Complete Solutions for NYT Mini Trivia Week 3 April 20, 2026
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: August 29 2019 NYT Clues Solutions | Down Clues NYT December 14 2025 Todays | December 17 2020 NYT Clues Solutions |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | April 20, 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 | 21. Locomotives, to kids |
| 2 Across | 41. Alternative to .com or .edu |
| 3 Across | 61. Triage sites, for short |
| 4 Across | 52. X, for a sorority |
| 5 Across | 27. Stir up, as waters |
| 6 Across | 38. City and its surroundings |
| 7 Across | 1. Solicit with a goodie |
| 8 Across | 25. Comic figure at a circus |
| 9 Across | 19. Window shades |
| 10 Across | 42. Ridiculous |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:
- April 12 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- December 17 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
- April 29 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Across: "21. Locomotives, to kids"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 14 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: C____________S
Answer:
Click to reveal
CHOOCHOOTRAINS2 Across: "41. Alternative to .com or .edu"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'G'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer:
Click to reveal
ORG3 Across: "61. Triage sites, for short"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'S'
- Another word like this: Er
Answer:
Click to reveal
ERS4 Across: "52. X, for a sorority"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'I'
- Another word like this: ki
Answer:
Click to reveal
CHI5 Across: "27. Stir up, as waters"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'L'
- Word pattern: R__L
Answer:
Click to reveal
ROIL6 Across: "38. City and its surroundings"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 9 letters
- It starts with 'M' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: M_______A
Answer:
Click to reveal
METROAREA7 Across: "1. Solicit with a goodie"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: T___T
Answer:
Click to reveal
TEMPT8 Across: "25. Comic figure at a circus"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: C___N
Answer:
Click to reveal
CLOWN9 Across: "19. Window shades"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'B' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: B____S
Answer:
Click to reveal
BLINDS10 Across: "42. Ridiculous"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'Y'
- Word pattern: S___Y
Answer:
Click to reveal
SILLYDown Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 28. Cigarette substance |
| 2 Down | 53. Grp. for the Jets and Jaguars |
| 3 Down | 17. Kool-Aid rival |
| 4 Down | 11. Sound that warns of a tornado |
| 5 Down | 9. ...---... in Morse |
| 6 Down | 54. In the style of |
| 7 Down | 35. Matador charger |
| 8 Down | 31. Medium-sized battery |
| 9 Down | 48. Flubs |
| 10 Down | 45. Cuts at the margins |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
- January 18 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- August 29 2019 NYT Clues Solutions
- Todays 55 NYT Mini December 13 2025
1 Down: "28. Cigarette substance"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'R'
- Another word like this: mariner
Answer:
Click to reveal
TAR2 Down: "53. Grp. for the Jets and Jaguars"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'N' and ends with 'L'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer:
Click to reveal
NFL3 Down: "17. Kool-Aid rival"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'H' and ends with 'C'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer:
Click to reveal
HIC4 Down: "11. Sound that warns of a tornado"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: S___N
Answer:
Click to reveal
SIREN5 Down: "9. ...---... in Morse"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'S'
- Another word like this: soh
Answer:
Click to reveal
SOS6 Down: "54. In the style of"
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
ALA7 Down: "35. Matador charger"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'O'
- Word pattern: T__O
Answer:
Click to reveal
TORO8 Down: "31. Medium-sized battery"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'L'
- Word pattern: C___L
Answer:
Click to reveal
CCELL9 Down: "48. Flubs"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: E__S
Answer:
Click to reveal
ERRS10 Down: "45. Cuts at the margins"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: T___S
Answer:
Click to reveal
TRIMSHow 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 Trivia Week 3
When can I play the Trivia Week 3 Mini?
The Trivia Week 3 puzzle is available at 10 PM Eastern Time the night before.
How fast should I be able to solve Trivia Week 3?
Most people solve the Trivia Week 3 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 3?
No! The Trivia Week 3 NYT Mini is completely free. You don't need a subscription like the big crossword.
What makes a good Trivia Week 3 solver?
Good Trivia Week 3 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 3?
Trivia Week 3 puzzles can vary in difficulty. Saturdays are often the hardest, while Mondays are the easiest.
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