NYT Mini Crossword October 21, 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: November 24 2022 NYT Clues Solutions | April 11 2023 NYT Clues Solutions | NYT Down Clues Answers October 19 2025 |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | October 21, 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 | 38. Fig. on a college transcript |
| 2 Across | 17. Redwood or cottonwood |
| 3 Across | 55. Nut-brown hue |
| 4 Across | 6. Hairstyle for Questlove |
| 5 Across | 24. Where you might dance to some underground music? |
| 6 Across | 31. Make a speech |
| 7 Across | 61. The brother in "Am I my brother's keeper?" |
| 8 Across | 10. ___ de plume |
| 9 Across | 14. Half of a classic lunch special |
| 10 Across | 47. Wild guess … or what 19-, 24- and 41-Across let you take? |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:
- July 20 2019 NYT Clues Solutions
- April 11 2023 NYT Clues Solutions
- October 07 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Across: "38. Fig. on a college transcript"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'G' and ends with 'A'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
GPA
2 Across: "17. Redwood or cottonwood"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: T__E
Answer: Click to reveal
TREE
3 Across: "55. Nut-brown hue"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: A___N
Answer: Click to reveal
ACORN
4 Across: "6. Hairstyle for Questlove"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'O'
- Word pattern: A__O
Answer: Click to reveal
AFRO
5 Across: "24. Where you might dance to some underground music?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 13 letters
- It starts with 'B' and ends with 'Y'
- Word pattern: B___________Y
Answer: Click to reveal
BASEMENTPARTY
6 Across: "31. Make a speech"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: O___E
Answer: Click to reveal
ORATE
7 Across: "61. The brother in "Am I my brother's keeper?""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'L'
- Word pattern: A__L
Answer: Click to reveal
ABEL
8 Across: "10. ___ de plume"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'N' and ends with 'M'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
NOM
9 Across: "14. Half of a classic lunch special"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'P'
- Word pattern: S__P
Answer: Click to reveal
SOUP
10 Across: "47. Wild guess … or what 19-, 24- and 41-Across let you take?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 14 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'K'
- Word pattern: A____________K
Answer: Click to reveal
ASHOTINTHEDARK
Down Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 29. Dined |
| 2 Down | 12. Flat-topped landforms |
| 3 Down | 33. Actor Wilson |
| 4 Down | 1. The "A" of MoMA |
| 5 Down | 21. The Hundred ___ Wood (storybook setting) |
| 6 Down | 34. "Frozen" queen |
| 7 Down | 7. Golfer's warning |
| 8 Down | 15. Full range |
| 9 Down | 56. Contract enforcing secrecy, for short |
| 10 Down | 9. Major oil cartel, in brief |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
- October 07 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- July 20 2019 NYT Clues Solutions
- August 27 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Down: "29. Dined"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'E'
- Another word like this: eat
Answer: Click to reveal
ATE
2 Down: "12. Flat-topped landforms"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'M' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: M___S
Answer: Click to reveal
MESAS
3 Down: "33. Actor Wilson"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: O__N
Answer: Click to reveal
OWEN
4 Down: "1. The "A" of MoMA"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'T'
- Another word like this: artwork
Answer: Click to reveal
ART
5 Down: "21. The Hundred ___ Wood (storybook setting)"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: A__E
Answer: Click to reveal
ACRE
6 Down: "34. "Frozen" queen"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: E__A
Answer: Click to reveal
ELSA
7 Down: "7. Golfer's warning"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'F' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: F__E
Answer: Click to reveal
FORE
8 Down: "15. Full range"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'G' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: G___T
Answer: Click to reveal
GAMUT
9 Down: "56. Contract enforcing secrecy, for short"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'N' and ends with 'A'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
NDA
10 Down: "9. Major oil cartel, in brief"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'C'
- Word pattern: O__C
Answer: Click to reveal
OPEC
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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