Today's NYT Mini Crossword December 09, 2025 - Complete Solutions with Smart Hints | 5-Minute Solve
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 23 2019 NYT Clues Solutions | August 13 2022 NYT Clues Solutions | December 20 2021 NYT Clues Solutions |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | December 09, 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 | 55. Pre-digital TV screen tech |
| 2 Across | 50. "Here's my two cents, which might not amount to much ..." |
| 3 Across | 20. Unadulterated |
| 4 Across | 10. Livens (up) |
| 5 Across | 23. "These are merely my spur-of-the-moment suggestions ..." |
| 6 Across | 57. "Feel free to dismiss this idea — however ..." |
| 7 Across | 38. Singer/actress Lady ___ |
| 8 Across | 30. Gossip, in slang |
| 9 Across | 56. Not close by |
| 10 Across | 49. Game with Skip and Reverse cards |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:
- August 13 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- December 09 2019 NYT Clues Solutions
- November 23 2019 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Across: "55. Pre-digital TV screen tech"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'T'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
CRT
2 Across: "50. "Here's my two cents, which might not amount to much ...""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 15 letters
- It starts with 'F' and ends with 'H'
- Word pattern: F_____________H
Answer: Click to reveal
FORWHATITSWORTH
3 Across: "20. Unadulterated"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: P__E
Answer: Click to reveal
PURE
4 Across: "10. Livens (up)"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: P__S
Answer: Click to reveal
PEPS
5 Across: "23. "These are merely my spur-of-the-moment suggestions ...""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 15 letters
- It starts with 'J' and ends with 'G'
- Word pattern: J_____________G
Answer: Click to reveal
JUSTSPITBALLING
6 Across: "57. "Feel free to dismiss this idea — however ...""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 15 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: O_____________T
Answer: Click to reveal
ONLYATHOUGHTBUT
7 Across: "38. Singer/actress Lady ___"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'G' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: G__A
Answer: Click to reveal
GAGA
8 Across: "30. Gossip, in slang"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'A'
- Another word like this: teatime
Answer: Click to reveal
TEA
9 Across: "56. Not close by"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: A__R
Answer: Click to reveal
AFAR
10 Across: "49. Game with Skip and Reverse cards"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'U' and ends with 'O'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
UNO
Down Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 11. Professor ___ (title for some retirees) |
| 2 Down | 26. Part of L.G.B.T.Q.+ |
| 3 Down | 9. Org. that oversees air quality initiatives |
| 4 Down | 40. Silverback, for one |
| 5 Down | 18. Cover letter accompaniment |
| 6 Down | 1. Computing pioneer Lovelace |
| 7 Down | 3. Neutralized, as an explosive situation |
| 8 Down | 25. Pigmented rings |
| 9 Down | 12. Light lager |
| 10 Down | 51. With a wink, say |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
- NYT Crossword Across September 13 2025
- November 23 2019 NYT Clues Solutions
- January 12 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Down: "11. Professor ___ (title for some retirees)"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: E_____A
Answer: Click to reveal
EMERITA
2 Down: "26. Part of L.G.B.T.Q.+"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'G' and ends with 'Y'
- Another word like this: jovial
Answer: Click to reveal
GAY
3 Down: "9. Org. that oversees air quality initiatives"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'A'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
EPA
4 Down: "40. Silverback, for one"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'G' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: G_____A
Answer: Click to reveal
GORILLA
5 Down: "18. Cover letter accompaniment"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: R____E
Answer: Click to reveal
RESUME
6 Down: "1. Computing pioneer Lovelace"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'A'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
ADA
7 Down: "3. Neutralized, as an explosive situation"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: D_____D
Answer: Click to reveal
DEFUSED
8 Down: "25. Pigmented rings"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: A_____S
Answer: Click to reveal
AREOLAS
9 Down: "12. Light lager"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: P_____R
Answer: Click to reveal
PILSNER
10 Down: "51. With a wink, say"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'W' and ends with 'Y'
- Word pattern: W___Y
Answer: Click to reveal
WRYLY
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: | Medium |
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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