NYT Mini Trivia Week 4 July 23, 2026 - Hints & Answers

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 July 23, 2026 — NYT Mini Crossword Grid - Thursday, July 23, 2026

Puzzle Statistics
Detail	Information
Date	July 23, 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	45. Like obsidian rock, once
2 Across	55. Ignominious outcome
3 Across	63. Not admit
4 Across	10. Scruff of the neck
5 Across	17. Pollution portmanteau
6 Across	16. "The Devil's radio"
7 Across	46. Symbol of rebirth in ancient Egypt
8 Across	15. Three-time A.L. M.V.P. of the 2000s, familiarly
9 Across	31. Home run hitter's gait
10 Across	36. Part in a play

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: "45. Like obsidian rock, once"

Helpful hints:

This word has 6 letters
It starts with 'M' and ends with 'N'
Word pattern: M____N

Answer:

Click to reveal

MOLTEN

2 Across: "55. Ignominious outcome"

Helpful hints:

This word has 10 letters
It starts with 'E' and ends with 'T'
Word pattern: E________T

Answer:

Click to reveal

EPICDEFEAT

3 Across: "63. Not admit"

Helpful hints:

This word has 4 letters
It starts with 'D' and ends with 'Y'
Word pattern: D__Y

Answer:

Click to reveal

DENY

4 Across: "10. Scruff of the neck"

Helpful hints:

This word has 4 letters
It starts with 'N' and ends with 'E'
Word pattern: N__E

Answer:

Click to reveal

NAPE

5 Across: "17. Pollution portmanteau"

Helpful hints:

This word has 4 letters
It starts with 'S' and ends with 'G'
Word pattern: S__G

Answer:

Click to reveal

SMOG

6 Across: "16. "The Devil's radio""

Helpful hints:

This word has 10 letters
It starts with 'I' and ends with 'P'
Word pattern: I________P

Answer:

Click to reveal

IDLEGOSSIP

7 Across: "46. Symbol of rebirth in ancient Egypt"

Helpful hints:

This word has 6 letters
It starts with 'S' and ends with 'B'
Word pattern: S____B

Answer:

Click to reveal

SCARAB

8 Across: "15. Three-time A.L. M.V.P. of the 2000s, familiarly"

Helpful hints:

This word has 4 letters
It starts with 'A' and ends with 'D'
Word pattern: A__D

Answer:

Click to reveal

AROD

9 Across: "31. Home run hitter's gait"

Helpful hints:

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

Answer:

Click to reveal

TROT

10 Across: "36. Part in a play"

Helpful hints:

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

Answer:

Click to reveal

ROLE

Down Clues - 10 Total

These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.

Down Clues List
Number	Clue
1 Down	46. Sphere, e.g.
2 Down	6. Single-masted vessels
3 Down	24. Forensic facilities
4 Down	59. Cabinet dept. since 1889
5 Down	20. Org. with a list of popular baby names
6 Down	44. One level below the majors
7 Down	52. Places to get masks
8 Down	34. Unnamed article
9 Down	56. Original N.Y.C. subway line
10 Down	47. Crinkly fabric

Hints and Answers for Down Clues

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

1 Down: "46. Sphere, e.g."

Helpful hints:

This word has 5 letters
It starts with 'S' and ends with 'D'
Word pattern: S___D

Answer:

Click to reveal

SOLID

2 Down: "6. Single-masted vessels"

Helpful hints:

This word has 6 letters
It starts with 'S' and ends with 'S'
Word pattern: S____S

Answer:

Click to reveal

SLOOPS

3 Down: "24. Forensic facilities"

Helpful hints:

This word has 7 letters
It starts with 'D' and ends with 'S'
Word pattern: D_____S

Answer:

Click to reveal

DNALABS

4 Down: "59. Cabinet dept. since 1889"

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

AGR

5 Down: "20. Org. with a list of popular baby names"

Helpful hints:

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

Answer:

Click to reveal

SSA

6 Down: "44. One level below the majors"

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

AAA

7 Down: "52. Places to get masks"

Helpful hints:

This word has 4 letters
It starts with 'S' and ends with 'S'
Word pattern: S__S

Answer:

Click to reveal

SPAS

8 Down: "34. Unnamed article"

Helpful hints:

This word has 5 letters
It starts with 'T' and ends with 'G'
Word pattern: T___G

Answer:

Click to reveal

THING

9 Down: "56. Original N.Y.C. subway line"

Helpful hints:

This word has 3 letters
It starts with 'I' and ends with 'T'
This is a short form or acronym

Answer:

Click to reveal

IRT

10 Down: "47. Crinkly fabric"

Helpful hints:

This word has 5 letters
It starts with 'C' and ends with 'E'
Word pattern: C___E

Answer:

Click to reveal

CREPE

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 58 seconds
Difficulty:	Easy

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.

Search Clues

Thursday, July 23, 2026