Mini Crossword NYT October 15, 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: March 24 2020 NYT Clues Solutions | July 28 2023 NYT Clues Solutions | January 18 2022 NYT Clues Solutions |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | October 15, 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 | 31. Host Glass of radio's "This American Life" |
| 2 Across | 4. Sign of justice |
| 3 Across | 59. Something you might exclaim when talking about 17-, 24-, 36- or 50-Across? |
| 4 Across | 55. Girlfriends in Madrid |
| 5 Across | 64. Record label for SZA and A$AP Rocky |
| 6 Across | 39. "The Master Builder" playwright |
| 7 Across | 66. Medium-term govt. security |
| 8 Across | 65. Falls short, say |
| 9 Across | 15. Lead-up to a ski jump |
| 10 Across | 9. Middling grade |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:
- September 07 2023 NYT Clues Solutions
- December 11 2023 NYT Clues Solutions
- August 23 2023 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Across: "31. Host Glass of radio's "This American Life""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'A'
- Another word like this: wrath
Answer: Click to reveal
IRA
2 Across: "4. Sign of justice"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: L___A
Answer: Click to reveal
LIBRA
3 Across: "59. Something you might exclaim when talking about 17-, 24-, 36- or 50-Across?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 9 letters
- It starts with 'W' and ends with 'L'
- Word pattern: W_______L
Answer: Click to reveal
WHATATOOL
4 Across: "55. Girlfriends in Madrid"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: A____S
Answer: Click to reveal
AMIGAS
5 Across: "64. Record label for SZA and A$AP Rocky"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'A'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
RCA
6 Across: "39. "The Master Builder" playwright"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: I___N
Answer: Click to reveal
IBSEN
7 Across: "66. Medium-term govt. security"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: T___E
Answer: Click to reveal
TNOTE
8 Across: "65. Falls short, say"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: L___S
Answer: Click to reveal
LOSES
9 Across: "15. Lead-up to a ski jump"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: I___N
Answer: Click to reveal
INRUN
10 Across: "9. Middling grade"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: C___S
Answer: Click to reveal
CPLUS
Down Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 12. Frequent conspiracy subject |
| 2 Down | 38. It's blowing in the wind |
| 3 Down | 43. Hero lifeguards, e.g. |
| 4 Down | 13. Something usually kept private, for short |
| 5 Down | 54. Race with an anchor |
| 6 Down | 29. Area of greatest danger |
| 7 Down | 11. Joseph Conrad novel made into a 1965 film starring Peter O'Toole |
| 8 Down | 49. Secure again, as a door |
| 9 Down | 5. ___ while |
| 10 Down | 2. "___ Rouge!" (2001 musical film) |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
- November 11 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
- December 11 2023 NYT Clues Solutions
- September 07 2023 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Down: "12. Frequent conspiracy subject"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'U' and ends with 'O'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
UFO
2 Down: "38. It's blowing in the wind"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'V' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: V__E
Answer: Click to reveal
VANE
3 Down: "43. Hero lifeguards, e.g."
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: S_____S
Answer: Click to reveal
SAVIORS
4 Down: "13. Something usually kept private, for short"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'N'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
SSN
5 Down: "54. Race with an anchor"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'Y'
- Word pattern: R___Y
Answer: Click to reveal
RELAY
6 Down: "29. Area of greatest danger"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 10 letters
- It starts with 'F' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: F________S
Answer: Click to reveal
FRONTLINES
7 Down: "11. Joseph Conrad novel made into a 1965 film starring Peter O'Toole"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'M'
- Word pattern: L_____M
Answer: Click to reveal
LORDJIM
8 Down: "49. Secure again, as a door"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'K'
- Word pattern: R____K
Answer: Click to reveal
RELOCK
9 Down: "5. ___ while"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'A'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
INA
10 Down: "2. "___ Rouge!" (2001 musical film)"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'M' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: M____N
Answer: Click to reveal
MOULIN
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 58 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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