NYT Mini Crossword December 16, 2025 Hints & Answers - Beat the Average 1-Minute Time
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 November 04 2025 Fast Answers | November 05 2020 NYT Clues Solutions | September 23 2019 NYT Clues Solutions |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | December 16, 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 | 31. Disgusting |
| 2 Across | 17. What shares a key with "(" on a keyboard |
| 3 Across | 48. Pay taxes via the internet |
| 4 Across | 40. Groundbreaking 1988 Japanese animated action film |
| 5 Across | 5. Insta and Snap |
| 6 Across | 23. Prefix with cache or tag |
| 7 Across | 18. Reason to buy a magazine, perhaps |
| 8 Across | 20. Hockey feints |
| 9 Across | 56. Computer acronym since the 1960s |
| 10 Across | 14. Roughly equivalent (to) |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:
- October 13 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- March 08 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
- April 30 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Across: "31. Disgusting"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'G' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: G___S
Answer: Click to reveal
GROSS
2 Across: "17. What shares a key with "(" on a keyboard"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'N' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: N__E
Answer: Click to reveal
NINE
3 Across: "48. Pay taxes via the internet"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: E___E
Answer: Click to reveal
EFILE
4 Across: "40. Groundbreaking 1988 Japanese animated action film"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: A___A
Answer: Click to reveal
AKIRA
5 Across: "5. Insta and Snap"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: A__S
Answer: Click to reveal
APPS
6 Across: "23. Prefix with cache or tag"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'G' and ends with 'O'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
GEO
7 Across: "18. Reason to buy a magazine, perhaps"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 10 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'Y'
- Word pattern: C________Y
Answer: Click to reveal
COVERSTORY
8 Across: "20. Hockey feints"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: D___S
Answer: Click to reveal
DEKES
9 Across: "56. Computer acronym since the 1960s"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'I'
- Word pattern: A___I
Answer: Click to reveal
ASCII
10 Across: "14. Roughly equivalent (to)"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: A__N
Answer: Click to reveal
AKIN
Down Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 57. The Hawkeye State |
| 2 Down | 55. Tentative greeting |
| 3 Down | 10. Approx. |
| 4 Down | 61. Ryan and Adams of Hollywood |
| 5 Down | 8. Glossy finishes |
| 6 Down | 4. Prepare to be knighted |
| 7 Down | 37. Brother to Groucho |
| 8 Down | 34. Neighbor of a Slovene |
| 9 Down | 25. Places |
| 10 Down | 48. Artist known for his "impossible staircases" |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
- February 03 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- April 30 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- July 06 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Down: "57. The Hawkeye State"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: I__A
Answer: Click to reveal
IOWA
2 Down: "55. Tentative greeting"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'U' and ends with 'I'
- Word pattern: U__I
Answer: Click to reveal
UMHI
3 Down: "10. Approx."
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'T'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
EST
4 Down: "61. Ryan and Adams of Hollywood"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: A__S
Answer: Click to reveal
AMYS
5 Down: "8. Glossy finishes"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: S____S
Answer: Click to reveal
SHEENS
6 Down: "4. Prepare to be knighted"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'K' and ends with 'L'
- Word pattern: K___L
Answer: Click to reveal
KNEEL
7 Down: "37. Brother to Groucho"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'O'
- Word pattern: C___O
Answer: Click to reveal
CHICO
8 Down: "34. Neighbor of a Slovene"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: C___T
Answer: Click to reveal
CROAT
9 Down: "25. Places"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: A___S
Answer: Click to reveal
AREAS
10 Down: "48. Artist known for his "impossible staircases""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: E____R
Answer: Click to reveal
ESCHER
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 58 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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