Mini Crossword NYT November 17, 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: June 10 2021 NYT Clues Solutions | November 14 2020 NYT Clues Solutions | December 15 2020 NYT Clues Solutions |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | November 17, 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. Application |
| 2 Across | 64. Like a pyramid or sphere |
| 3 Across | 6. Bitter-smelling |
| 4 Across | 25. Train track part |
| 5 Across | 54. Great ___ National Park (Nevada attraction) |
| 6 Across | 58. Shoe's bottom |
| 7 Across | 20. Scrapes (out), as a living |
| 8 Across | 59. Play-___ |
| 9 Across | 17. Circle, cone, cube, cylinder, heart, pentagon, star, triangle |
| 10 Across | 27. Airheads, Dots, Fun Dip, Heath, Kit Kat, Life Savers, M&M's, Milk Duds, Nerds, Oh Henry!, Peeps, Pez, Rolo, Skittles, Twix, Twizzlers |
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 October 26 2025
- October 26 2019 NYT Clues Solutions
- October 18 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Across: "16. Application"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'U' and ends with 'E'
- Another word like this: usage
Answer: Click to reveal
USE
2 Across: "64. Like a pyramid or sphere"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: S___D
Answer: Click to reveal
SOLID
3 Across: "6. Bitter-smelling"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: A___D
Answer: Click to reveal
ACRID
4 Across: "25. Train track part"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'L'
- Word pattern: R__L
Answer: Click to reveal
RAIL
5 Across: "54. Great ___ National Park (Nevada attraction)"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'B' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: B___N
Answer: Click to reveal
BASIN
6 Across: "58. Shoe's bottom"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: S__E
Answer: Click to reveal
SOLE
7 Across: "20. Scrapes (out), as a living"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: E__S
Answer: Click to reveal
EKES
8 Across: "59. Play-___"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'H'
- Another word like this: ut
Answer: Click to reveal
DOH
9 Across: "17. Circle, cone, cube, cylinder, heart, pentagon, star, triangle"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 11 letters
- It starts with 'F' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: F_________T
Answer: Click to reveal
FIGUREEIGHT
10 Across: "27. Airheads, Dots, Fun Dip, Heath, Kit Kat, Life Savers, M&M's, Milk Duds, Nerds, Oh Henry!, Peeps, Pez, Rolo, Skittles, Twix, Twizzlers"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 12 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: S__________N
Answer: Click to reveal
SWEETSIXTEEN
Down Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 33. Like most cheeses with rinds |
| 2 Down | 43. "For suresies" |
| 3 Down | 42. Like a centenarian |
| 4 Down | 9. Receives from a will |
| 5 Down | 13. Cincinnati team |
| 6 Down | 11. Insect that stings |
| 7 Down | 53. Zero |
| 8 Down | 39. Classic arcade game with bull's-eye rings |
| 9 Down | 52. Object of adoration |
| 10 Down | 60. Quick punch |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
- December 15 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
- November 14 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
- June 12 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Down: "33. Like most cheeses with rinds"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: A__D
Answer: Click to reveal
AGED
2 Down: "43. "For suresies""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'F'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
DEF
3 Down: "42. Like a centenarian"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'D'
- Another word like this: onetime
Answer: Click to reveal
OLD
4 Down: "9. Receives from a will"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 8 letters
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: I______S
Answer: Click to reveal
INHERITS
5 Down: "13. Cincinnati team"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: R__S
Answer: Click to reveal
REDS
6 Down: "11. Insect that stings"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 9 letters
- It starts with 'B' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: B_______E
Answer: Click to reveal
BUMBLEBEE
7 Down: "53. Zero"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'N' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: N__E
Answer: Click to reveal
NONE
8 Down: "39. Classic arcade game with bull's-eye rings"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 8 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'L'
- Word pattern: S______L
Answer: Click to reveal
SKEEBALL
9 Down: "52. Object of adoration"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'L'
- Word pattern: I__L
Answer: Click to reveal
IDOL
10 Down: "60. Quick punch"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'J' and ends with 'B'
- Another word like this: dig
Answer: Click to reveal
JAB
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 52 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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