NYT Mini Today December 01, 2025: Complete Walkthrough with Progressive Hints
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: August 17 2020 NYT Clues Solutions | October 01 2020 NYT Clues Solutions | May 23 2020 NYT Clues Solutions |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | December 01, 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 | 51. Antithesis |
| 2 Across | 30. "Madam, I'm ___" |
| 3 Across | 14. Ingredient in some smoothie bowls |
| 4 Across | 17. "Remedy" for a riled-up person |
| 5 Across | 27. Read thoroughly |
| 6 Across | 39. Lower, as the lights |
| 7 Across | 31. Emu relative |
| 8 Across | 59. "You should come foraging with me, because I'm a ___" (bad pun) |
| 9 Across | 5. Jump |
| 10 Across | 42. Genre for Cardi B or LL Cool J |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:
- October 01 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
- December 17 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
- October 14 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Across: "51. Antithesis"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 13 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: P___________E
Answer: Click to reveal
POLAROPPOSITE
2 Across: "30. "Madam, I'm ___""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'M'
- Word pattern: A__M
Answer: Click to reveal
ADAM
3 Across: "14. Ingredient in some smoothie bowls"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'I'
- Word pattern: A__I
Answer: Click to reveal
ACAI
4 Across: "17. "Remedy" for a riled-up person"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 9 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'L'
- Word pattern: C_______L
Answer: Click to reveal
CHILLPILL
5 Across: "27. Read thoroughly"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: P____E
Answer: Click to reveal
PERUSE
6 Across: "39. Lower, as the lights"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'M'
- Another word like this: dull
Answer: Click to reveal
DIM
7 Across: "31. Emu relative"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: R__A
Answer: Click to reveal
RHEA
8 Across: "59. "You should come foraging with me, because I'm a ___" (bad pun)"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'F' and ends with 'I'
- Word pattern: F___I
Answer: Click to reveal
FUNGI
9 Across: "5. Jump"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'P'
- Word pattern: L__P
Answer: Click to reveal
LEAP
10 Across: "42. Genre for Cardi B or LL Cool J"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'P'
- Another word like this: knock
Answer: Click to reveal
RAP
Down Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 12. "Dinner is served!" |
| 2 Down | 26. British singer Rita |
| 3 Down | 63. Tolkien tree creature |
| 4 Down | 9. Performance in which a lady might be sawed in half |
| 5 Down | 8. Classic music style beloved by Weird Al Yankovic |
| 6 Down | 28. Computer menu heading next to "File" |
| 7 Down | 2. Result of yelling into a cave |
| 8 Down | 25. Zilch |
| 9 Down | 37. Effortlessness |
| 10 Down | 6. Best of the best |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
- December 05 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
- December 17 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
- February 15 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Down: "12. "Dinner is served!""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: D___N
Answer: Click to reveal
DIGIN
2 Down: "26. British singer Rita"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'A'
- Another word like this: osmium
Answer: Click to reveal
ORA
3 Down: "63. Tolkien tree creature"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'T'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
ENT
4 Down: "9. Performance in which a lady might be sawed in half"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 8 letters
- It starts with 'M' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: M______T
Answer: Click to reveal
MAGICACT
5 Down: "8. Classic music style beloved by Weird Al Yankovic"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: P___A
Answer: Click to reveal
POLKA
6 Down: "28. Computer menu heading next to "File""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: E__T
Answer: Click to reveal
EDIT
7 Down: "2. Result of yelling into a cave"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'O'
- Word pattern: E__O
Answer: Click to reveal
ECHO
8 Down: "25. Zilch"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'Z' and ends with 'O'
- Word pattern: Z__O
Answer: Click to reveal
ZERO
9 Down: "37. Effortlessness"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: E__E
Answer: Click to reveal
EASE
10 Down: "6. Best of the best"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: E___E
Answer: Click to reveal
ELITE
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 45 seconds |
| Difficulty: | Normal |
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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