NYT Mini Answers May 14, 2026 - Trivia Week 2 Special

Quick Summary: Today's NYT Mini Crossword has 20 clues total. We have all the answers plus helpful hints to make solving easier!

About Today's Puzzle

NYT Mini Crossword solutions for May 14, 2026 — NYT Mini Crossword Grid - Thursday, May 14, 2026

Puzzle Statistics
Detail	Information
Date	May 14, 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.

5x5 Crossword Grid Pattern
	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.

Across Clues List
Number	Clue
1 Across	40. Direction to bow, in music
2 Across	45. Pair for a pool
3 Across	49. Things often getting free refills
4 Across	31. Decree
5 Across	13. "My fault entirely"
6 Across	41. Squeezing (out)
7 Across	23. Traveled path
8 Across	19. Prime breeding environment for mosquitoes
9 Across	59. Heather genus that's also a woman's name
10 Across	33. "___'s da breaks!"

Hints and Answers for Across Clues

Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:

1 Across: "40. Direction to bow, in music"

Helpful hints:

This word has 4 letters
It starts with 'A' and ends with 'O'
Word pattern: A__O

Answer:

Click to reveal

ARCO

2 Across: "45. Pair for a pool"

Helpful hints:

This word has 10 letters
It starts with 'W' and ends with 'S'
Word pattern: W________S

Answer:

Click to reveal

WATERWINGS

3 Across: "49. Things often getting free refills"

Helpful hints:

This word has 13 letters
It starts with 'W' and ends with 'S'
Word pattern: W___________S

Answer:

Click to reveal

WATERPITCHERS

4 Across: "31. Decree"

Helpful hints:

This word has 4 letters
It starts with 'F' and ends with 'T'
Word pattern: F__T

Answer:

Click to reveal

FIAT

5 Across: "13. "My fault entirely""

Helpful hints:

This word has 5 letters
It starts with 'A' and ends with 'E'
Word pattern: A___E

Answer:

Click to reveal

ALLME

6 Across: "41. Squeezing (out)"

Helpful hints:

This word has 5 letters
It starts with 'E' and ends with 'G'
Word pattern: E___G

Answer:

Click to reveal

EKING

7 Across: "23. Traveled path"

Helpful hints:

This word has 5 letters
It starts with 'R' and ends with 'E'
Word pattern: R___E

Answer:

Click to reveal

ROUTE

8 Across: "19. Prime breeding environment for mosquitoes"

Helpful hints:

This word has 13 letters
It starts with 'S' and ends with 'R'
Word pattern: S___________R

Answer:

Click to reveal

STANDINGWATER

9 Across: "59. Heather genus that's also a woman's name"

Helpful hints:

This word has 5 letters
It starts with 'E' and ends with 'A'
Word pattern: E___A

Answer:

Click to reveal

ERICA

10 Across: "33. "___'s da breaks!""

Helpful hints:

This word has 3 letters
It starts with 'D' and ends with 'M'
This is a short form or acronym

Answer:

Click to reveal

DEM

Down Clues - 10 Total

These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.

Down Clues List
Number	Clue
1 Down	14. "That ... ain't it"
2 Down	7. Trellis piece
3 Down	42. Seven-stringed instrument that gave the guitar its name
4 Down	52. Force through a food mill
5 Down	27. Travel by pick-up?
6 Down	10. A peeling that's appealing?
7 Down	24. Relatively unusual
8 Down	51. Cut and paste, e.g.
9 Down	12. Reassuring reply
10 Down	17. Essence

Hints and Answers for Down Clues

Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:

1 Down: "14. "That ... ain't it""

Helpful hints:

This word has 4 letters
It starts with 'U' and ends with 'O'
Word pattern: U__O

Answer:

Click to reveal

UHNO

2 Down: "7. Trellis piece"

Helpful hints:

This word has 4 letters
It starts with 'L' and ends with 'H'
Word pattern: L__H

Answer:

Click to reveal

LATH

3 Down: "42. Seven-stringed instrument that gave the guitar its name"

Helpful hints:

This word has 7 letters
It starts with 'K' and ends with 'A'
Word pattern: K_____A

Answer:

Click to reveal

KITHARA

4 Down: "52. Force through a food mill"

Helpful hints:

This word has 4 letters
It starts with 'R' and ends with 'E'
Word pattern: R__E

Answer:

Click to reveal

RICE

5 Down: "27. Travel by pick-up?"

Helpful hints:

This word has 5 letters
It starts with 'H' and ends with 'H'
Word pattern: H___H

Answer:

Click to reveal

HITCH

6 Down: "10. A peeling that's appealing?"

Helpful hints:

This word has 10 letters
It starts with 'P' and ends with 'N'
Word pattern: P________N

Answer:

Click to reveal

POTATOSKIN

7 Down: "24. Relatively unusual"

Helpful hints:

This word has 5 letters
It starts with 'O' and ends with 'R'
Word pattern: O___R

Answer:

Click to reveal

ODDER

8 Down: "51. Cut and paste, e.g."

Helpful hints:

This word has 4 letters
It starts with 'E' and ends with 'T'
Word pattern: E__T

Answer:

Click to reveal

EDIT

9 Down: "12. Reassuring reply"

Helpful hints:

This word has 4 letters
It starts with 'I' and ends with 'K'
Word pattern: I__K

Answer:

Click to reveal

IMOK

10 Down: "17. Essence"

Helpful hints:

This word has 4 letters
It starts with 'P' and ends with 'H'
Word pattern: P__H

Answer:

Click to reveal

PITH

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

Today's Puzzle by the Numbers
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 10 seconds
Difficulty:	Easy

Common Questions About Trivia Week 2

When can I play the Trivia Week 2 Mini?

The Trivia Week 2 puzzle is available at 10 PM Eastern Time the night before.

How fast should I be able to solve Trivia Week 2?

Most people solve the Trivia Week 2 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 2?

No! The Trivia Week 2 NYT Mini is completely free. You don't need a subscription like the big crossword.

What makes a good Trivia Week 2 solver?

Good Trivia Week 2 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 2?

Trivia Week 2 puzzles can vary in difficulty. Saturdays are often the hardest, while Mondays are the easiest.

Search Clues

Thursday, May 14, 2026