NYT Mini November 08, 2025: Fast Answers, Strategic Hints & Speed-Solving Guide
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: July 06 2020 NYT Clues Solutions | October 15 2019 NYT Clues Solutions | December 12 2022 NYT Clues Solutions |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | November 08, 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 | 26. John Coltrane album whose title suggests making major progress |
| 2 Across | 32. "Then it was well with me, in days ___ I was born": Housman |
| 3 Across | 56. Job for a driller |
| 4 Across | 18. "To repeat ..." |
| 5 Across | 47. C.I.A. forerunner |
| 6 Across | 20. They're not up to much |
| 7 Across | 22. Player — or piece of equipment — at Barclays Center |
| 8 Across | 30. General with orders? |
| 9 Across | 39. .pdf alternative |
| 10 Across | 58. ___ au poivre (entree that's often flambéed) |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:
- June 20 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- Todays NYT Crossword Down Clues October_13
- July 26 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Across: "26. John Coltrane album whose title suggests making major progress"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 10 letters
- It starts with 'G' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: G________S
Answer: Click to reveal
GIANTSTEPS
2 Across: "32. "Then it was well with me, in days ___ I was born": Housman"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'E'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
ERE
3 Across: "56. Job for a driller"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 9 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'L'
- Word pattern: R_______L
Answer: Click to reveal
ROOTCANAL
4 Across: "18. "To repeat ...""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: I___D
Answer: Click to reveal
ISAID
5 Across: "47. C.I.A. forerunner"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'S'
- Another word like this: bone
Answer: Click to reveal
OSS
6 Across: "20. They're not up to much"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: I____S
Answer: Click to reveal
IDLERS
7 Across: "22. Player — or piece of equipment — at Barclays Center"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'N' and ends with 'T'
- Another word like this: web
Answer: Click to reveal
NET
8 Across: "30. General with orders?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'O'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
TSO
9 Across: "39. .pdf alternative"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'C'
- Another word like this: Dr.
Answer: Click to reveal
DOC
10 Across: "58. ___ au poivre (entree that's often flambéed)"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'K'
- Word pattern: S___K
Answer: Click to reveal
STEAK
Down Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 21. Football roster planning documents |
| 2 Down | 8. Tool used in building some castles |
| 3 Down | 43. Outfit for G.I. Joe |
| 4 Down | 52. Encumbrance |
| 5 Down | 37. Games-organizing org. |
| 6 Down | 5. Visit |
| 7 Down | 50. Singer Paul |
| 8 Down | 15. Graph type with sets of points |
| 9 Down | 29. 2019 Harry Styles song whose subject "lives in daydreams with me" |
| 10 Down | 55. The F.D.A. approved a form of this to treat anxiety in 2024, for short |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
- Todays NYT Crossword Down Clues October_13
- October 15 2019 NYT Clues Solutions
- June 13 2023 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Down: "21. Football roster planning documents"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 11 letters
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: D_________S
Answer: Click to reveal
DEPTHCHARTS
2 Down: "8. Tool used in building some castles"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'L'
- Word pattern: P__L
Answer: Click to reveal
PAIL
3 Down: "43. Outfit for G.I. Joe"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'U' and ends with 'Y'
- Word pattern: U____Y
Answer: Click to reveal
USARMY
4 Down: "52. Encumbrance"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: O__S
Answer: Click to reveal
ONUS
5 Down: "37. Games-organizing org."
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'C'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
IOC
6 Down: "5. Visit"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'Y'
- Word pattern: S__Y
Answer: Click to reveal
STAY
7 Down: "50. Singer Paul"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: A__A
Answer: Click to reveal
ANKA
8 Down: "15. Graph type with sets of points"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 11 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: S_________T
Answer: Click to reveal
SCATTERPLOT
9 Down: "29. 2019 Harry Styles song whose subject "lives in daydreams with me""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'E'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
SHE
10 Down: "55. The F.D.A. approved a form of this to treat anxiety in 2024, for short"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'D'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
LSD
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: | A bit tricky |
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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