NYT Mini Crossword Answers Today October 11, 2025 - All 20 Clues Solved & Expert 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 16 2020 NYT Clues Solutions | November 27 2023 NYT Clues Solutions | November 01 2019 NYT Clues Solutions |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | October 11, 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 | 45. Meet face to face? |
| 2 Across | 31. "___ Deo gloria" (Latin doctrine) |
| 3 Across | 1. Source of great power? |
| 4 Across | 59. What magicians strive to do |
| 5 Across | 40. Initial cost of a sort |
| 6 Across | 42. Put on ___ |
| 7 Across | 49. Like some protective sunglasses, in brief |
| 8 Across | 52. Beam |
| 9 Across | 61. Under lines? |
| 10 Across | 58. Music box? |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:
- October 20 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
- April 11 2023 NYT Clues Solutions
- February 17 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Across: "45. Meet face to face?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 8 letters
- It starts with 'H' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: H______T
Answer: Click to reveal
HEADBUTT
2 Across: "31. "___ Deo gloria" (Latin doctrine)"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'I'
- Word pattern: S__I
Answer: Click to reveal
SOLI
3 Across: "1. Source of great power?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 12 letters
- It starts with 'M' and ends with 'H'
- Word pattern: M__________H
Answer: Click to reveal
MASTERSWITCH
4 Across: "59. What magicians strive to do"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 12 letters
- It starts with 'B' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: B__________D
Answer: Click to reveal
BLOWYOURMIND
5 Across: "40. Initial cost of a sort"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: A__E
Answer: Click to reveal
ANTE
6 Across: "42. Put on ___"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: A___T
Answer: Click to reveal
ANACT
7 Across: "49. Like some protective sunglasses, in brief"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'V'
- Word pattern: A____V
Answer: Click to reveal
ANTIUV
8 Across: "52. Beam"
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
9 Across: "61. Under lines?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 12 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'M'
- Word pattern: S__________M
Answer: Click to reveal
SUBWAYSYSTEM
10 Across: "58. Music box?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'P'
- Another word like this: A
Answer: Click to reveal
AMP
Down Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 30. "Everyone has ___. What's rare is the courage to follow [it] to the dark places where it leads": Erica Jong |
| 2 Down | 6. They see things for what they are |
| 3 Down | 9. Shorthand for a stance |
| 4 Down | 28. Words on either side of "for" |
| 5 Down | 43. Chooses traffic over train, perhaps |
| 6 Down | 55. Reaction to something sweet, maybe |
| 7 Down | 2. Taxing times |
| 8 Down | 36. Spot to order a witbier or hefeweizen |
| 9 Down | 27. Johann ___, philosopher who influenced Hegel |
| 10 Down | 7. Seafood staple of New England |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
- February 17 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
- July 27 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
- September 19 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Down: "30. "Everyone has ___. What's rare is the courage to follow [it] to the dark places where it leads": Erica Jong"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: T____T
Answer: Click to reveal
TALENT
2 Down: "6. They see things for what they are"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 8 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: R______S
Answer: Click to reveal
REALISTS
3 Down: "9. Shorthand for a stance"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'O'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
IMO
4 Down: "28. Words on either side of "for""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: A___E
Answer: Click to reveal
ANEYE
5 Down: "43. Chooses traffic over train, perhaps"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: C____T
Answer: Click to reveal
CABSIT
6 Down: "55. Reaction to something sweet, maybe"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'W'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
AWW
7 Down: "2. Taxing times"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: A____S
Answer: Click to reveal
APRILS
8 Down: "36. Spot to order a witbier or hefeweizen"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 8 letters
- It starts with 'B' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: B______S
Answer: Click to reveal
BRAUHAUS
9 Down: "27. Johann ___, philosopher who influenced Hegel"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'F' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: F____E
Answer: Click to reveal
FICHTE
10 Down: "7. Seafood staple of New England"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: S___D
Answer: Click to reveal
SCROD
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: | Medium |
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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