: X___N
Answer: Click to reveal
XENON
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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