Trivia Week 4 Manual for NYT Mini May 22, 2026
Quick Summary: Today's NYT Mini Crossword has 20 clues total. We have all the answers plus helpful hints to make solving easier!
Popular Puzzles: April 13 2022 NYT Clues Solutions | All NYT Across Clues September 30 2025 | NYT Across Today October 13 2025 |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | May 22, 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.
| 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.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Across | 61. Infamous chess trap that ends the game in two moves |
| 2 Across | 65. What some streakers are charged with? |
| 3 Across | 27. Mrs. Addams, to Mr. Addams |
| 4 Across | 30. Guimarães greeting |
| 5 Across | 57. More sizzle than steak |
| 6 Across | 42. Dealt with |
| 7 Across | 63. Bump on a lid |
| 8 Across | 41. Bit of marginalia |
| 9 Across | 47. Like the Millennium Problems of the Clay Mathematics Institute |
| 10 Across | 16. Sherwood, e.g. |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:
- August 06 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
- June 05 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
- Xwordhint Crossword Answers December 07
1 Across: "61. Infamous chess trap that ends the game in two moves"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 9 letters
- It starts with 'F' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: F_______E
Answer:
Click to reveal
FOOLSMATE2 Across: "65. What some streakers are charged with?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: T____S
Answer:
Click to reveal
TASERS3 Across: "27. Mrs. Addams, to Mr. Addams"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'H'
- Word pattern: T__H
Answer:
Click to reveal
TISH4 Across: "30. Guimarães greeting"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'A'
- Another word like this: olla
Answer:
Click to reveal
OLA5 Across: "57. More sizzle than steak"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 16 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: A______________E
Answer:
Click to reveal
ALLBARKANDNOBITE6 Across: "42. Dealt with"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'O'
- Word pattern: S____O
Answer:
Click to reveal
SEENTO7 Across: "63. Bump on a lid"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: S__E
Answer:
Click to reveal
STYE8 Across: "41. Bit of marginalia"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'N' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: N__E
Answer:
Click to reveal
NOTE9 Across: "47. Like the Millennium Problems of the Clay Mathematics Institute"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 8 letters
- It starts with 'U' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: U______D
Answer:
Click to reveal
UNSOLVED10 Across: "16. Sherwood, e.g."
Helpful hints:
- This word has 9 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: O_______T
Answer:
Click to reveal
OAKFORESTDown Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 52. Stop the bleeding, say |
| 2 Down | 44. Catamounts |
| 3 Down | 7. Classical piece said to be the inspiration for Chopin's "Fantaisie-Impromptu" |
| 4 Down | 48. Young's partner in accounting |
| 5 Down | 12. Highlight ___ |
| 6 Down | 9. Calypso cousin |
| 7 Down | 19. Word with rock or medicine |
| 8 Down | 11. Zest |
| 9 Down | 50. Rich soil deposit |
| 10 Down | 26. Is |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
- August 06 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
- June 05 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
- NYT Across Clues Answers September 28
1 Down: "52. Stop the bleeding, say"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: C__T
Answer:
Click to reveal
CLOT2 Down: "44. Catamounts"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: P___S
Answer:
Click to reveal
PUMAS3 Down: "7. Classical piece said to be the inspiration for Chopin's "Fantaisie-Impromptu""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 15 letters
- It starts with 'M' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: M_____________A
Answer:
Click to reveal
MOONLIGHTSONATA4 Down: "48. Young's partner in accounting"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: E___T
Answer:
Click to reveal
ERNST5 Down: "12. Highlight ___"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'L'
- Word pattern: R__L
Answer:
Click to reveal
REEL6 Down: "9. Calypso cousin"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'A'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer:
Click to reveal
SKA7 Down: "19. Word with rock or medicine"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'F' and ends with 'K'
- Word pattern: F__K
Answer:
Click to reveal
FOLK8 Down: "11. Zest"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'B' and ends with 'O'
- Word pattern: B__O
Answer:
Click to reveal
BRIO9 Down: "50. Rich soil deposit"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: L___S
Answer:
Click to reveal
LOESS10 Down: "26. Is"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'M' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: M___S
Answer:
Click to reveal
MEANSHow 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
| 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 1 minute 10 seconds |
| Difficulty: | Normal |
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.
