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Thursday, August 20, 2026

Quick NYT Mini Crossword August 20, 2026 (Trivia Week 3) - Solutions

NYT Mini Answers August 20, 2026 - Trivia Week 3 Special

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: Todays Across Crossword NYT October 04 | Sunday NYT Down Solutions December 28 | Tuesday NYT Mini Crossword Answers |

About Today's Puzzle

NYT Mini Crossword solutions for August 20, 2026
NYT Mini Crossword Grid - Thursday, August 20, 2026
Puzzle Statistics
Detail Information
Date August 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.

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

  1. Read all the clues first - your brain will start working on them
  2. Fill in the short words first (3 letters or less)
  3. Use the crossing letters to help with harder words
  4. If a clue has a question mark (?), it's probably a joke or play on words
  5. 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 65. Out with ate, ate, ate
2 Across 26. Place recording
3 Across 21. To cop
4 Across 24. York ___
5 Across 46. Into light
6 Across 42. Set off
7 Across 39. Sponge bath
8 Across 57. For repentance some feel
9 Across 15. Correct thoroughly
10 Across 17. Try to place connoisseurs?

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: "65. Out with ate, ate, ate"

Helpful hints:

  • This word has 6 letters
  • It starts with 'P' and ends with 'D'
  • Word pattern: P____D

Answer:

Click to reveal PIGGED


2 Across: "26. Place recording"

Helpful hints:

  • This word has 6 letters
  • It starts with 'S' and ends with 'O'
  • Word pattern: S____O

Answer:

Click to reveal STUDIO


3 Across: "21. To cop"

Helpful hints:

  • This word has 3 letters
  • It starts with 'O' and ends with 'N'
  • Another word like this: have

Answer:

Click to reveal OWN


4 Across: "24. York ___"

Helpful hints:

  • This word has 5 letters
  • It starts with 'N' and ends with 'A'
  • Word pattern: N___A

Answer:

Click to reveal NUEVA


5 Across: "46. Into light"

Helpful hints:

  • This word has 6 letters
  • It starts with 'C' and ends with 'T'
  • Word pattern: C____T

Answer:

Click to reveal CUSSAT


6 Across: "42. Set off"

Helpful hints:

  • This word has 6 letters
  • It starts with 'D' and ends with 'Y'
  • Word pattern: D____Y

Answer:

Click to reveal DEFRAY


7 Across: "39. Sponge bath"

Helpful hints:

  • This word has 5 letters
  • It starts with 'L' and ends with 'A'
  • Word pattern: L___A

Answer:

Click to reveal LOOFA


8 Across: "57. For repentance some feel"

Helpful hints:

  • This word has 3 letters
  • It starts with 'R' and ends with 'E'
  • Another word like this: sorrow

Answer:

Click to reveal RUE


9 Across: "15. Correct thoroughly"

Helpful hints:

  • This word has 6 letters
  • It starts with 'S' and ends with 'N'
  • Word pattern: S____N

Answer:

Click to reveal SPOTON


10 Across: "17. Try to place connoisseurs?"

Helpful hints:

  • This word has 11 letters
  • It starts with 'T' and ends with 'M'
  • Word pattern: T_________M

Answer:

Click to reveal TASTINGROOM

Down Clues - 10 Total

These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.

Down Clues List
Number Clue
1 Down 41. Univ. with an annual Mystery Hunt
2 Down 23. Distinctive expression ... or a hint to this puzzle's Across clues
3 Down 44. Goes nuts for
4 Down 2. Asian sea currently undergoing replenishment efforts
5 Down 1. URL starter
6 Down 9. Babe in the Hundred Acre Wood
7 Down 5. ID in some data breaches
8 Down 8. Loads
9 Down 26. Mole, e.g.
10 Down 13. It's worth remembering!

Hints and Answers for Down Clues

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


1 Down: "41. Univ. with an annual Mystery Hunt"

Helpful hints:

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

Answer:

Click to reveal MIT


2 Down: "23. Distinctive expression ... or a hint to this puzzle's Across clues"

Helpful hints:

  • This word has 12 letters
  • It starts with 'T' and ends with 'E'
  • Word pattern: T__________E

Answer:

Click to reveal TURNOFPHRASE


3 Down: "44. Goes nuts for"

Helpful hints:

  • This word has 6 letters
  • It starts with 'E' and ends with 'P'
  • Word pattern: E____P

Answer:

Click to reveal EATSUP


4 Down: "2. Asian sea currently undergoing replenishment efforts"

Helpful hints:

  • This word has 4 letters
  • It starts with 'A' and ends with 'L'
  • Word pattern: A__L

Answer:

Click to reveal ARAL


5 Down: "1. URL starter"

Helpful hints:

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

Answer:

Click to reveal HTTP


6 Down: "9. Babe in the Hundred Acre Wood"

Helpful hints:

  • This word has 3 letters
  • It starts with 'R' and ends with 'O'
  • This is a short form or acronym

Answer:

Click to reveal ROO


7 Down: "5. ID in some data breaches"

Helpful hints:

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

Answer:

Click to reveal SSN


8 Down: "8. Loads"

Helpful hints:

  • This word has 4 letters
  • It starts with 'A' and ends with 'N'
  • Word pattern: A__N

Answer:

Click to reveal ATON


9 Down: "26. Mole, e.g."

Helpful hints:

  • This word has 3 letters
  • It starts with 'S' and ends with 'Y'
  • Another word like this: sight

Answer:

Click to reveal SPY


10 Down: "13. It's worth remembering!"

Helpful hints:

  • This word has 5 letters
  • It starts with 'A' and ends with 'O'
  • Word pattern: A___O

Answer:

Click to reveal ALAMO

How to Solve the NYT Mini Crossword Faster

Here are the best tips from expert solvers:

Step-by-Step Strategy

  1. Quick Scan: Read all clues once. Your brain starts working on them right away.
  2. Easy First: Fill in the shortest words (2-3 letters). These are usually simple words like "IT" or "ON".
  3. Use Crossings: When letters cross, they help you figure out harder words.
  4. Watch for Wordplay: Clues with question marks (?) are jokes or puns.
  5. 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 52 seconds
Difficulty: Easy

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.


About This Page: We provide hints and answers for the NYT Mini Crossword to help you learn and improve. This site is not connected to The New York Times.

Last Updated: August 20, 2026 at 04:04 AM

Search terms: NYT Mini Trivia Week, Trivia Week {week_num}, Mini crossword Trivia Week, Trivia Week answers, NYT Trivia Week, August 20 2026 mini crossword

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