Mini Crossword NYT October 08, 2025 - Today's Puzzle Solved in Under 3 Minutes
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: December 01 2022 NYT Clues Solutions | November 28 2023 NYT Clues Solutions | October 16 2023 NYT Clues Solutions |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | October 08, 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 | 20. Take in |
| 2 Across | 59. Completely immersed |
| 3 Across | 13. Overhaul |
| 4 Across | 27. Country between the Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf |
| 5 Across | 48. Author of "L'Île Mystérieuse" |
| 6 Across | 32. I repeat: "Will Ruby go to prom with me?" |
| 7 Across | 52. Hairy Halloween costume |
| 8 Across | 18. Helpful skill for guessers |
| 9 Across | 16. "Will Ruby go to prom with me?" |
| 10 Across | 55. Provider of the answers at 16-, 32- and 37-Across |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:
- January 07 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
- February 27 2024 NYT Clues Solutions
- December 06 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Across: "20. Take in"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'B'
- Word pattern: A____B
Answer: Click to reveal
ABSORB
2 Across: "59. Completely immersed"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 9 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: E_______D
Answer: Click to reveal
ENGROSSED
3 Across: "13. Overhaul"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'O'
- Word pattern: R__O
Answer: Click to reveal
REDO
4 Across: "27. Country between the Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: I__N
Answer: Click to reveal
IRAN
5 Across: "48. Author of "L'Île Mystérieuse""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'V' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: V___E
Answer: Click to reveal
VERNE
6 Across: "32. I repeat: "Will Ruby go to prom with me?""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 13 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: A___________R
Answer: Click to reveal
ASKAGAINLATER
7 Across: "52. Hairy Halloween costume"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'E'
- Another word like this: aper
Answer: Click to reveal
APE
8 Across: "18. Helpful skill for guessers"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'P'
- Another word like this: E.S.P.
Answer: Click to reveal
ESP
9 Across: "16. "Will Ruby go to prom with me?""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 14 letters
- It starts with 'M' and ends with 'O'
- Word pattern: M____________O
Answer: Click to reveal
MYSOURCESSAYNO
10 Across: "55. Provider of the answers at 16-, 32- and 37-Across"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 14 letters
- It starts with 'M' and ends with 'L'
- Word pattern: M____________L
Answer: Click to reveal
MAGICEIGHTBALL
Down Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 58. Noggin knock |
| 2 Down | 56. Course for becoming bilingual, for short |
| 3 Down | 48. Scrutinize |
| 4 Down | 40. Dresses warmly, with "up" |
| 5 Down | 37. Official authorization |
| 6 Down | 42. Elaborate |
| 7 Down | 33. Receipts |
| 8 Down | 47. ___ de gallo (Mexican salsa) |
| 9 Down | 15. Elder son of Isaac |
| 10 Down | 51. Bog |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
- March 26 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
- October 16 2023 NYT Clues Solutions
- December 06 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Down: "58. Noggin knock"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'B' and ends with 'P'
- Another word like this: whap
Answer: Click to reveal
BOP
2 Down: "56. Course for becoming bilingual, for short"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'L'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
ESL
3 Down: "48. Scrutinize"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'V' and ends with 'T'
- Another word like this: veteran
Answer: Click to reveal
VET
4 Down: "40. Dresses warmly, with "up""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'B' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: B_____S
Answer: Click to reveal
BUNDLES
5 Down: "37. Official authorization"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'W' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: W_____T
Answer: Click to reveal
WARRANT
6 Down: "42. Elaborate"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'D'
- Another word like this: impart
Answer: Click to reveal
ADD
7 Down: "33. Receipts"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'G' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: G__E
Answer: Click to reveal
GATE
8 Down: "47. ___ de gallo (Mexican salsa)"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'O'
- Word pattern: P__O
Answer: Click to reveal
PICO
9 Down: "15. Elder son of Isaac"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'U'
- Word pattern: E__U
Answer: Click to reveal
ESAU
10 Down: "51. Bog"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'M' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: M__E
Answer: Click to reveal
MIRE
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 3 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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