Today's Trivia Week 4 NYT Mini Crossword January 31, 2026 Answers
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: Saturdays NYT Across Sep 20 Full | October 17 2020 NYT Clues Solutions | February 12 2022 NYT Clues Solutions |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | January 31, 2026 |
| 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 Trivia Week {week_num} 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 | 23. Sheet music abbr. |
| 2 Across | 18. Say "hey," slangily |
| 3 Across | 27. Foundation of music? |
| 4 Across | 16. Like someone in pointe shoes, maybe |
| 5 Across | 33. Evil spirits |
| 6 Across | 52. Southern California site whose 1909 opening was accompanied by a visit from the U.S.S. Albany |
| 7 Across | 47. Season |
| 8 Across | 40. "Silly me!" |
| 9 Across | 56. Old man? |
| 10 Across | 17. ___-di-dah |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:
- September 16 2019 NYT Clues Solutions
- September 20 2019 NYT Clues Solutions
- March 16 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Across: "23. Sheet music abbr."
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'R'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
ARR
2 Across: "18. Say "hey," slangily"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'H' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: H___A
Answer: Click to reveal
HOLLA
3 Across: "27. Foundation of music?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 8 letters
- It starts with 'B' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: B______E
Answer: Click to reveal
BASSLINE
4 Across: "16. Like someone in pointe shoes, maybe"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: O___E
Answer: Click to reveal
ONTOE
5 Across: "33. Evil spirits"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'I'
- Word pattern: I____I
Answer: Click to reveal
INCUBI
6 Across: "52. Southern California site whose 1909 opening was accompanied by a visit from the U.S.S. Albany"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 15 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: S_____________R
Answer: Click to reveal
SANTAMONICAPIER
7 Across: "47. Season"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: S__T
Answer: Click to reveal
SALT
8 Across: "40. "Silly me!""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'H'
- Another word like this: do
Answer: Click to reveal
DOH
9 Across: "56. Old man?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 11 letters
- It starts with 'N' and ends with 'L'
- Word pattern: N_________L
Answer: Click to reveal
NEANDERTHAL
10 Across: "17. ___-di-dah"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'H'
- Another word like this: la
Answer: Click to reveal
LAH
Down Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 15. "Science is ___ that works": Kurt Vonnegut |
| 2 Down | 32. Largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area |
| 3 Down | 39. ___ Noster (the Lord's Prayer) |
| 4 Down | 45. Mr. or Mrs. |
| 5 Down | 53. Chaps |
| 6 Down | 13. Major product of Milan |
| 7 Down | 20. Training courses |
| 8 Down | 4. Chess legend Mikhail ___ |
| 9 Down | 34. "Sorry, honey" |
| 10 Down | 36. Parity |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
- September 20 2019 NYT Clues Solutions
- January 23 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
- December 03 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Down: "15. "Science is ___ that works": Kurt Vonnegut"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'M' and ends with 'C'
- Word pattern: M___C
Answer: Click to reveal
MAGIC
2 Down: "32. Largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 8 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: S______R
Answer: Click to reveal
SUPERIOR
3 Down: "39. ___ Noster (the Lord's Prayer)"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: P___R
Answer: Click to reveal
PATER
4 Down: "45. Mr. or Mrs."
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: T___E
Answer: Click to reveal
TITLE
5 Down: "53. Chaps"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'M' and ends with 'N'
- Another word like this: hands
Answer: Click to reveal
MEN
6 Down: "13. Major product of Milan"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'I'
- Word pattern: S____I
Answer: Click to reveal
SALAMI
7 Down: "20. Training courses"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: C_____S
Answer: Click to reveal
CLINICS
8 Down: "4. Chess legend Mikhail ___"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'L'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
TAL
9 Down: "34. "Sorry, honey""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'N' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: N____R
Answer: Click to reveal
NODEAR
10 Down: "36. Parity"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'B' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: B_____E
Answer: Click to reveal
BALANCE
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 52 seconds |
| Difficulty: | Medium |
Common Questions About Trivia Week 4
When can I play the Trivia Week 4 Mini?
The Trivia Week 4 puzzle is available at 10 PM Eastern Time the night before.
How fast should I be able to solve Trivia Week 4?
Most people solve the Trivia Week 4 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 Trivia Week 4?
No! The Trivia Week 4 NYT Mini is completely free. You don't need a subscription like the big crossword.
What makes a good Trivia Week 4 solver?
Good Trivia Week 4 solvers know common short words, can spot wordplay quickly, and use crossing letters well. Practice helps a lot!
Are the puzzles harder during Trivia Week 4?
Trivia Week 4 puzzles can vary in difficulty. Saturdays are often the hardest, while Mondays are the easiest.
