Sunday NYT Mini Crossword Answers December 28, 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: November 06 2021 NYT Clues Solutions | August 26 2019 NYT Clues Solutions | June 16 2022 NYT Clues Solutions |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | December 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.
| 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 | 36. Swallow something hook, line and sinker |
| 2 Across | 96. In tears |
| 3 Across | 87. Wave to, say |
| 4 Across | 32. Fab Four drummer |
| 5 Across | 70. A Chorus Line |
| 6 Across | 73. Personal histories |
| 7 Across | 44. A Class Act |
| 8 Across | 31. Starting section |
| 9 Across | 47. A Strange Loop |
| 10 Across | 60. Shapiro of public radio |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:
- February 04 2023 NYT Clues Solutions
- January 01 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
- October 01 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Across: "36. Swallow something hook, line and sinker"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'P'
- Word pattern: E_____P
Answer: Click to reveal
EATITUP
2 Across: "96. In tears"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'G'
- Word pattern: S_____G
Answer: Click to reveal
SOBBING
3 Across: "87. Wave to, say"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'G' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: G___T
Answer: Click to reveal
GREET
4 Across: "32. Fab Four drummer"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: S___R
Answer: Click to reveal
STARR
5 Across: "70. A Chorus Line"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: R_____N
Answer: Click to reveal
REFRAIN
6 Across: "73. Personal histories"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: P___S
Answer: Click to reveal
PASTS
7 Across: "44. A Class Act"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 9 letters
- It starts with 'F' and ends with 'P'
- Word pattern: F_______P
Answer: Click to reveal
FIELDTRIP
8 Across: "31. Starting section"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: P___A
Answer: Click to reveal
PARTA
9 Across: "47. A Strange Loop"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 11 letters
- It starts with 'M' and ends with 'P'
- Word pattern: M_________P
Answer: Click to reveal
MOBIUSSTRIP
10 Across: "60. Shapiro of public radio"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'I'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
ARI
Down Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 42. Oldsmobile Cutlass model |
| 2 Down | 107. Glitzy fabric |
| 3 Down | 110. "Gotcha" |
| 4 Down | 79. Sources in etymology |
| 5 Down | 5. Makeshift tip collector |
| 6 Down | 59. Borscht base |
| 7 Down | 65. Law, but not order |
| 8 Down | 46. Prima ballerina |
| 9 Down | 6. Epitome of graceful beauty |
| 10 Down | 97. Do a diner job |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
- November 12 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
- January 01 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
- February 04 2023 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Down: "42. Oldsmobile Cutlass model"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: C___A
Answer: Click to reveal
CIERA
2 Down: "107. Glitzy fabric"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: L__E
Answer: Click to reveal
LAME
3 Down: "110. "Gotcha""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: I__E
Answer: Click to reveal
ISEE
4 Down: "79. Sources in etymology"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 9 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: R_______S
Answer: Click to reveal
ROOTWORDS
5 Down: "5. Makeshift tip collector"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'H' and ends with 'T'
- Another word like this: lid
Answer: Click to reveal
HAT
6 Down: "59. Borscht base"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'B' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: B___S
Answer: Click to reveal
BEETS
7 Down: "65. Law, but not order"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: C____R
Answer: Click to reveal
CAREER
8 Down: "46. Prima ballerina"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: E____E
Answer: Click to reveal
ETOILE
9 Down: "6. Epitome of graceful beauty"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: S__N
Answer: Click to reveal
SWAN
10 Down: "97. Do a diner job"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'B' and ends with 'S'
- Another word like this: coach
Answer: Click to reveal
BUS
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 1 minute 10 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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