Wednesday's NYT Mini Oct 01 - All 10 Across & 10 Down Clues Decoded
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: August 22 2020 NYT Clues Solutions | February 28 2024 NYT Clues Solutions | January 01 2021 NYT Clues Solutions |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | October 01, 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 | 53. Seasonal precipitation from SURINAME |
| 2 Across | 17. Elite soldier from GERMANY |
| 3 Across | 28. Attics often have lots of them |
| 4 Across | 42. Japanese beer brand |
| 5 Across | 29. A schooner has at least two of them |
| 6 Across | 52. Bulletin board sticker |
| 7 Across | 47. Fighting style from OMAN |
| 8 Across | 21. Shipping route |
| 9 Across | 33. Sci-fi attack from SLOVENIA |
| 10 Across | 60. FAQ page contents |
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 2023 NYT Clues Solutions
- August 22 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
- March 12 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Across: "53. Seasonal precipitation from SURINAME"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 10 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: S________N
Answer: Click to reveal
SUMMERRAIN
2 Across: "17. Elite soldier from GERMANY"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 10 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: A________R
Answer: Click to reveal
ARMYRANGER
3 Across: "28. Attics often have lots of them"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'W' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: W__S
Answer: Click to reveal
WEBS
4 Across: "42. Japanese beer brand"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'I'
- Word pattern: A___I
Answer: Click to reveal
ASAHI
5 Across: "29. A schooner has at least two of them"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'M' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: M___S
Answer: Click to reveal
MASTS
6 Across: "52. Bulletin board sticker"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'K'
- Word pattern: T__K
Answer: Click to reveal
TACK
7 Across: "47. Fighting style from OMAN"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 9 letters
- It starts with 'M' and ends with 'O'
- Word pattern: M_______O
Answer: Click to reveal
MANOAMANO
8 Across: "21. Shipping route"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: S_____E
Answer: Click to reveal
SEALANE
9 Across: "33. Sci-fi attack from SLOVENIA"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 13 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: A___________N
Answer: Click to reveal
ALIENINVASION
10 Across: "60. FAQ page contents"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'O'
- Word pattern: I__O
Answer: Click to reveal
INFO
Down Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 41. Part of a Cub Scout pack |
| 2 Down | 45. River through four European capitals |
| 3 Down | 37. Paper or plastic, say |
| 4 Down | 31. Move in which a skier leaves the ground |
| 5 Down | 8. Candy brand with a Big Cup variety |
| 6 Down | 23. Blackjack half |
| 7 Down | 1. Stole from a show? |
| 8 Down | 46. ___ Estefan, Miami Sound Machine vocalist |
| 9 Down | 26. Desert |
| 10 Down | 55. TV's "Chicago ___" |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
- March 12 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- January 24 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- November 04 2019 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Down: "41. Part of a Cub Scout pack"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'N'
- Another word like this: hideout
Answer: Click to reveal
DEN
2 Down: "45. River through four European capitals"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: D____E
Answer: Click to reveal
DANUBE
3 Down: "37. Paper or plastic, say"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'N' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: N__N
Answer: Click to reveal
NOUN
4 Down: "31. Move in which a skier leaves the ground"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'L'
- Word pattern: A____L
Answer: Click to reveal
AERIAL
5 Down: "8. Candy brand with a Big Cup variety"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: R____S
Answer: Click to reveal
REESES
6 Down: "23. Blackjack half"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'E'
- Another word like this: nail
Answer: Click to reveal
ACE
7 Down: "1. Stole from a show?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'B' and ends with 'A'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
BOA
8 Down: "46. ___ Estefan, Miami Sound Machine vocalist"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'G' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: G____A
Answer: Click to reveal
GLORIA
9 Down: "26. Desert"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: A_____N
Answer: Click to reveal
ABANDON
10 Down: "55. TV's "Chicago ___""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'M' and ends with 'D'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
MED
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 1 minute 10 seconds |
| Difficulty: | Normal |
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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