NYT Mini Crossword Answers Today November 28, 2025 - All 20 Clues Solved & Expert Hints

Quick Summary: Today's NYT Mini Crossword has 20 clues total. We have all the answers plus helpful hints to make solving easier!

About Today's Puzzle

NYT Mini Crossword solutions for November 28, 2025 — NYT Mini Crossword Grid - Friday, November 28, 2025

Puzzle Statistics
Detail	Information
Date	November 28, 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.

5x5 Crossword Grid Pattern
	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.

Across Clues List
Number	Clue
1 Across	39. What the British call people who make crosswords
2 Across	44. One-named rock idol who was born Paul David Hewson
3 Across	40. Prepared statement?
4 Across	16. Actress Watts of "Mulholland Drive"
5 Across	33. Coming ___
6 Across	55. Informal get-together
7 Across	34. Small band
8 Across	14. Drive around the office?
9 Across	31. Actress ___ Marsay of Disney+'s "Andor"
10 Across	46. Guess alternative

Hints and Answers for Across Clues

Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:

1 Across: "39. What the British call people who make crosswords"

Helpful hints:

This word has 7 letters
It starts with 'S' and ends with 'S'
Word pattern: S_____S

Answer:

Click to reveal

SETTERS

2 Across: "44. One-named rock idol who was born Paul David Hewson"

Helpful hints:

This word has 4 letters
It starts with 'B' and ends with 'O'
Word pattern: B__O

Answer:

Click to reveal

BONO

3 Across: "40. Prepared statement?"

Helpful hints:

This word has 7 letters
It starts with 'I' and ends with 'Y'
Word pattern: I_____Y

Answer:

Click to reveal

IMREADY

4 Across: "16. Actress Watts of "Mulholland Drive""

Helpful hints:

This word has 5 letters
It starts with 'N' and ends with 'I'
Word pattern: N___I

Answer:

Click to reveal

NAOMI

5 Across: "33. Coming ___"

Helpful hints:

This word has 4 letters
It starts with 'S' and ends with 'N'
Word pattern: S__N

Answer:

Click to reveal

SOON

6 Across: "55. Informal get-together"

Helpful hints:

This word has 4 letters
It starts with 'S' and ends with 'H'
Word pattern: S__H

Answer:

Click to reveal

SESH

7 Across: "34. Small band"

Helpful hints:

This word has 4 letters
It starts with 'T' and ends with 'O'
Word pattern: T__O

Answer:

Click to reveal

TRIO

8 Across: "14. Drive around the office?"

Helpful hints:

This word has 9 letters
It starts with 'W' and ends with 'C'
Word pattern: W_______C

Answer:

Click to reveal

WORKETHIC

9 Across: "31. Actress ___ Marsay of Disney+'s "Andor""

Helpful hints:

This word has 4 letters
It starts with 'F' and ends with 'E'
Word pattern: F__E

Answer:

Click to reveal

FAYE

10 Across: "46. Guess alternative"

Helpful hints:

This word has 3 letters
It starts with 'L' and ends with 'E'
Another word like this: leeward

Answer:

Click to reveal

LEE

Down Clues - 10 Total

These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.

Down Clues List
Number	Clue
1 Down	5. Bishop for whom a neighborhood in Paris is named
2 Down	21. French name meaning "born again"
3 Down	47. Softball question
4 Down	38. Picks up
5 Down	15. Back in the race?
6 Down	36. Funny Fred
7 Down	1. Words of affirmation
8 Down	10. Flash mob group, perhaps
9 Down	6. Junk food that, ironically, has an exercise in its name
10 Down	35. ___-Latino

Hints and Answers for Down Clues

Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:

1 Down: "5. Bishop for whom a neighborhood in Paris is named"

Helpful hints:

This word has 7 letters
It starts with 'S' and ends with 'S'
Word pattern: S_____S

Answer:

Click to reveal

STDENIS

2 Down: "21. French name meaning "born again""

Helpful hints:

This word has 4 letters
It starts with 'R' and ends with 'E'
Word pattern: R__E

Answer:

Click to reveal

RENE

3 Down: "47. Softball question"

Helpful hints:

This word has 3 letters
It starts with 'L' and ends with 'B'
This is a short form or acronym

Answer:

Click to reveal

LOB

4 Down: "38. Picks up"

Helpful hints:

This word has 6 letters
It starts with 'S' and ends with 'S'
Word pattern: S____S

Answer:

Click to reveal

SENSES

5 Down: "15. Back in the race?"

Helpful hints:

This word has 7 letters
It starts with 'E' and ends with 'E'
Word pattern: E_____E

Answer:

Click to reveal

ENDORSE

6 Down: "36. Funny Fred"

Helpful hints:

This word has 7 letters
It starts with 'A' and ends with 'N'
Word pattern: A_____N

Answer:

Click to reveal

ARMISEN

7 Down: "1. Words of affirmation"

Helpful hints:

This word has 5 letters
It starts with 'I' and ends with 'L'
Word pattern: I___L

Answer:

Click to reveal

IWILL

8 Down: "10. Flash mob group, perhaps"

Helpful hints:

This word has 11 letters
It starts with 'D' and ends with 'E'
Word pattern: D_________E

Answer:

Click to reveal

DANCETROUPE

9 Down: "6. Junk food that, ironically, has an exercise in its name"

Helpful hints:

This word has 11 letters
It starts with 'C' and ends with 'S'
Word pattern: C_________S

Answer:

Click to reveal

CHEESECURLS

10 Down: "35. ___-Latino"

Helpful hints:

This word has 4 letters
It starts with 'A' and ends with 'O'
Word pattern: A__O

Answer:

Click to reveal

AFRO

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

Today's Puzzle by the Numbers
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 45 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.

Search Clues

Friday, November 28, 2025