Sunday NYT Mini Crossword Answers December 14, 2025 - Quick 5×5 Grid Solutions & Tips
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: NYT Mini Crossword November 29 2025 | August 08 2019 NYT Clues Solutions | August 13 2022 NYT Clues Solutions |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | December 14, 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 | 18. Recaps |
| 2 Across | 103. Frosty |
| 3 Across | 112. Fundamental rules of math |
| 4 Across | 118. Like a bubble bath |
| 5 Across | 40. Nickname for Mark's unsevered best friend in "Severance" |
| 6 Across | 34. Major coin producer |
| 7 Across | 56. Ruler before 1917 |
| 8 Across | 49. Marching band tempo setters |
| 9 Across | 73. 911 responder |
| 10 Across | 98. Articles are written in this |
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 2023 NYT Clues Solutions
- Mini Crossword NYT September 26 2025
- August 13 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Across: "18. Recaps"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'W' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: W_____S
Answer: Click to reveal
WRAPUPS
2 Across: "103. Frosty"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: C__D
Answer: Click to reveal
COLD
3 Across: "112. Fundamental rules of math"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: A____S
Answer: Click to reveal
AXIOMS
4 Across: "118. Like a bubble bath"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'Y'
- Word pattern: S___Y
Answer: Click to reveal
SUDSY
5 Across: "40. Nickname for Mark's unsevered best friend in "Severance""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'Y'
- Word pattern: P___Y
Answer: Click to reveal
PETEY
6 Across: "34. Major coin producer"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 10 letters
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: D________T
Answer: Click to reveal
DENVERMINT
7 Across: "56. Ruler before 1917"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: T__R
Answer: Click to reveal
TSAR
8 Across: "49. Marching band tempo setters"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 9 letters
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: D_______S
Answer: Click to reveal
DRUMLINES
9 Across: "73. 911 responder"
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
EMT
10 Across: "98. Articles are written in this"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: P___E
Answer: Click to reveal
PROSE
Down Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 11. Alternative to the euro, in brief |
| 2 Down | 94. Like lowercase i's and j's |
| 3 Down | 10. Soldiers with long arms |
| 4 Down | 38. The brother in "Am I my brother's keeper?" |
| 5 Down | 78. He had a Billboard Hot 100 hit with "Rubber Duckie" |
| 6 Down | 15. Opposite of volunteer |
| 7 Down | 4. Touchless payment tech |
| 8 Down | 107. ___ alla bolognese (slow-cooked sauce) |
| 9 Down | 23. Variety of violet |
| 10 Down | 57. Parking space for an Airstream, say, in brief |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
- June 04 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- February 23 2023 NYT Clues Solutions
- May 25 2023 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Down: "11. Alternative to the euro, in brief"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'U' and ends with 'D'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
USD
2 Down: "94. Like lowercase i's and j's"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: D____D
Answer: Click to reveal
DOTTED
3 Down: "10. Soldiers with long arms"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 8 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: S______N
Answer: Click to reveal
SPEARMEN
4 Down: "38. The brother in "Am I my brother's keeper?""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'L'
- Word pattern: A__L
Answer: Click to reveal
ABEL
5 Down: "78. He had a Billboard Hot 100 hit with "Rubber Duckie""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: E___E
Answer: Click to reveal
ERNIE
6 Down: "15. Opposite of volunteer"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: D_____E
Answer: Click to reveal
DRAFTEE
7 Down: "4. Touchless payment tech"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: R__D
Answer: Click to reveal
RFID
8 Down: "107. ___ alla bolognese (slow-cooked sauce)"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'U'
- Word pattern: R__U
Answer: Click to reveal
RAGU
9 Down: "23. Variety of violet"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'Y'
- Word pattern: P___Y
Answer: Click to reveal
PANSY
10 Down: "57. Parking space for an Airstream, say, in brief"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: R___T
Answer: Click to reveal
RVLOT
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: | 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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