Quick NYT Mini Crossword August 25, 2026 (Trivia Week 4) - Solutions

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 August 25, 2026 — NYT Mini Crossword Grid - Tuesday, August 25, 2026

Puzzle Statistics
Detail	Information
Date	August 25, 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	39. Bluish-silver Christmas trees, maybe
2 Across	63. Bygone Russian leader
3 Across	56. Drink in a sippy cup, to a toddler
4 Across	62. *7th
5 Across	60. "I'd love to go"
6 Across	22. ___ skirt
7 Across	54. Some Monopoly properties: Abbr.
8 Across	64. Pad
9 Across	14. Free-spirited style, informally
10 Across	46. Great divide

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: "39. Bluish-silver Christmas trees, maybe"

Helpful hints:

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

Answer:

Click to reveal

SPRUCES

2 Across: "63. Bygone Russian leader"

Helpful hints:

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

Answer:

Click to reveal

TSAR

3 Across: "56. Drink in a sippy cup, to a toddler"

Helpful hints:

This word has 4 letters
It starts with 'W' and ends with 'A'
Word pattern: W__A

Answer:

Click to reveal

WAWA

4 Across: "62. *7th"

Helpful hints:

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

Answer:

Click to reveal

URANUS

5 Across: "60. "I'd love to go""

Helpful hints:

This word has 8 letters
It starts with 'I' and ends with 'E'
Word pattern: I______E

Answer:

Click to reveal

ITSADATE

6 Across: "22. ___ skirt"

Helpful hints:

This word has 4 letters
It starts with 'M' and ends with 'I'
Word pattern: M__I

Answer:

Click to reveal

MIDI

7 Across: "54. Some Monopoly properties: Abbr."

Helpful hints:

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

Answer:

Click to reveal

AVES

8 Across: "64. Pad"

Helpful hints:

This word has 3 letters
It starts with 'M' and ends with 'T'
Another word like this: matted

Answer:

Click to reveal

MAT

9 Across: "14. Free-spirited style, informally"

Helpful hints:

This word has 4 letters
It starts with 'B' and ends with 'O'
Word pattern: B__O

Answer:

Click to reveal

BOHO

10 Across: "46. Great divide"

Helpful hints:

This word has 5 letters
It starts with 'C' and ends with 'M'
Word pattern: C___M

Answer:

Click to reveal

CHASM

Down Clues - 10 Total

These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.

Down Clues List
Number	Clue
1 Down	40. Raceway speed setter
2 Down	2. Allen who was the 2001 N.B.A. M.V.P.
3 Down	29. "The Little Mermaid" prince
4 Down	37. Neon ___ (aquarium fish)
5 Down	6. "Wowza!"
6 Down	11. Desert quality
7 Down	5. ___ pond
8 Down	35. Kelly of morning TV
9 Down	44. Like the paths of 45-Down, as visually depicted in this puzzle
10 Down	31. Shades

Hints and Answers for Down Clues

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

1 Down: "40. Raceway speed setter"

Helpful hints:

This word has 7 letters
It starts with 'P' and ends with 'R'
Word pattern: P_____R

Answer:

Click to reveal

PACECAR

2 Down: "2. Allen who was the 2001 N.B.A. M.V.P."

Helpful hints:

This word has 7 letters
It starts with 'I' and ends with 'N'
Word pattern: I_____N

Answer:

Click to reveal

IVERSON

3 Down: "29. "The Little Mermaid" prince"

Helpful hints:

This word has 4 letters
It starts with 'E' and ends with 'C'
Word pattern: E__C

Answer:

Click to reveal

ERIC

4 Down: "37. Neon ___ (aquarium fish)"

Helpful hints:

This word has 5 letters
It starts with 'T' and ends with 'A'
Word pattern: T___A

Answer:

Click to reveal

TETRA

5 Down: "6. "Wowza!""

Helpful hints:

This word has 6 letters
It starts with 'O' and ends with 'N'
Word pattern: O____N

Answer:

Click to reveal

OHDAMN

6 Down: "11. Desert quality"

Helpful hints:

This word has 7 letters
It starts with 'A' and ends with 'Y'
Word pattern: A_____Y

Answer:

Click to reveal

ARIDITY

7 Down: "5. ___ pond"

Helpful hints:

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

Answer:

Click to reveal

KOI

8 Down: "35. Kelly of morning TV"

Helpful hints:

This word has 4 letters
It starts with 'R' and ends with 'A'
Word pattern: R__A

Answer:

Click to reveal

RIPA

9 Down: "44. Like the paths of 45-Down, as visually depicted in this puzzle"

Helpful hints:

This word has 7 letters
It starts with 'O' and ends with 'L'
Word pattern: O_____L

Answer:

Click to reveal

ORBITAL

10 Down: "31. Shades"

Helpful hints:

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

Answer:

Click to reveal

HUES

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 45 seconds
Difficulty:	Medium

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

Tuesday, August 25, 2026