NYT Mini Crossword Answers Today December 12, 2025 - All 20 Clues Solved & Expert 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: November 07 2019 NYT Clues Solutions | NYT Across Crossword November 18 2025 | NYT Across Clues Answers October 17 |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | December 12, 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 | 5. Grounds |
| 2 Across | 16. Word with wet or sweat |
| 3 Across | 17. Conspiracy theorist's accessory |
| 4 Across | 46. Skater's braking method with the back foot positioned horizontally |
| 5 Across | 20. Main component of a "gutbucket," a jug band instrument |
| 6 Across | 61. Floats |
| 7 Across | 18. "Don't leave me!," e.g. |
| 8 Across | 19. 16 in a Sweet Sixteen |
| 9 Across | 38. See 5-Down |
| 10 Across | 62. Give a bad hand? |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:
- NYT Across Clues Answers October 17
- November 07 2019 NYT Clues Solutions
- Todays Across Crossword NYT December 08
1 Across: "5. Grounds"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: C___E
Answer: Click to reveal
CAUSE
2 Across: "16. Word with wet or sweat"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: S__T
Answer: Click to reveal
SUIT
3 Across: "17. Conspiracy theorist's accessory"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 10 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: T________T
Answer: Click to reveal
TINFOILHAT
4 Across: "46. Skater's braking method with the back foot positioned horizontally"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'P'
- Word pattern: T___P
Answer: Click to reveal
TSTOP
5 Across: "20. Main component of a "gutbucket," a jug band instrument"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'W' and ends with 'B'
- Word pattern: W_____B
Answer: Click to reveal
WASHTUB
6 Across: "61. Floats"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'H' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: H___S
Answer: Click to reveal
HANGS
7 Across: "18. "Don't leave me!," e.g."
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: P__A
Answer: Click to reveal
PLEA
8 Across: "19. 16 in a Sweet Sixteen"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: T___S
Answer: Click to reveal
TEAMS
9 Across: "38. See 5-Down"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 10 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: A________E
Answer: Click to reveal
APPLESAUCE
10 Across: "62. Give a bad hand?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: A__T
Answer: Click to reveal
ABET
Down Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 3. Pulitzer-winning journalist Applebaum |
| 2 Down | 45. "Buss It" rapper ___ Banks |
| 3 Down | 29. Tropical plants said to bring good fortune |
| 4 Down | 28. Colleague who might be solutions-oriented? |
| 5 Down | 56. Physics unit equivalent to roughly 624 gigaelectronvolts |
| 6 Down | 55. Whitehouse in D.C., e.g.: Abbr. |
| 7 Down | 34. Hagfish lookalikes |
| 8 Down | 8. Playwright who wrote "You see things; and you say 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say 'Why not?'" |
| 9 Down | 49. Arm of the Dept. of Labor |
| 10 Down | 52. French 101 verb |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
- June 22 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- November 18 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- October 03 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Down: "3. Pulitzer-winning journalist Applebaum"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: A__E
Answer: Click to reveal
ANNE
2 Down: "45. "Buss It" rapper ___ Banks"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: E___A
Answer: Click to reveal
ERICA
3 Down: "29. Tropical plants said to bring good fortune"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 10 letters
- It starts with 'M' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: M________S
Answer: Click to reveal
MONEYTREES
4 Down: "28. Colleague who might be solutions-oriented?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 10 letters
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: L________R
Answer: Click to reveal
LABPARTNER
5 Down: "56. Physics unit equivalent to roughly 624 gigaelectronvolts"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'G'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
ERG
6 Down: "55. Whitehouse in D.C., e.g.: Abbr."
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'N'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
SEN
7 Down: "34. Hagfish lookalikes"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: E__S
Answer: Click to reveal
EELS
8 Down: "8. Playwright who wrote "You see things; and you say 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say 'Why not?'""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'W'
- Word pattern: S__W
Answer: Click to reveal
SHAW
9 Down: "49. Arm of the Dept. of Labor"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: O__A
Answer: Click to reveal
OSHA
10 Down: "52. French 101 verb"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: E__E
Answer: Click to reveal
ETRE
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 3 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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