NYT Mini Crossword Trivia Week 3 July 20, 2026 - Daily Answers
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: January 03 2020 NYT Clues Solutions | April 17 2021 NYT Clues Solutions | Xwordhint Crossword Answers September_16 |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | July 20, 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 | 35. Young Yorkie, e.g. |
| 2 Across | 60. "My sympathies" ... or what could be said of 17-, 27- and 46-Across |
| 3 Across | 57. Agricultural locale |
| 4 Across | 27. One with Q or Z is worth 10 points |
| 5 Across | 20. Something at either end of a hammock, often |
| 6 Across | 51. Begin to grow choppers |
| 7 Across | 33. Regret |
| 8 Across | 40. Blue state? |
| 9 Across | 68. Hockey feints |
| 10 Across | 63. Rapper Tone ___ |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:
- June 25 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
- Mini Crossword NYT December 02 2025
- January 01 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Across: "35. Young Yorkie, e.g."
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'P'
- Another word like this: whelp
Answer:
Click to reveal
PUP2 Across: "60. "My sympathies" ... or what could be said of 17-, 27- and 46-Across"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 11 letters
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'U'
- Word pattern: I_________U
Answer:
Click to reveal
IFEELFORYOU3 Across: "57. Agricultural locale"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'F' and ends with 'M'
- Word pattern: F__M
Answer:
Click to reveal
FARM4 Across: "27. One with Q or Z is worth 10 points"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 12 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: S__________E
Answer:
Click to reveal
SCRABBLETILE5 Across: "20. Something at either end of a hammock, often"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: T__E
Answer:
Click to reveal
TREE6 Across: "51. Begin to grow choppers"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: T____E
Answer:
Click to reveal
TEETHE7 Across: "33. Regret"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'E'
- Another word like this: sorrow
Answer:
Click to reveal
RUE8 Across: "40. Blue state?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'W' and ends with 'E'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer:
Click to reveal
WOE9 Across: "68. Hockey feints"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: D___S
Answer:
Click to reveal
DEKES10 Across: "63. Rapper Tone ___"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'C'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer:
Click to reveal
LOCDown Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 26. Utter delight |
| 2 Down | 49. Spongy ball material |
| 3 Down | 38. Monster of Tolkiendom |
| 4 Down | 53. Slowly chip away at |
| 5 Down | 48. Bikini and others |
| 6 Down | 47. Important consideration for A.I. programmers |
| 7 Down | 32. U.S./Soviet competition of the 1950s-'60s |
| 8 Down | 39. Very wise |
| 9 Down | 9. And more like that: Abbr. |
| 10 Down | 3. Wild party |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
- Xwordhint Crossword Answers November 12
- January 01 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
- January 03 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Down: "26. Utter delight"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'G' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: G__E
Answer:
Click to reveal
GLEE2 Down: "49. Spongy ball material"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'N' and ends with 'F'
- Word pattern: N__F
Answer:
Click to reveal
NERF3 Down: "38. Monster of Tolkiendom"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'C'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer:
Click to reveal
ORC4 Down: "53. Slowly chip away at"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: E___E
Answer:
Click to reveal
ERODE5 Down: "48. Bikini and others"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: A____S
Answer:
Click to reveal
ATOLLS6 Down: "47. Important consideration for A.I. programmers"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: E____S
Answer:
Click to reveal
ETHICS7 Down: "32. U.S./Soviet competition of the 1950s-'60s"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 9 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: S_______E
Answer:
Click to reveal
SPACERACE8 Down: "39. Very wise"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: S__E
Answer:
Click to reveal
SAGE9 Down: "9. And more like that: Abbr."
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'C'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer:
Click to reveal
ETC10 Down: "3. Wild party"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: R___R
Answer:
Click to reveal
RAGERHow 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: | Medium |
Common Questions About Trivia Week 3
When can I play the Trivia Week 3 Mini?
The Trivia Week 3 puzzle is available at 10 PM Eastern Time the night before.
How fast should I be able to solve Trivia Week 3?
Most people solve the Trivia Week 3 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 3?
No! The Trivia Week 3 NYT Mini is completely free. You don't need a subscription like the big crossword.
What makes a good Trivia Week 3 solver?
Good Trivia Week 3 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 3?
Trivia Week 3 puzzles can vary in difficulty. Saturdays are often the hardest, while Mondays are the easiest.
