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Friday, August 28, 2026

Trivia Week 4 Manual for NYT Mini August 28, 2026

Trivia Week 4 NYT Mini August 28, 2026 Solutions & Guide

Today's Mini has 20 clues to get through. Hints and answers for all of them are below.

Popular Puzzles: September 02 2019 NYT Clues Solutions | Xwordhint Crossword Answers November 19 | Todays NYT Mini Crossword October 29 |

About Today's Puzzle

NYT Mini Crossword solutions for August 28, 2026
NYT Mini Crossword Grid - Friday, August 28, 2026
Puzzle Statistics
Detail Information
Date August 28, 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 4 NYT Mini Crossword Grid Layout

It's a 5 by 5 grid today — five boxes across, five 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 One Fast

  1. Skim every clue once before you write anything — your brain keeps chewing on the ones you don't solve right away.
  2. Knock out the short answers (3 letters or under) first.
  3. Lean on the crossing letters once a couple of words are in.
  4. A question mark in a clue usually means there's a pun coming.
  5. THE, AND, ARE, FOR, NOT — these little words show up constantly, keep them in your back pocket.

Quick Facts

  • Total squares: 25 (5 × 5)
  • Typical solve time: well under a minute for most regulars
  • Good time to play: on a coffee break
  • Difficulty: built to be approachable

Across Clues - 10 Total

These run left to right across the grid.

Across Clues List
Number Clue
1 Across 26. "Ignorance is bliss," e.g.
2 Across 36. Asteroids system
3 Across 22. "Would ya look at that ..."
4 Across 58. Kim Cattrall's role on "Sex and the City"
5 Across 39. ___ collar
6 Across 35. ___ polo (sport played in Pakistan)
7 Across 38. Flame proof?
8 Across 25. Milieu for bathyspheres, with "the"
9 Across 16. Politician's response, maybe
10 Across 13. Worrier's words

Hints and Answers for Across Clues

Stuck on one? Hints and answers for each clue are below. A few other guides worth a look:


1 Across: "26. "Ignorance is bliss," e.g."

Hints:

  • You're looking for 6 letters.
  • Kicks off with 'O' and wraps up with 'W'.

Answer:

Click to reveal OLDSAW


2 Across: "36. Asteroids system"

Hints:

  • It's a 5-letter word.
  • Kicks off with 'A' and wraps up with 'I'.
  • Pattern-wise it looks like: A___I

Answer:

Click to reveal ATARI


3 Across: "22. "Would ya look at that ...""

Hints:

  • Kicks off with 'W' and wraps up with 'L'.
  • Pattern-wise it looks like: W__________L
  • You're looking for 12 letters.

Answer:

Click to reveal WELLWELLWELL


4 Across: "58. Kim Cattrall's role on "Sex and the City""

Hints:

  • It's a 8-letter word.
  • First letter's a 'S', last letter's a 'A'.
  • Pattern-wise it looks like: S______A

Answer:

Click to reveal SAMANTHA


5 Across: "39. ___ collar"

Hints:

  • Kicks off with 'E' and wraps up with 'N'.
  • If that helps, the shape is: E__N
  • This one runs 4 letters long.

Answer:

Click to reveal ETON


6 Across: "35. ___ polo (sport played in Pakistan)"

Hints:

  • Basically, noisy talk.
  • Close enough in meaning: yack.
  • This one runs 3 letters long.

Answer:

Click to reveal YAK


7 Across: "38. Flame proof?"

Hints:

  • Think of it this way — the residue that remains when something is burned.
  • Starts with 'A', ends with 'H'.
  • It's a 3-letter word.

Answer:

Click to reveal ASH


8 Across: "25. Milieu for bathyspheres, with "the""

Hints:

  • In plain terms: the central and most intense or profound part.
  • You could also think of it as "trench."
  • First letter's a 'D', last letter's a 'S'.

Answer:

Click to reveal DEEPS


9 Across: "16. Politician's response, maybe"

Hints:

  • Kicks off with 'N' and wraps up with 'R'.
  • You're looking for 9 letters.

Answer:

Click to reveal NONANSWER


10 Across: "13. Worrier's words"

Hints:

  • First letter's a 'I', last letter's a 'T'.
  • Pattern-wise it looks like: I______T
  • It's a 8-letter word.

Answer:

Click to reveal IHOPENOT

Down Clues - 10 Total

These run top to bottom in the grid.

Down Clues List
Number Clue
1 Down 10. Screen capture?
2 Down 35. "The thing is ..."
3 Down 3. Brazilian soccer star known for his dribbling flair
4 Down 27. Blend
5 Down 43. Jazz aficionado, e.g.
6 Down 31. Outlaw
7 Down 51. Star turns at a concert
8 Down 44. Spirit seen on el Día de los Muertos
9 Down 4. Org. that might do some spring cleaning?
10 Down 17. Overhaul

Hints and Answers for Down Clues

Same deal here — hints then answers. You might also like:


1 Down: "10. Screen capture?"

Hints:

  • Count on 4 letters here.
  • This is more of an abbreviation than a regular word.
  • In plain terms: fine ravellings of cotton or linen fibers.

Answer:

Click to reveal LINT


2 Down: "35. "The thing is ...""

Hints:

  • Kicks off with 'Y' and wraps up with 'E'.
  • It's a 6-letter word.

Answer:

Click to reveal YOUSEE


3 Down: "3. Brazilian soccer star known for his dribbling flair"

Hints:

  • First letter's a 'R', last letter's a 'O'.
  • It's a 10-letter word.
  • If that helps, the shape is: R________O

Answer:

Click to reveal RONALDINHO


4 Down: "27. Blend"

Hints:

  • If that helps, the shape is: A________E
  • You could also think of it as "commix."
  • Kicks off with 'A' and wraps up with 'E'.

Answer:

Click to reveal AMALGAMATE


5 Down: "43. Jazz aficionado, e.g."

Hints:

  • Starts with 'N', ends with 'N'.
  • Count on 6 letters here.
  • Pattern-wise it looks like: N____N

Answer:

Click to reveal NBAFAN


6 Down: "31. Outlaw"

Hints:

  • Close enough in meaning: shun.
  • Count on 3 letters here.
  • Kicks off with 'B' and wraps up with 'N'.

Answer:

Click to reveal BAN


7 Down: "51. Star turns at a concert"

Hints:

  • Starts with 'S', ends with 'I'.
  • You could also think of it as "solo."
  • This is more of an abbreviation than a regular word.

Answer:

Click to reveal SOLI


8 Down: "44. Spirit seen on el Día de los Muertos"

Hints:

  • This one runs 6 letters long.
  • Kicks off with 'M' and wraps up with 'L'.
  • You could also think of it as "mescal."

Answer:

Click to reveal MEZCAL


9 Down: "4. Org. that might do some spring cleaning?"

Hints:

  • First letter's a 'E', last letter's a 'A'.
  • This is more of an abbreviation than a regular word.
  • This one runs 3 letters long.

Answer:

Click to reveal EPA


10 Down: "17. Overhaul"

Hints:

  • It's a 6-letter word.
  • Starts with 'R', ends with 'K'.
  • Think of it this way — use again in altered form.

Answer:

Click to reveal REWORK

How to Solve the NYT Mini Crossword Faster

Some habits that speed things up over time:

Step-by-Step Strategy

  1. Read it all first: Go through every clue once before writing anything down — it primes your brain even on the ones you skip.
  2. Grab the short ones: Two and three letter answers (things like "IT" or "ON") are usually the easiest place to start.
  3. Use the crossings: Once a couple of words are in, the crossing letters do a lot of the work for you on the harder ones.
  4. Watch for question marks: A "?" at the end of a clue almost always signals a pun rather than a literal answer.
  5. Keep the regulars in mind: ERA, ORE, ATE, ICE — these turn up often enough that it's worth remembering them.

Letter Tips That Really Help

  • E is the most common letter in English, so it's worth guessing early.
  • Words ending in S are usually plurals.
  • Blanks ("___") in a clue mean the answer fits exactly into those spaces.
  • An abbreviation in the clue is a signal the answer's abbreviated too.

Time Goals to Aim For

Your Time Skill Level What It Means
Under 30 seconds Expert You've clearly got the puzzle's patterns down.
30-60 seconds Advanced Solid pace — you're solving quickly.
1-2 minutes Good Right where most regular solvers land.
Over 2 minutes Learning Totally fine — speed comes with reps.

Puzzle Numbers and Facts

Today's Puzzle by the Numbers
Total Clues: 20
Grid Size: 5 boxes across, 5 boxes down
Total Squares: 25
Average Time: 52 seconds
Difficulty: Normal

Common Questions About Trivia Week 4

When does the Trivia Week 4 Mini go live?

Typically drops the evening before, around 10 PM ET.

How long should Trivia Week 4 take me?

Anywhere from 30 seconds to a couple of minutes is typical. Don't stress if you're on the slower end at first.

Is Trivia Week 4 free to play?

Nope, it's free — no subscription needed like the full-size crossword.

What actually makes someone good at Trivia Week 4?

Knowing the common short words, spotting wordplay quickly, and reading crossing letters well — that combination gets you most of the way there.

Does Trivia Week 4 get harder as the week goes on?

It varies day to day — Saturdays tend to be the toughest, Mondays the easiest.


About This Page: We put together hints and answers for the NYT Mini to help you learn the ropes and get faster over time. This site isn't affiliated with The New York Times.

Last Updated: August 28, 2026 at 03:31 PM

Search terms: NYT Mini Trivia Week, Trivia Week {week_num}, Mini crossword Trivia Week, Trivia Week answers, NYT Trivia Week, August 28 2026 mini crossword

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