NYT Mini Crossword October 29, 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: Quick NYT Mini Crossword October 28 | December 31 2022 NYT Clues Solutions | Saturday NYT Down Solutions October 11 |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | October 29, 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 | 16. Dracula's preferred way to eat wings? |
| 2 Across | 32. Felt something on your head? |
| 3 Across | 13. Bring down |
| 4 Across | 42. Well-rounded figure? |
| 5 Across | 35. Food fight projectile |
| 6 Across | 53. Like Satan, in the Bible |
| 7 Across | 64. Like some jobs |
| 8 Across | 22. Cell centers |
| 9 Across | 61. Get ready to attack Dracula and his pals? |
| 10 Across | 40. Wrap up |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:
- NYT Across Crossword September 18 2025
- April 23 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- NYT Mini October 16 2025 Fast Answers
1 Across: "16. Dracula's preferred way to eat wings?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 14 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: R____________T
Answer: Click to reveal
RIGHTOFFTHEBAT
2 Across: "32. Felt something on your head?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'F' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: F____A
Answer: Click to reveal
FEDORA
3 Across: "13. Bring down"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: A___E
Answer: Click to reveal
ABASE
4 Across: "42. Well-rounded figure?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: S____E
Answer: Click to reveal
SPHERE
5 Across: "35. Food fight projectile"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'A'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
PEA
6 Across: "53. Like Satan, in the Bible"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'F' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: F____N
Answer: Click to reveal
FALLEN
7 Across: "64. Like some jobs"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'D'
- Another word like this: funny
Answer: Click to reveal
ODD
8 Across: "22. Cell centers"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'N' and ends with 'I'
- Word pattern: N____I
Answer: Click to reveal
NUCLEI
9 Across: "61. Get ready to attack Dracula and his pals?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 14 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: R____________S
Answer: Click to reveal
RAISETHESTAKES
10 Across: "40. Wrap up"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'D'
- Another word like this: closing
Answer: Click to reveal
END
Down Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 9. Neighborhood in Warren Zevon's "Werewolves of London" |
| 2 Down | 33. Bring up |
| 3 Down | 34. Pot grower? |
| 4 Down | 41. Beer brand on "The Simpsons" |
| 5 Down | 48. Veterans Day event |
| 6 Down | 4. "In a way" |
| 7 Down | 38. Big name in magic |
| 8 Down | 43. Feminist sex educator Shere ___ |
| 9 Down | 10. Knock back a few |
| 10 Down | 60. Old map inits. |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
- June 17 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- All NYT Across Clues September 30 2025
- Saturday NYT Down Solutions October 11
1 Down: "9. Neighborhood in Warren Zevon's "Werewolves of London""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'O'
- Word pattern: S__O
Answer: Click to reveal
SOHO
2 Down: "33. Bring up"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: R__R
Answer: Click to reveal
REAR
3 Down: "34. Pot grower?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: A__E
Answer: Click to reveal
ANTE
4 Down: "41. Beer brand on "The Simpsons""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'F'
- Word pattern: D__F
Answer: Click to reveal
DUFF
5 Down: "48. Veterans Day event"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: P____E
Answer: Click to reveal
PARADE
6 Down: "4. "In a way""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'H'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
ISH
7 Down: "38. Big name in magic"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: P__N
Answer: Click to reveal
PENN
8 Down: "43. Feminist sex educator Shere ___"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'H' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: H__E
Answer: Click to reveal
HITE
9 Down: "10. Knock back a few"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: I____E
Answer: Click to reveal
IMBIBE
10 Down: "60. Old map inits."
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'U' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: U__R
Answer: Click to reveal
USSR
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: | Easy |
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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