Trivia Week 2 July 09, 2026 NYT Mini Crossword Hints
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: September 01 2021 NYT Clues Solutions | NYT Mini Crossword December 31 2025 | November 17 2020 NYT Clues Solutions |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | July 09, 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 | 31. Some messages from a road trip, in brief |
| 2 Across | 44. Battling |
| 3 Across | 56. ___ Hamilton, author of the classic "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" |
| 4 Across | 20. Title in "Beowulf" |
| 5 Across | 19. Group of spellers? |
| 6 Across | 47. Food processor |
| 7 Across | 5. Seal hunter |
| 8 Across | 13. Flex time? |
| 9 Across | 29. Part of a blind |
| 10 Across | 38. Renounced ... or a phonetic hint to reading the answers to the starred clues |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:
- March 26 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
- October 28 2019 NYT Clues Solutions
- October 29 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Across: "31. Some messages from a road trip, in brief"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: E__S
Answer:
Click to reveal
ETAS2 Across: "44. Battling"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: A__T
Answer:
Click to reveal
ATIT3 Across: "56. ___ Hamilton, author of the classic "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'H'
- Word pattern: E___H
Answer:
Click to reveal
EDITH4 Across: "20. Title in "Beowulf""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: T___E
Answer:
Click to reveal
THANE5 Across: "19. Group of spellers?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: C___N
Answer:
Click to reveal
COVEN6 Across: "47. Food processor"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'H'
- Word pattern: S_____H
Answer:
Click to reveal
STOMACH7 Across: "5. Seal hunter"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: O__A
Answer:
Click to reveal
ORCA8 Across: "13. Flex time?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'Y' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: Y__A
Answer:
Click to reveal
YOGA9 Across: "29. Part of a blind"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: S__T
Answer:
Click to reveal
SLAT10 Across: "38. Renounced ... or a phonetic hint to reading the answers to the starred clues"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'F' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: F_____E
Answer:
Click to reveal
FORGONEDown Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 8. Sketchy activities? |
| 2 Down | 52. Taste |
| 3 Down | 49. S.E.C. football powerhouse, informally |
| 4 Down | 24. Hydrox lookalike |
| 5 Down | 36. One of the six sluggers on baseball's Murderer's Row |
| 6 Down | 28. Show that ends in disarray? |
| 7 Down | 9. Kudo |
| 8 Down | 10. Guys' night out |
| 9 Down | 12. Symbol of strength and solidity |
| 10 Down | 4. Quick timeouts? |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
- April 23 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
- December 20 2019 NYT Clues Solutions
- August 06 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Down: "8. Sketchy activities?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 10 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: A________S
Answer:
Click to reveal
ARTLESSONS2 Down: "52. Taste"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: S___R
Answer:
Click to reveal
SAPOR3 Down: "49. S.E.C. football powerhouse, informally"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'B' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: B__A
Answer:
Click to reveal
BAMA4 Down: "24. Hydrox lookalike"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'O'
- Word pattern: O__O
Answer:
Click to reveal
OREO5 Down: "36. One of the six sluggers on baseball's Murderer's Row"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'H'
- Word pattern: R__H
Answer:
Click to reveal
RUTH6 Down: "28. Show that ends in disarray?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 10 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: S________E
Answer:
Click to reveal
STRIPTEASE7 Down: "9. Kudo"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 8 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: A______E
Answer:
Click to reveal
ACCOLADE8 Down: "10. Guys' night out"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'B' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: B_____E
Answer:
Click to reveal
BRODATE9 Down: "12. Symbol of strength and solidity"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'L'
- Word pattern: S___L
Answer:
Click to reveal
STEEL10 Down: "4. Quick timeouts?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: C_____S
Answer:
Click to reveal
CATNAPSHow 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 45 seconds |
| Difficulty: | Medium |
Common Questions About Trivia Week 2
When can I play the Trivia Week 2 Mini?
The Trivia Week 2 puzzle is available at 10 PM Eastern Time the night before.
How fast should I be able to solve Trivia Week 2?
Most people solve the Trivia Week 2 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 2?
No! The Trivia Week 2 NYT Mini is completely free. You don't need a subscription like the big crossword.
What makes a good Trivia Week 2 solver?
Good Trivia Week 2 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 2?
Trivia Week 2 puzzles can vary in difficulty. Saturdays are often the hardest, while Mondays are the easiest.
