NYT Mini Answers September 30, 2026 - Trivia Week 4 Special
Today's Mini has 20 clues to get through. Hints and answers for all of them are below.
Popular Puzzles: September 21 2019 NYT Clues Solutions | Xwordhint Crossword Answers December 09 | July 27 2019 NYT Clues Solutions |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | September 30, 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.
| 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
- Read through all the clues before filling in a single square.
- Start with anything three letters or shorter.
- Crossing letters are your best friend for the trickier answers.
- Question mark clues (?) almost always mean wordplay, not a literal answer.
- Watch for the usual suspects: THE, AND, ARE, FOR, NOT.
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.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Across | 59. Hightailed it |
| 2 Across | 28. It was you |
| 3 Across | 27. Nottingham-to-London dir. |
| 4 Across | 52. Great flair |
| 5 Across | 58. Sized up |
| 6 Across | 14. Isle that's the traditional burial site of Scottish kings |
| 7 Across | 1. Much-used pencil |
| 8 Across | 15. Mayberry kid on old TV |
| 9 Across | 19. Walked while fraught with worry, say |
| 10 Across | 31. Culinary connoisseur |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Stuck on one? Hints and answers for each clue are below. A few other guides worth a look:
- September 01 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
- September 03 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
- August 26 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Across: "59. Hightailed it"
Hints:
- Starts with 'T', ends with 'E'.
- This is more of an abbreviation than a regular word.
- Pattern-wise it looks like: T__E
Answer:
Click to reveal
TORE2 Across: "28. It was you"
Hints:
- Starts with 'T', ends with 'U'.
- It's a 4-letter word.
- This is more of an abbreviation than a regular word.
Answer:
Click to reveal
THOU3 Across: "27. Nottingham-to-London dir."
Hints:
- This is more of an abbreviation than a regular word.
- This one runs 3 letters long.
- Starts with 'S', ends with 'E'.
Answer:
Click to reveal
SSE4 Across: "52. Great flair"
Hints:
- In plain terms: distinctive and stylish elegance.
- Starts with 'P', ends with 'E'.
- You're looking for 7 letters.
Answer:
Click to reveal
PANACHE5 Across: "58. Sized up"
Hints:
- This is more of an abbreviation than a regular word.
- This one runs 4 letters long.
- Think of it this way — look at.
Answer:
Click to reveal
EYED6 Across: "14. Isle that's the traditional burial site of Scottish kings"
Hints:
- Kicks off with 'I' and wraps up with 'A'.
- Short form / acronym territory here.
- It's a 4-letter word.
Answer:
Click to reveal
IONA7 Across: "1. Much-used pencil"
Hints:
- Pattern-wise it looks like: S__B
- Kicks off with 'S' and wraps up with 'B'.
- It's a 4-letter word.
Answer:
Click to reveal
STUB8 Across: "15. Mayberry kid on old TV"
Hints:
- First letter's a 'O', last letter's a 'E'.
- This is more of an abbreviation than a regular word.
- You're looking for 4 letters.
Answer:
Click to reveal
OPIE9 Across: "19. Walked while fraught with worry, say"
Hints:
- If that helps, the shape is: P___D
- You're looking for 5 letters.
- In plain terms: walk with slow or fast paces.
Answer:
Click to reveal
PACED10 Across: "31. Culinary connoisseur"
Hints:
- Starts with 'F', ends with 'E'.
- Close enough in meaning: gourmet.
- It's a 6-letter word.
Answer:
Click to reveal
FOODIEDown Clues - 10 Total
These run top to bottom in the grid.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 11. Be super-successful, in slang |
| 2 Down | 54. Rank below sgt. |
| 3 Down | 7. Trust eroder |
| 4 Down | 31. Offer from many a streaming service |
| 5 Down | 48. Targets of some heists |
| 6 Down | 45. Where landlubbers are at home |
| 7 Down | 24. Collection of dishes? |
| 8 Down | 1. Drawn-out attacks |
| 9 Down | 50. Was out of other options |
| 10 Down | 10. They might get lit at a birthday celebration |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Same deal here — hints then answers. You might also like:
- September 01 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
- November 13 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
- April 28 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Down: "11. Be super-successful, in slang"
Hints:
- If that helps, the shape is: K______T
- First letter's a 'K', last letter's a 'T'.
- Count on 8 letters here.
Answer:
Click to reveal
KICKBUTT2 Down: "54. Rank below sgt."
Hints:
- Kicks off with 'C' and wraps up with 'L'.
- Count on 3 letters here.
- Short form / acronym territory here.
Answer:
Click to reveal
CPL3 Down: "7. Trust eroder"
Hints:
- You could also think of it as "consist."
- This is more of an abbreviation than a regular word.
- You're looking for 3 letters.
Answer:
Click to reveal
LIE4 Down: "31. Offer from many a streaming service"
Hints:
- This one runs 9 letters long.
- If that helps, the shape is: F_______L
- First letter's a 'F', last letter's a 'L'.
Answer:
Click to reveal
FREETRIAL5 Down: "48. Targets of some heists"
Hints:
- Starts with 'S', ends with 'S'.
- In plain terms: strongbox where valuables can be safely kept.
- 'condom' points in the same direction.
Answer:
Click to reveal
SAFES6 Down: "45. Where landlubbers are at home"
Hints:
- You're looking for 6 letters.
- Starts with 'A', ends with 'E'.
- Think of it this way — towards the shore from the water.
Answer:
Click to reveal
ASHORE7 Down: "24. Collection of dishes?"
Hints:
- This one runs 7 letters long.
- Starts with 'C', ends with 'E'.
- If that helps, the shape is: C_____E
Answer:
Click to reveal
CUISINE8 Down: "1. Drawn-out attacks"
Hints:
- Count on 6 letters here.
- Blank it out and you get: S____S
- 'siege' points in the same direction.
Answer:
Click to reveal
SIEGES9 Down: "50. Was out of other options"
Hints:
- First letter's a 'H', last letter's a 'O'.
- You're looking for 5 letters.
- Pattern-wise it looks like: H___O
Answer:
Click to reveal
HADTO10 Down: "10. They might get lit at a birthday celebration"
Hints:
- This one runs 9 letters long.
- If that helps, the shape is: S_______S
- Starts with 'S', ends with 'S'.
Answer:
Click to reveal
SPARKLERSHow to Solve the NYT Mini Crossword Faster
A few things that actually help once you've been doing these a while:
Step-by-Step Strategy
- Read it all first: Go through every clue once before writing anything down — it primes your brain even on the ones you skip.
- Grab the short ones: Two and three letter answers (things like "IT" or "ON") are usually the easiest place to start.
- 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.
- Watch for question marks: A "?" at the end of a clue almost always signals a pun rather than a literal answer.
- 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
| Total Clues: | 20 |
| Grid Size: | 5 boxes across, 5 boxes down |
| Total Squares: | 25 |
| Average Time: | 58 seconds |
| Difficulty: | A bit tricky |
Common Questions About Trivia Week 4
When does the Trivia Week 4 Mini go live?
It usually goes live around 10 PM Eastern the night before.
How long should Trivia Week 4 take me?
Most people land somewhere between 30 seconds and 2 minutes. Slower than that is completely normal too — it gets faster with practice.
Is Trivia Week 4 free to play?
It's free to play, unlike the main NYT Crossword which sits behind a paywall.
What actually makes someone good at Trivia Week 4?
It mostly comes down to recognizing common short answers and catching puns fast. The rest is just reps.
Does Trivia Week 4 get harder as the week goes on?
Difficulty shifts through the week; expect Monday to be gentle and Saturday to bite a bit more.
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