NYT Mini Crossword December 04, 2025 Hints & Answers - Beat the Average 1-Minute Time
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: October 22 2022 NYT Clues Solutions | March 17 2020 NYT Clues Solutions | September 05 2020 NYT Clues Solutions |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | December 04, 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 | 23. Put into practice |
| 2 Across | 61. Fruit so named for its wrinkly skin |
| 3 Across | 31. Veterinarian's interest |
| 4 Across | 35. Buzzed, in a way |
| 5 Across | 29. Stop right there! |
| 6 Across | 22. Name of eight English kings |
| 7 Across | 24. Three squared + Slide |
| 8 Across | 56. Stink |
| 9 Across | 39. Deep shade of green |
| 10 Across | 17. Also + Frozen water |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:
- July 30 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
- January 23 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
- January 28 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Across: "23. Put into practice"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'U' and ends with 'E'
- Another word like this: purpose
Answer: Click to reveal
USE
2 Across: "61. Fruit so named for its wrinkly skin"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'U' and ends with 'I'
- Word pattern: U__I
Answer: Click to reveal
UGLI
3 Across: "31. Veterinarian's interest"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: A_____S
Answer: Click to reveal
ANIMALS
4 Across: "35. Buzzed, in a way"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'H' and ends with 'H'
- Word pattern: H__H
Answer: Click to reveal
HIGH
5 Across: "29. Stop right there!"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'N'
- Another word like this: lodge
Answer: Click to reveal
INN
6 Across: "22. Name of eight English kings"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'H' and ends with 'Y'
- Word pattern: H___Y
Answer: Click to reveal
HENRY
7 Across: "24. Three squared + Slide"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 11 letters
- It starts with 'N' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: N_________D
Answer: Click to reveal
NINETIESKID
8 Across: "56. Stink"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: O__R
Answer: Click to reveal
ODOR
9 Across: "39. Deep shade of green"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'M' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: M__S
Answer: Click to reveal
MOSS
10 Across: "17. Also + Frozen water"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 10 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: T________E
Answer: Click to reveal
TOOKNOTICE
Down Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 33. Noggin |
| 2 Down | 25. Swinton of 2024's "The Room Next Door" |
| 3 Down | 5. Last name in "The Last Jedi" |
| 4 Down | 4. Aims to sell for, as a price |
| 5 Down | 48. Primitive |
| 6 Down | 11. Turns the volume way up |
| 7 Down | 7. Flexible |
| 8 Down | 59. Advanced degree? |
| 9 Down | 44. Noted name in clowns |
| 10 Down | 1. Oranges, but not apples |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
- July 30 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
- November 24 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
- January 28 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Down: "33. Noggin"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'M' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: M___N
Answer: Click to reveal
MELON
2 Down: "25. Swinton of 2024's "The Room Next Door""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: T___A
Answer: Click to reveal
TILDA
3 Down: "5. Last name in "The Last Jedi""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'N'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
REN
4 Down: "4. Aims to sell for, as a price"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: A__S
Answer: Click to reveal
ASKS
5 Down: "48. Primitive"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'Y'
- Word pattern: E___Y
Answer: Click to reveal
EARLY
6 Down: "11. Turns the volume way up"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 8 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: C______T
Answer: Click to reveal
CRANKSIT
7 Down: "7. Flexible"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: A___E
Answer: Click to reveal
AGILE
8 Down: "59. Advanced degree?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'N' and ends with 'H'
- Another word like this: n-th
Answer: Click to reveal
NTH
9 Down: "44. Noted name in clowns"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: R____D
Answer: Click to reveal
RONALD
10 Down: "1. Oranges, but not apples"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: C____S
Answer: Click to reveal
CITRUS
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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