Tuesday's NYT Mini Dec 30 - All 10 Across & 10 Down Clues Decoded
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: June 06 2022 NYT Clues Solutions | Xwordhint Crossword Answers December 19 | Todays NYT Crossword Down Clues_18 |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | December 30, 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 | 26. Brand of cooler named for a mythical beast |
| 2 Across | 41. "Sunday Night Football" producer |
| 3 Across | 40. "That's not good!" |
| 4 Across | 20. "Absolument!" |
| 5 Across | 60. Spend money on "Wheel of Fortune" ... which won't help much for solving 17-, 21-, 36-, 41- and 53-Across! |
| 6 Across | 59. Sudden shocks |
| 7 Across | 45. "That's not good!" |
| 8 Across | 8. Parts not filled in |
| 9 Across | 43. Floating markers |
| 10 Across | 53. They're pulled to garner media attention, informally |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:
- February 18 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- Todays Down Crossword NYT September 19
- December 01 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Across: "26. Brand of cooler named for a mythical beast"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'Y' and ends with 'I'
- Word pattern: Y__I
Answer: Click to reveal
YETI
2 Across: "41. "Sunday Night Football" producer"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 9 letters
- It starts with 'N' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: N_______S
Answer: Click to reveal
NBCSPORTS
3 Across: "40. "That's not good!""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'O'
- Word pattern: O__O
Answer: Click to reveal
OHNO
4 Across: "20. "Absolument!""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'I'
- Word pattern: O____I
Answer: Click to reveal
OUIOUI
5 Across: "60. Spend money on "Wheel of Fortune" ... which won't help much for solving 17-, 21-, 36-, 41- and 53-Across!"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 9 letters
- It starts with 'B' and ends with 'L'
- Word pattern: B_______L
Answer: Click to reveal
BUYAVOWEL
6 Across: "59. Sudden shocks"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'J' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: J___S
Answer: Click to reveal
JOLTS
7 Across: "45. "That's not good!""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'Y' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: Y___S
Answer: Click to reveal
YIKES
8 Across: "8. Parts not filled in"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'G' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: G__S
Answer: Click to reveal
GAPS
9 Across: "43. Floating markers"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'B' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: B___S
Answer: Click to reveal
BUOYS
10 Across: "53. They're pulled to garner media attention, informally"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 8 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: P______S
Answer: Click to reveal
PRSTUNTS
Down Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 13. Sudden, powerful gust of wind |
| 2 Down | 33. Puts on, as a jacket |
| 3 Down | 52. Extremes of the earth |
| 4 Down | 5. Nothing |
| 5 Down | 51. Fuzzy-feeling leather |
| 6 Down | 42. Pored over |
| 7 Down | 28. 0% filled |
| 8 Down | 35. Apex predator of the ocean |
| 9 Down | 32. Those, en español |
| 10 Down | 30. Fun word to shout into a canyon |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
- May 01 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
- Todays NYT Crossword Across Clues_22
- December 07 2019 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Down: "13. Sudden, powerful gust of wind"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'L'
- Word pattern: S____L
Answer: Click to reveal
SQUALL
2 Down: "33. Puts on, as a jacket"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: D__S
Answer: Click to reveal
DONS
3 Down: "52. Extremes of the earth"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: P___S
Answer: Click to reveal
POLES
4 Down: "5. Nothing"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'N' and ends with 'L'
- Another word like this: null
Answer: Click to reveal
NIL
5 Down: "51. Fuzzy-feeling leather"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: S___E
Answer: Click to reveal
SUEDE
6 Down: "42. Pored over"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: P_____D
Answer: Click to reveal
PERUSED
7 Down: "28. 0% filled"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'Y'
- Word pattern: E___Y
Answer: Click to reveal
EMPTY
8 Down: "35. Apex predator of the ocean"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: O__A
Answer: Click to reveal
ORCA
9 Down: "32. Those, en español"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: E__S
Answer: Click to reveal
ESOS
10 Down: "30. Fun word to shout into a canyon"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'O'
- Word pattern: E__O
Answer: Click to reveal
ECHO
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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