NYT Mini December 06, 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: NYT Mini Today October 25 2025 Complete | June 13 2020 NYT Clues Solutions | August 19 2021 NYT Clues Solutions |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | December 06, 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 | 52. "That's crazy!" |
| 2 Across | 35. Sit, say |
| 3 Across | 59. Aussie predator |
| 4 Across | 18. Court order |
| 5 Across | 44. That stinks! |
| 6 Across | 39. Cleanse |
| 7 Across | 49. Having a good aura, in slang |
| 8 Across | 37. Toiletry kit item |
| 9 Across | 36. Many a character on "Breaking Bad" |
| 10 Across | 24. Thread organizer |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:
- October 20 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- NYT Down Today November 29 2025
- Xwordhint Crossword Answers November 30
1 Across: "52. "That's crazy!""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 10 letters
- It starts with 'H' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: H________S
Answer: Click to reveal
HOLYSMOKES
2 Across: "35. Sit, say"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: R__T
Answer: Click to reveal
REST
3 Across: "59. Aussie predator"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'C'
- Word pattern: C__C
Answer: Click to reveal
CROC
4 Across: "18. Court order"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 10 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: P________E
Answer: Click to reveal
PLEASERISE
5 Across: "44. That stinks!"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: O__R
Answer: Click to reveal
ODOR
6 Across: "39. Cleanse"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'X'
- Word pattern: D___X
Answer: Click to reveal
DETOX
7 Across: "49. Having a good aura, in slang"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'V' and ends with 'Y'
- Word pattern: V___Y
Answer: Click to reveal
VIBEY
8 Across: "37. Toiletry kit item"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'Q' and ends with 'P'
- Word pattern: Q__P
Answer: Click to reveal
QTIP
9 Across: "36. Many a character on "Breaking Bad""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'N' and ends with 'O'
- Word pattern: N___O
Answer: Click to reveal
NARCO
10 Across: "24. Thread organizer"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'M'
- Word pattern: L__M
Answer: Click to reveal
LOOM
Down Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 3. Lead-in to some juicy gossip |
| 2 Down | 5. Big Apple cathedral |
| 3 Down | 53. Washington and Adams in Chicago: Abbr. |
| 4 Down | 23. See 17-Across |
| 5 Down | 46. Shark bait |
| 6 Down | 54. Wide mouth |
| 7 Down | 33. Ratty is one in "The Wind in the Willows" |
| 8 Down | 31. Very fast, in a way |
| 9 Down | 9. Tennis duo? |
| 10 Down | 45. Classic arcade game with a pyramid |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
- September 10 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- Xwordhint Crossword Answers November 30
- NYT Across Clues Answers November 21
1 Down: "3. Lead-in to some juicy gossip"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 10 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: R________T
Answer: Click to reveal
RUMORHASIT
2 Down: "5. Big Apple cathedral"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: S____S
Answer: Click to reveal
STPATS
3 Down: "53. Washington and Adams in Chicago: Abbr."
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'S'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
STS
4 Down: "23. See 17-Across"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'B' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: B__T
Answer: Click to reveal
BELT
5 Down: "46. Shark bait"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'M'
- Word pattern: C__M
Answer: Click to reveal
CHUM
6 Down: "54. Wide mouth"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'M' and ends with 'W'
- Another word like this: yap
Answer: Click to reveal
MAW
7 Down: "33. Ratty is one in "The Wind in the Willows""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 9 letters
- It starts with 'W' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: W_______E
Answer: Click to reveal
WATERVOLE
8 Down: "31. Very fast, in a way"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 10 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'C'
- Word pattern: S________C
Answer: Click to reveal
SUPERSONIC
9 Down: "9. Tennis duo?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'S'
- Another word like this: nut
Answer: Click to reveal
ENS
10 Down: "45. Classic arcade game with a pyramid"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'Q' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: Q___T
Answer: Click to reveal
QBERT
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: | 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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