Today's Trivia Week 2 NYT Mini Crossword August 14, 2026 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 August 14, 2026 — NYT Mini Crossword Grid - Friday, August 14, 2026

Puzzle Statistics
Detail	Information
Date	August 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	61. Spanish muralist José María ___
2 Across	37. Mom-and-pop group
3 Across	46. Recollection, say
4 Across	30. Bunk alternatives
5 Across	14. "There's my cue"
6 Across	5. Discovers
7 Across	59. Berkshire town
8 Across	51. Explode, as a paintball
9 Across	33. Because
10 Across	16. Superbright

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: "61. Spanish muralist José María ___"

Helpful hints:

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

Answer:

Click to reveal

SERT

2 Across: "37. Mom-and-pop group"

Helpful hints:

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

Answer:

Click to reveal

FAM

3 Across: "46. Recollection, say"

Helpful hints:

This word has 8 letters
It starts with 'A' and ends with 'E'
Word pattern: A______E

Answer:

Click to reveal

ANECDOTE

4 Across: "30. Bunk alternatives"

Helpful hints:

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

Answer:

Click to reveal

COTS

5 Across: "14. "There's my cue""

Helpful hints:

This word has 4 letters
It starts with 'I' and ends with 'N'
Word pattern: I__N

Answer:

Click to reveal

IMON

6 Across: "5. Discovers"

Helpful hints:

This word has 9 letters
It starts with 'S' and ends with 'T'
Word pattern: S_______T

Answer:

Click to reveal

SNIFFSOUT

7 Across: "59. Berkshire town"

Helpful hints:

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

Answer:

Click to reveal

ETON

8 Across: "51. Explode, as a paintball"

Helpful hints:

This word has 7 letters
It starts with 'G' and ends with 'T'
Word pattern: G_____T

Answer:

Click to reveal

GOSPLAT

9 Across: "33. Because"

Helpful hints:

This word has 5 letters
It starts with 'S' and ends with 'E'
Word pattern: S___E

Answer:

Click to reveal

SINCE

10 Across: "16. Superbright"

Helpful hints:

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

Answer:

Click to reveal

NEON

Down Clues - 10 Total

These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.

Down Clues List
Number	Clue
1 Down	56. Project
2 Down	25. Philosophy of "Keep things simple," in a sense
3 Down	51. Deep cut
4 Down	49. What might go straight to the heart?
5 Down	41. Tastes
6 Down	17. Unfruitful
7 Down	9. Honey is high in this
8 Down	32. Plot device?
9 Down	13. "... plus ___"
10 Down	55. Parlor offering, for short

Hints and Answers for Down Clues

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

1 Down: "56. Project"

Helpful hints:

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

Answer:

Click to reveal

JUT

2 Down: "25. Philosophy of "Keep things simple," in a sense"

Helpful hints:

This word has 11 letters
It starts with 'O' and ends with 'R'
Word pattern: O_________R

Answer:

Click to reveal

OCCAMSRAZOR

3 Down: "51. Deep cut"

Helpful hints:

This word has 4 letters
It starts with 'G' and ends with 'H'
Word pattern: G__H

Answer:

Click to reveal

GASH

4 Down: "49. What might go straight to the heart?"

Helpful hints:

This word has 5 letters
It starts with 'S' and ends with 'T'
Word pattern: S___T

Answer:

Click to reveal

STENT

5 Down: "41. Tastes"

Helpful hints:

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

Answer:

Click to reveal

SAMPLES

6 Down: "17. Unfruitful"

Helpful hints:

This word has 6 letters
It starts with 'B' and ends with 'N'
Word pattern: B____N

Answer:

Click to reveal

BARREN

7 Down: "9. Honey is high in this"

Helpful hints:

This word has 8 letters
It starts with 'F' and ends with 'E'
Word pattern: F______E

Answer:

Click to reveal

FRUCTOSE

8 Down: "32. Plot device?"

Helpful hints:

This word has 4 letters
It starts with 'H' and ends with 'E'
Word pattern: H__E

Answer:

Click to reveal

HOSE

9 Down: "13. "... plus ___""

Helpful hints:

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

Answer:

Click to reveal

TAX

10 Down: "55. Parlor offering, for short"

Helpful hints:

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

Answer:

Click to reveal

TAT

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:	A bit tricky

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

Friday, August 14, 2026