Quick NYT Mini Crossword September 03, 2026 (Trivia Week 1) - Solutions
Today's Mini has 20 clues to get through. Hints and answers for all of them are below.
Popular Puzzles: April 01 2020 NYT Clues Solutions | November 20 2019 NYT Clues Solutions | NYT Down Today October 07 2025 Complete |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | September 03, 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 1 NYT Mini Crossword Grid Layout
Today's layout is the usual 5x5: five columns, five rows.
| 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
- Skim every clue once before you write anything — your brain keeps chewing on the ones you don't solve right away.
- Knock out the short answers (3 letters or under) first.
- Lean on the crossing letters once a couple of words are in.
- A question mark in a clue usually means there's a pun coming.
- THE, AND, ARE, FOR, NOT — these little words show up constantly, keep them in your back pocket.
Quick Facts
- Squares in the grid: 25
- How long it takes: usually under a minute once you're warmed up
- Best moment for it: any short break
- Overall difficulty: easy-going by design
Across Clues - 10 Total
These run left to right across the grid.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Across | 5. She's possessive |
| 2 Across | 69. Emmy-winning role for Tina Fey |
| 3 Across | 1. Things that have icons |
| 4 Across | 17. Show with the classic episodes "The Puffy Shirt" and "The Little Kicks" |
| 5 Across | 59. Luxuriates outdoors, in a way |
| 6 Across | 23. Successes for sluggers, for short |
| 7 Across | 36. "Please give this high priority!" |
| 8 Across | 34. Reached a payment date |
| 9 Across | 21. On, in French |
| 10 Across | 13. She can speak more than 20 languages |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Stuck on one? Hints and answers for each clue are below. A few other guides worth a look:
- August 20 2019 NYT Clues Solutions
- Down Clues NYT October 04 2025 Todays
- Thursday NYT Across Solutions December
1 Across: "5. She's possessive"
Hints:
- Starts with 'H', ends with 'R'.
- This is more of an abbreviation than a regular word.
- It's a 3-letter word.
Answer:
Click to reveal
HER2 Across: "69. Emmy-winning role for Tina Fey"
Hints:
- Short form / acronym territory here.
- First letter's a 'L', last letter's a 'Z'.
- This one runs 3 letters long.
Answer:
Click to reveal
LIZ3 Across: "1. Things that have icons"
Hints:
- Pattern-wise it looks like: A__S
- This one runs 4 letters long.
- First letter's a 'A', last letter's a 'S'.
Answer:
Click to reveal
APPS4 Across: "17. Show with the classic episodes "The Puffy Shirt" and "The Little Kicks""
Hints:
- Starts with 'S', ends with 'D'.
- You're looking for 8 letters.
- Pattern-wise it looks like: S______D
Answer:
Click to reveal
SEINFELD5 Across: "59. Luxuriates outdoors, in a way"
Hints:
- Count on 6 letters here.
- Kicks off with 'G' and wraps up with 'S'.
Answer:
Click to reveal
GLAMPS6 Across: "23. Successes for sluggers, for short"
Hints:
- You could also think of it as "rbi."
- This is more of an abbreviation than a regular word.
- Count on 4 letters here.
Answer:
Click to reveal
RBIS7 Across: "36. "Please give this high priority!""
Hints:
- This is more of an abbreviation than a regular word.
- It's a 4-letter word.
- First letter's a 'A', last letter's a 'P'.
Answer:
Click to reveal
ASAP8 Across: "34. Reached a payment date"
Hints:
- Blank it out and you get: C_____E
- Kicks off with 'C' and wraps up with 'E'.
- You're looking for 7 letters.
Answer:
Click to reveal
CAMEDUE9 Across: "21. On, in French"
Hints:
- This is more of an abbreviation than a regular word.
- Kicks off with 'S' and wraps up with 'R'.
- Close enough in meaning: Tyre.
Answer:
Click to reveal
SUR10 Across: "13. She can speak more than 20 languages"
Hints:
- This is more of an abbreviation than a regular word.
- First letter's a 'S', last letter's a 'I'.
- Pattern-wise it looks like: S__I
Answer:
Click to reveal
SIRIDown Clues - 10 Total
These run top to bottom in the grid.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 26. Sketches |
| 2 Down | 53. Polyhymnia or Clio |
| 3 Down | 46. Skilled performer |
| 4 Down | 47. 2, 4, 6 and 8, e.g. |
| 5 Down | 12. Cause of a squeaky voice, maybe |
| 6 Down | 63. Skeleton, say |
| 7 Down | 4. Confess, say |
| 8 Down | 11. Place for storing belongings in a 32-Across |
| 9 Down | 28. Leave a mark |
| 10 Down | 18. Factor in a clothing purchase |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Same deal here — hints then answers. You might also like:
- Down Clues NYT October 04 2025 Todays
- January 07 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
- Thursday NYT Across Solutions December
1 Down: "26. Sketches"
Hints:
- 'tipple' points in the same direction.
- First letter's a 'D', last letter's a 'S'.
- Count on 6 letters here.
Answer:
Click to reveal
DRAFTS2 Down: "53. Polyhymnia or Clio"
Hints:
- 'mull' points in the same direction.
- You're looking for 4 letters.
- Starts with 'M', ends with 'E'.
Answer:
Click to reveal
MUSE3 Down: "46. Skilled performer"
Hints:
- Kicks off with 'A' and wraps up with 'E'.
- If that helps, the shape is: A_____E
- This one runs 7 letters long.
Answer:
Click to reveal
ARTISTE4 Down: "47. 2, 4, 6 and 8, e.g."
Hints:
- Basically, how long something has existed.
- Pattern-wise it looks like: A__S
- Short form / acronym territory here.
Answer:
Click to reveal
AGES5 Down: "12. Cause of a squeaky voice, maybe"
Hints:
- You're looking for 6 letters.
- Starts with 'H', ends with 'M'.
- You could also think of it as "He."
Answer:
Click to reveal
HELIUM6 Down: "63. Skeleton, say"
Hints:
- This is more of an abbreviation than a regular word.
- Starts with 'S', ends with 'D'.
- Close enough in meaning: sleigh.
Answer:
Click to reveal
SLED7 Down: "4. Confess, say"
Hints:
- Basically, deliver by singing.
- Short form / acronym territory here.
- Close enough in meaning: tattle.
Answer:
Click to reveal
SING8 Down: "11. Place for storing belongings in a 32-Across"
Hints:
- Close enough in meaning: snug.
- Think of it this way — a small compartment.
- It's a 9-letter word.
Answer:
Click to reveal
CUBBYHOLE9 Down: "28. Leave a mark"
Hints:
- Short form / acronym territory here.
- You're looking for 4 letters.
- Kicks off with 'S' and wraps up with 'R'.
Answer:
Click to reveal
SCAR10 Down: "18. Factor in a clothing purchase"
Hints:
- 'outfit' points in the same direction.
- This is more of an abbreviation than a regular word.
- Basically, a display of bad temper.
Answer:
Click to reveal
FITHow 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
- Scan before you solve: One quick read-through of all the clues before you commit to anything usually pays off.
- Short words first: The 2-3 letter answers are almost always the low-hanging fruit.
- Let crossings guide you: Harder answers get much easier once a couple of crossing letters are locked in.
- Puns hide behind question marks: If a clue ends in "?", expect wordplay, not a straight answer.
- A few words repeat a lot: ERA, ORE, ATE, ICE show up more than you'd expect — keep them in mind.
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: | Medium |
Common Questions About Trivia Week 1
When does the Trivia Week 1 Mini go live?
Typically drops the evening before, around 10 PM ET.
How long should Trivia Week 1 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 1 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 1?
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 1 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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