Monday's NYT Mini Jan 05 - 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: September 02 2020 NYT Clues Solutions | August 05 2020 NYT Clues Solutions | NYT Mini Crossword Answers Today |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | January 05, 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 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 | 51. Losing general at Appomattox |
| 2 Across | 14. Situation that precedes overtime |
| 3 Across | 46. Mark Twain, for Samuel Langhorne Clemens |
| 4 Across | 45. One ___ time |
| 5 Across | 32. Aristocrat |
| 6 Across | 20. Clothing |
| 7 Across | 9. Overhead light? |
| 8 Across | 48. Bug killer that goes "smack!" |
| 9 Across | 66. Relinquished |
| 10 Across | 57. Gridiron success ... or, when read as two words, the conclusion to the sequence formed by the starts of 16-, 24-, 34- and 48-Across |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:
- Across Clues NYT November 28 2025
- March 23 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- Thursday NYT Down Solutions December 11
1 Across: "51. Losing general at Appomattox"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'E'
- Another word like this: leeward
Answer: Click to reveal
LEE
2 Across: "14. Situation that precedes overtime"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'E'
- Another word like this: splice
Answer: Click to reveal
TIE
3 Across: "46. Mark Twain, for Samuel Langhorne Clemens"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: P_____E
Answer: Click to reveal
PENNAME
4 Across: "45. One ___ time"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'A'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
ATA
5 Across: "32. Aristocrat"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'N' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: N___E
Answer: Click to reveal
NOBLE
6 Across: "20. Clothing"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: A____E
Answer: Click to reveal
ATTIRE
7 Across: "9. Overhead light?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'H' and ends with 'O'
- Word pattern: H__O
Answer: Click to reveal
HALO
8 Across: "48. Bug killer that goes "smack!""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 10 letters
- It starts with 'F' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: F________R
Answer: Click to reveal
FLYSWATTER
9 Across: "66. Relinquished"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: C___D
Answer: Click to reveal
CEDED
10 Across: "57. Gridiron success ... or, when read as two words, the conclusion to the sequence formed by the starts of 16-, 24-, 34- and 48-Across"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 9 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: T_______N
Answer: Click to reveal
TOUCHDOWN
Down Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 6. Lacking a key, in music |
| 2 Down | 20. Spicy marinade with chili peppers |
| 3 Down | 38. City surrounding Vatican City |
| 4 Down | 57. "___ better to have loved and lost ..." |
| 5 Down | 35. Pertaining to development in the womb |
| 6 Down | 42. Overly refined |
| 7 Down | 12. Commands |
| 8 Down | 50. Steak similar to a porterhouse |
| 9 Down | 43. "Yikes!," to a Brit |
| 10 Down | 4. Istanbul native |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
- Xwordhint Crossword Answers October 27
- January 05 2023 NYT Clues Solutions
- Across Clues NYT November 28 2025
1 Down: "6. Lacking a key, in music"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'L'
- Word pattern: A____L
Answer: Click to reveal
ATONAL
2 Down: "20. Spicy marinade with chili peppers"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'O'
- Word pattern: A___O
Answer: Click to reveal
ADOBO
3 Down: "38. City surrounding Vatican City"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: R__E
Answer: Click to reveal
ROME
4 Down: "57. "___ better to have loved and lost ...""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'S'
- Another word like this: ti
Answer: Click to reveal
TIS
5 Down: "35. Pertaining to development in the womb"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'F' and ends with 'L'
- Word pattern: F___L
Answer: Click to reveal
FETAL
6 Down: "42. Overly refined"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: E____E
Answer: Click to reveal
EFFETE
7 Down: "12. Commands"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: O____S
Answer: Click to reveal
ORDERS
8 Down: "50. Steak similar to a porterhouse"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: T___E
Answer: Click to reveal
TBONE
9 Down: "43. "Yikes!," to a Brit"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'B' and ends with 'Y'
- Word pattern: B____Y
Answer: Click to reveal
BLIMEY
10 Down: "4. Istanbul native"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'K'
- Word pattern: T__K
Answer: Click to reveal
TURK
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: | 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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