Mini Crossword NYT December 11, 2025 - Today's Puzzle Solved in Under 1 Minutes
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 02 2021 NYT Clues Solutions | October 30 2019 NYT Clues Solutions | November 03 2022 NYT Clues Solutions |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | December 11, 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 | 49. Quote from Homer |
| 2 Across | 50. Cable staple since 1972 |
| 3 Across | 36. "No harm, no foul" |
| 4 Across | 13. Spoils |
| 5 Across | 35. Columbus's smallest ship |
| 6 Across | 34. Warms up for a race, say |
| 7 Across | 1. Against |
| 8 Across | 40. Sign for cheap admission |
| 9 Across | 67. Dreamcast developer |
| 10 Across | 61. Fish ... scuba ... Army ... |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:
- August 05 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- October 30 2019 NYT Clues Solutions
- February 11 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Across: "49. Quote from Homer"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'H'
- Another word like this: ut
Answer: Click to reveal
DOH
2 Across: "50. Cable staple since 1972"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'H' and ends with 'O'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
HBO
3 Across: "36. "No harm, no foul""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'K'
- Word pattern: I___K
Answer: Click to reveal
ITSOK
4 Across: "13. Spoils"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: L__T
Answer: Click to reveal
LOOT
5 Across: "35. Columbus's smallest ship"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'N' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: N__A
Answer: Click to reveal
NINA
6 Across: "34. Warms up for a race, say"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'J' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: J__S
Answer: Click to reveal
JOGS
7 Across: "1. Against"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'I'
- Word pattern: A__I
Answer: Click to reveal
ANTI
8 Across: "40. Sign for cheap admission"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'O'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
SRO
9 Across: "67. Dreamcast developer"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: S__A
Answer: Click to reveal
SEGA
10 Across: "61. Fish ... scuba ... Army ..."
Helpful hints:
- This word has 10 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: T________S
Answer: Click to reveal
THINKTANKS
Down Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 30. Hand sanitizer eliminates the need to do this |
| 2 Down | 7. Collect, as rewards |
| 3 Down | 33. Abrupt endings, of a sort |
| 4 Down | 3. Steps up to, as the line |
| 5 Down | 9. In the style of |
| 6 Down | 5. Super-trendy |
| 7 Down | 32. Art class staple |
| 8 Down | 18. Un-solid-ify |
| 9 Down | 58. Quizzes |
| 10 Down | 10. Something learned the hard way, often |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
- September 15 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- All NYT Across Clues October 27 2025 37
- February 11 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Down: "30. Hand sanitizer eliminates the need to do this"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: R___E
Answer: Click to reveal
RINSE
2 Down: "7. Collect, as rewards"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'P'
- Word pattern: R__P
Answer: Click to reveal
REAP
3 Down: "33. Abrupt endings, of a sort"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: T__S
Answer: Click to reveal
TKOS
4 Down: "3. Steps up to, as the line"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: T__S
Answer: Click to reveal
TOES
5 Down: "9. In the style of"
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
ALA
6 Down: "5. Super-trendy"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'H' and ends with 'T'
- Another word like this: live
Answer: Click to reveal
HOT
7 Down: "32. Art class staple"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: P___R
Answer: Click to reveal
PAPER
8 Down: "18. Un-solid-ify"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'M' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: M__T
Answer: Click to reveal
MELT
9 Down: "58. Quizzes"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: A__S
Answer: Click to reveal
ASKS
10 Down: "10. Something learned the hard way, often"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 10 letters
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: L________N
Answer: Click to reveal
LIFELESSON
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: | 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.
No comments:
Post a Comment