Today's NYT Mini Crossword November 09, 2025 - Complete Solutions with Smart Hints | 5-Minute Solve
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: February 26 2022 NYT Clues Solutions | August 03 2022 NYT Clues Solutions | October 16 2020 NYT Clues Solutions |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | November 09, 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. "Sort of" |
| 2 Across | 63. Very lite |
| 3 Across | 32. Reminder to oneself |
| 4 Across | 45. Prefix meaning "all" |
| 5 Across | 55. Animation sheet |
| 6 Across | 124. Sponsored spots |
| 7 Across | 116. Repetitive way of learning |
| 8 Across | 6. Joan of Arc, for one |
| 9 Across | 123. Wine specialty of the Burgundy region |
| 10 Across | 38. "Don't see this movie" rating |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:
- August 03 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- January 24 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- February 26 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Across: "20. "Sort of""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'Y'
- Word pattern: I____Y
Answer: Click to reveal
INAWAY
2 Across: "63. Very lite"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'N' and ends with 'L'
- Word pattern: N___L
Answer: Click to reveal
NOCAL
3 Across: "32. Reminder to oneself"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 10 letters
- It starts with 'M' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: M________E
Answer: Click to reveal
MENTALNOTE
4 Across: "45. Prefix meaning "all""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'I'
- Word pattern: O__I
Answer: Click to reveal
OMNI
5 Across: "55. Animation sheet"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'L'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
CEL
6 Across: "124. Sponsored spots"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'S'
- Another word like this: ad
Answer: Click to reveal
ADS
7 Across: "116. Repetitive way of learning"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: R__E
Answer: Click to reveal
ROTE
8 Across: "6. Joan of Arc, for one"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'M' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: M____R
Answer: Click to reveal
MARTYR
9 Across: "123. Wine specialty of the Burgundy region"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: P___T
Answer: Click to reveal
PINOT
10 Across: "38. "Don't see this movie" rating"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: O_____R
Answer: Click to reveal
ONESTAR
Down Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 2. Figure with equal angles |
| 2 Down | 64. Nocturnal primate of the Indian forest |
| 3 Down | 1. Tie the knot |
| 4 Down | 84. Rain clouds |
| 5 Down | 54. Pet-biting pest |
| 6 Down | 82. Former QB Manning |
| 7 Down | 5. River deposit |
| 8 Down | 94. Beauty spot |
| 9 Down | 52. Howard and Spelman, for two: Abbr. |
| 10 Down | 103. Where you might put on a show? |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
- Tuesday NYT Mini Crossword Answers
- August 03 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- October 16 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Down: "2. Figure with equal angles"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: I____N
Answer: Click to reveal
ISOGON
2 Down: "64. Nocturnal primate of the Indian forest"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: L___S
Answer: Click to reveal
LORIS
3 Down: "1. Tie the knot"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'O'
- Word pattern: S____O
Answer: Click to reveal
SAYIDO
4 Down: "84. Rain clouds"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'N' and ends with 'I'
- Word pattern: N___I
Answer: Click to reveal
NIMBI
5 Down: "54. Pet-biting pest"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'F' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: F__A
Answer: Click to reveal
FLEA
6 Down: "82. Former QB Manning"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: P____N
Answer: Click to reveal
PEYTON
7 Down: "5. River deposit"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: S__T
Answer: Click to reveal
SILT
8 Down: "94. Beauty spot"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'A'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
SPA
9 Down: "52. Howard and Spelman, for two: Abbr."
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'H' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: H___S
Answer: Click to reveal
HBCUS
10 Down: "103. Where you might put on a show?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'M'
- Word pattern: T____M
Answer: Click to reveal
TVROOM
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment