NYT Mini December 19, 2025: Fast Answers, Strategic Hints & Speed-Solving Guide
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: Todays 55 NYT Mini October 06 2025 | March 02 2020 NYT Clues Solutions | August 19 2022 NYT Clues Solutions |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | December 19, 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. Boomer playing in a band |
| 2 Across | 62. High-fat diet, informally |
| 3 Across | 37. L.G.B.T.Q.+ rights activist Windsor |
| 4 Across | 16. Climbed without ropes |
| 5 Across | 35. Silver of the Silver Bulletin |
| 6 Across | 19. Old money, for short? |
| 7 Across | 40. Go viral |
| 8 Across | 33. Mr. Right, e.g. |
| 9 Across | 32. Trusted one, typically |
| 10 Across | 48. Golden ratio symbol |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:
- June 09 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- Quick NYT Mini Crossword November 27
- March 02 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Across: "5. Boomer playing in a band"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 8 letters
- It starts with 'B' and ends with 'M'
- Word pattern: B______M
Answer: Click to reveal
BASSDRUM
2 Across: "62. High-fat diet, informally"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'K' and ends with 'O'
- Word pattern: K__O
Answer: Click to reveal
KETO
3 Across: "37. L.G.B.T.Q.+ rights activist Windsor"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: E__E
Answer: Click to reveal
EDIE
4 Across: "16. Climbed without ropes"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 10 letters
- It starts with 'F' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: F________D
Answer: Click to reveal
FREESOLOED
5 Across: "35. Silver of the Silver Bulletin"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'N' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: N__E
Answer: Click to reveal
NATE
6 Across: "19. Old money, for short?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'A'
- Another word like this: ire
Answer: Click to reveal
IRA
7 Across: "40. Go viral"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: T___D
Answer: Click to reveal
TREND
8 Across: "33. Mr. Right, e.g."
Helpful hints:
- This word has 9 letters
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: I_______E
Answer: Click to reveal
IDEALMATE
9 Across: "32. Trusted one, typically"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: E___R
Answer: Click to reveal
ELDER
10 Across: "48. Golden ratio symbol"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'I'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
PHI
Down Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 5. Results of some remarriages |
| 2 Down | 1. Annual mystery award |
| 3 Down | 24. Bad place to be while gambling |
| 4 Down | 47. Pressure source |
| 5 Down | 43. Parts of submarines also known as fairwaters |
| 6 Down | 49. Source of motivation, informally |
| 7 Down | 32. Wrap up by |
| 8 Down | 26. Hit below the belt, in a way |
| 9 Down | 55. Grp. with geologists and biologists |
| 10 Down | 11. Fair ___ (concept in copyright law) |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
- Quick NYT Mini Crossword November 27
- February 24 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- March 17 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Down: "5. Results of some remarriages"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 15 letters
- It starts with 'B' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: B_____________S
Answer: Click to reveal
BLENDEDFAMILIES
2 Down: "1. Annual mystery award"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: E___R
Answer: Click to reveal
EDGAR
3 Down: "24. Bad place to be while gambling"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 11 letters
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: I_________E
Answer: Click to reveal
INADEEPHOLE
4 Down: "47. Pressure source"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: P__R
Answer: Click to reveal
PEER
5 Down: "43. Parts of submarines also known as fairwaters"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'F' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: F__S
Answer: Click to reveal
FINS
6 Down: "49. Source of motivation, informally"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'O'
- Word pattern: I___O
Answer: Click to reveal
INSPO
7 Down: "32. Wrap up by"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: E___T
Answer: Click to reveal
ENDAT
8 Down: "26. Hit below the belt, in a way"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'K' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: K___D
Answer: Click to reveal
KNEED
9 Down: "55. Grp. with geologists and biologists"
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
10 Down: "11. Fair ___ (concept in copyright law)"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'U' and ends with 'E'
- Another word like this: expend
Answer: Click to reveal
USE
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: | 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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