Monday's NYT Mini Dec 29 - All 10 Across & 10 Down Clues Decoded
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: April 20 2021 NYT Clues Solutions | June 16 2022 NYT Clues Solutions | NYT Down Clues Answers December 26 2025 |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | December 29, 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 | 68. Signal for an actor to go onstage |
| 2 Across | 70. "Alas ..." |
| 3 Across | 15. Outer limits |
| 4 Across | 67. Molars and canines |
| 5 Across | 58. Puppy sounds |
| 6 Across | 35. Stephen of "V for Vendetta" |
| 7 Across | 22. Condé ___ (magazine publisher) |
| 8 Across | 55. Soaks (up) |
| 9 Across | 1. Life story, in brief |
| 10 Across | 23. "Tsk! Tsk!" |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:
- February 23 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- January 31 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- Fridays NYT Across Oct 24 Full
1 Across: "68. Signal for an actor to go onstage"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'E'
- Another word like this: clue
Answer: Click to reveal
CUE
2 Across: "70. "Alas ...""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'Y'
- Word pattern: S___Y
Answer: Click to reveal
SADLY
3 Across: "15. Outer limits"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: E___S
Answer: Click to reveal
EDGES
4 Across: "67. Molars and canines"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'H'
- Word pattern: T___H
Answer: Click to reveal
TEETH
5 Across: "58. Puppy sounds"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: A__S
Answer: Click to reveal
ARFS
6 Across: "35. Stephen of "V for Vendetta""
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
REA
7 Across: "22. Condé ___ (magazine publisher)"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'N' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: N__T
Answer: Click to reveal
NAST
8 Across: "55. Soaks (up)"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: S__S
Answer: Click to reveal
SOPS
9 Across: "1. Life story, in brief"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'B' and ends with 'O'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
BIO
10 Across: "23. "Tsk! Tsk!""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: S___E
Answer: Click to reveal
SHAME
Down Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 3. Battle cry of the U.S. Marine Corps |
| 2 Down | 26. Tail-less cat |
| 3 Down | 19. ___ Grey tea |
| 4 Down | 8. Caught sight of |
| 5 Down | 62. Ticked (off) |
| 6 Down | 30. Fencing sword |
| 7 Down | 34. Norway's capital |
| 8 Down | 44. Seafood with claws |
| 9 Down | 48. Rushing yards, e.g., informally |
| 10 Down | 33. Commoner |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
- April 13 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
- February 17 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
- Saturday NYT Mini Crossword Answers_13
1 Down: "3. Battle cry of the U.S. Marine Corps"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'H'
- Word pattern: O___H
Answer: Click to reveal
OORAH
2 Down: "26. Tail-less cat"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'M' and ends with 'X'
- Word pattern: M__X
Answer: Click to reveal
MANX
3 Down: "19. ___ Grey tea"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'L'
- Word pattern: E__L
Answer: Click to reveal
EARL
4 Down: "8. Caught sight of"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: E____D
Answer: Click to reveal
ESPIED
5 Down: "62. Ticked (off)"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: T__D
Answer: Click to reveal
TEED
6 Down: "30. Fencing sword"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: E__E
Answer: Click to reveal
EPEE
7 Down: "34. Norway's capital"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'O'
- Word pattern: O__O
Answer: Click to reveal
OSLO
8 Down: "44. Seafood with claws"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: L_____R
Answer: Click to reveal
LOBSTER
9 Down: "48. Rushing yards, e.g., informally"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: S__T
Answer: Click to reveal
STAT
10 Down: "33. Commoner"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'B'
- Word pattern: P__B
Answer: Click to reveal
PLEB
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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