NYT Mini Crossword October 10, 2025 Hints & Answers - Beat the Average 1-Minute Time
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: May 07 2022 NYT Clues Solutions | June 30 2021 NYT Clues Solutions | January 17 2024 NYT Clues Solutions |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | October 10, 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 | 31. Barrage with insults, in online lingo |
| 2 Across | 15. Best-selling singer whose album titles are all Arabic numerals |
| 3 Across | 34. We're booked! |
| 4 Across | 33. Mirthless |
| 5 Across | 52. Bit of a fast-food side order |
| 6 Across | 30. The emperor and his subjects in Disney's "The Emperor's New Groove" |
| 7 Across | 22. Hard-to-miss shot |
| 8 Across | 53. Blunt recap of a disappointing match |
| 9 Across | 6. Claustrophobe's desire |
| 10 Across | 19. Cry after a reappearing act |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:
- May 15 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
- December 18 2019 NYT Clues Solutions
- September 13 2019 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Across: "31. Barrage with insults, in online lingo"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'F' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: F___E
Answer: Click to reveal
FLAME
2 Across: "15. Best-selling singer whose album titles are all Arabic numerals"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: A___E
Answer: Click to reveal
ADELE
3 Across: "34. We're booked!"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: R___S
Answer: Click to reveal
ROOMS
4 Across: "33. Mirthless"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'G' and ends with 'M'
- Word pattern: G__M
Answer: Click to reveal
GRIM
5 Across: "52. Bit of a fast-food side order"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 9 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'G'
- Word pattern: O_______G
Answer: Click to reveal
ONIONRING
6 Across: "30. The emperor and his subjects in Disney's "The Emperor's New Groove""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: I___S
Answer: Click to reveal
INCAS
7 Across: "22. Hard-to-miss shot"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: T___N
Answer: Click to reveal
TAPIN
8 Across: "53. Blunt recap of a disappointing match"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: I___T
Answer: Click to reveal
ILOST
9 Across: "6. Claustrophobe's desire"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 9 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: O_______E
Answer: Click to reveal
OPENSPACE
10 Across: "19. Cry after a reappearing act"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 8 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'O'
- Word pattern: P______O
Answer: Click to reveal
PEEKABOO
Down Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 29. Nonet of Greek mythology |
| 2 Down | 12. Source of relief |
| 3 Down | 26. Not-so-private diaries |
| 4 Down | 24. Greek letter that refers to a lone wolf, in Gen-Z slang |
| 5 Down | 5. Treats again, in a way, as a sprain |
| 6 Down | 13. One out of a hundred? |
| 7 Down | 1. Instrument in the emblem of Ireland |
| 8 Down | 34. One-of-a-kind individual |
| 9 Down | 47. One might be ticked off |
| 10 Down | 7. One-trillionth: Prefix |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
- August 12 2023 NYT Clues Solutions
- February 19 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
- December 18 2019 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Down: "29. Nonet of Greek mythology"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'M' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: M___S
Answer: Click to reveal
MUSES
2 Down: "12. Source of relief"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: A__E
Answer: Click to reveal
ALOE
3 Down: "26. Not-so-private diaries"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'B' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: B___S
Answer: Click to reveal
BLOGS
4 Down: "24. Greek letter that refers to a lone wolf, in Gen-Z slang"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: S___A
Answer: Click to reveal
SIGMA
5 Down: "5. Treats again, in a way, as a sprain"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: R_____S
Answer: Click to reveal
RETAPES
6 Down: "13. One out of a hundred?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: C__T
Answer: Click to reveal
CENT
7 Down: "1. Instrument in the emblem of Ireland"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'H' and ends with 'P'
- Word pattern: H__P
Answer: Click to reveal
HARP
8 Down: "34. One-of-a-kind individual"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 8 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: R______D
Answer: Click to reveal
RAREBIRD
9 Down: "47. One might be ticked off"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: L__T
Answer: Click to reveal
LIST
10 Down: "7. One-trillionth: Prefix"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'O'
- Word pattern: P__O
Answer: Click to reveal
PICO
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: | 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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