NYT Mini Crossword Trivia Week 4 September 22, 2026 - Daily Answers
20 clues today. If you're stuck on any of them, scroll down — hints first, answers hidden underneath.
Popular Puzzles: December 31 2019 NYT Clues Solutions | July 01 2021 NYT Clues Solutions | January 30 2020 NYT Clues Solutions |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | September 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 4 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
- 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 | 63. Doughnut quantities |
| 2 Across | 14. Was overprotective, in a way |
| 3 Across | 19. 50/52-Across musician |
| 4 Across | 26. Billionaires' boats |
| 5 Across | 24. Like a scratchy voice |
| 6 Across | 37. #1 hit from 50/52-Across ("Why did those days ever have to go?") |
| 7 Across | 50. With 52-Across, double album released on September 28, 1976, that spent 13 straight weeks at #1 |
| 8 Across | 64. Work ___ |
| 9 Across | 40. Perched |
| 10 Across | 12. Sudden and unexpected |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Stuck on one? Hints and answers for each clue are below. A few other guides worth a look:
- December 31 2019 NYT Clues Solutions
- NYT Crossword Down November 12 2025 All
- July 01 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Across: "63. Doughnut quantities"
Hints:
- Think of it this way — a large number or amount.
- Starts with 'D', ends with 'S'.
- Count on 6 letters here.
Answer:
Click to reveal
DOZENS2 Across: "14. Was overprotective, in a way"
Hints:
- You're looking for 7 letters.
- You could also think of it as "linger."
- Starts with 'H', ends with 'D'.
Answer:
Click to reveal
HOVERED3 Across: "19. 50/52-Across musician"
Hints:
- Count on 12 letters here.
- Starts with 'S', ends with 'R'.
- Blank it out and you get: S__________R
Answer:
Click to reveal
STEVIEWONDER4 Across: "26. Billionaires' boats"
Hints:
- Kicks off with 'Y' and wraps up with 'S'.
- Close enough in meaning: yacht.
- It's a 6-letter word.
Answer:
Click to reveal
YACHTS5 Across: "24. Like a scratchy voice"
Hints:
- Pattern-wise it looks like: R___Y
- It's a 5-letter word.
- Kicks off with 'R' and wraps up with 'Y'.
Answer:
Click to reveal
RASPY6 Across: "37. #1 hit from 50/52-Across ("Why did those days ever have to go?")"
Hints:
- This one runs 5 letters long.
- Pattern-wise it looks like: I___H
- First letter's a 'I', last letter's a 'H'.
Answer:
Click to reveal
IWISH7 Across: "50. With 52-Across, double album released on September 28, 1976, that spent 13 straight weeks at #1"
Hints:
- Count on 7 letters here.
- Kicks off with 'S' and wraps up with 'N'.
- Blank it out and you get: S_____N
Answer:
Click to reveal
SONGSIN8 Across: "64. Work ___"
Hints:
- First letter's a 'E', last letter's a 'C'.
- Pattern-wise it looks like: E___C
- This one runs 5 letters long.
Answer:
Click to reveal
ETHIC9 Across: "40. Perched"
Hints:
- Short form / acronym territory here.
- This one runs 3 letters long.
- Close enough in meaning: posture.
Answer:
Click to reveal
SAT10 Across: "12. Sudden and unexpected"
Hints:
- It's a 6-letter word.
- You could also think of it as "sharp."
- Starts with 'A', ends with 'T'.
Answer:
Click to reveal
ABRUPTDown Clues - 10 Total
These run top to bottom in the grid.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 44. Start liking |
| 2 Down | 29. "lol" |
| 3 Down | 43. Celebratory hoopla |
| 4 Down | 18. Like some humor and runs |
| 5 Down | 23. Argue against |
| 6 Down | 11. Road curves |
| 7 Down | 22. Broadway star Menzel |
| 8 Down | 4. Popular times for tacos |
| 9 Down | 48. "I see" |
| 10 Down | 53. Ivy League school in New Haven |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Same deal here — hints then answers. You might also like:
- Todays 55 NYT Mini November 02 2025
- July 12 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
- Fridays NYT Down Dec 05 Full Vertical
1 Down: "44. Start liking"
Hints:
- It's a 6-letter word.
- Pattern-wise it looks like: T____O
- Starts with 'T', ends with 'O'.
Answer:
Click to reveal
TAKETO2 Down: "29. "lol""
Hints:
- If that helps, the shape is: H__A
- First letter's a 'H', last letter's a 'A'.
- This is more of an abbreviation than a regular word.
Answer:
Click to reveal
HAHA3 Down: "43. Celebratory hoopla"
Hints:
- Pattern-wise it looks like: F_____E
- This one runs 7 letters long.
- Starts with 'F', ends with 'E'.
Answer:
Click to reveal
FANFARE4 Down: "18. Like some humor and runs"
Hints:
- Kicks off with 'D' and wraps up with 'Y'.
- 'ironic' points in the same direction.
- Short form / acronym territory here.
Answer:
Click to reveal
DRY5 Down: "23. Argue against"
Hints:
- This one runs 5 letters long.
- Basically, overthrow by argument.
- First letter's a 'R', last letter's a 'T'.
Answer:
Click to reveal
REBUT6 Down: "11. Road curves"
Hints:
- Close enough in meaning: crook.
- You're looking for 5 letters.
- In plain terms: pain resulting from rapid change in pressure.
Answer:
Click to reveal
BENDS7 Down: "22. Broadway star Menzel"
Hints:
- First letter's a 'I', last letter's a 'A'.
- It's a 5-letter word.
- Pattern-wise it looks like: I___A
Answer:
Click to reveal
IDINA8 Down: "4. Popular times for tacos"
Hints:
- Basically, the third day of the week; the second working day.
- Kicks off with 'T' and wraps up with 'S'.
- If that helps, the shape is: T______S
Answer:
Click to reveal
TUESDAYS9 Down: "48. "I see""
Hints:
- Count on 4 letters here.
- First letter's a 'O', last letter's a 'K'.
- Short form / acronym territory here.
Answer:
Click to reveal
OHOK10 Down: "53. Ivy League school in New Haven"
Hints:
- Think of it this way — a university in Connecticut.
- Pattern-wise it looks like: Y__E
- Short form / acronym territory here.
Answer:
Click to reveal
YALEHow 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: | 45 seconds |
| Difficulty: | Easy |
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?
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.
