NYT Mini Crossword November 29, 2025 Hints & Answers - Beat the Average 1-Minute Time
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: Xwordhint Crossword Answers September_18 | February 17 2022 NYT Clues Solutions | July 10 2021 NYT Clues Solutions |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | November 29, 2025 |
| 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 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 | 23. Drummer Peart |
| 2 Across | 50. Valuable city-building resource in Catan |
| 3 Across | 26. Know-it-all who might have a ball? |
| 4 Across | 35. Minor crashes? |
| 5 Across | 46. Voguing sequence |
| 6 Across | 25. Groan-worthy, say, as a joke |
| 7 Across | 48. "Man, that's loud!" |
| 8 Across | 44. Musical production that might include grunts, groans, thwops, snorts and barks |
| 9 Across | 34. They're protected by scabbards |
| 10 Across | 40. Word with flat or tax |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:
- September 20 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- Xwordhint Crossword Answers September_18
- February 17 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Across: "23. Drummer Peart"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'N' and ends with 'L'
- Word pattern: N__L
Answer: Click to reveal
NEIL
2 Across: "50. Valuable city-building resource in Catan"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'E'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
ORE
3 Across: "26. Know-it-all who might have a ball?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: S__R
Answer: Click to reveal
SEER
4 Across: "35. Minor crashes?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'N' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: N__S
Answer: Click to reveal
NAPS
5 Across: "46. Voguing sequence"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: P___S
Answer: Click to reveal
POSES
6 Across: "25. Groan-worthy, say, as a joke"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'Y'
- Word pattern: C___Y
Answer: Click to reveal
CORNY
7 Across: "48. "Man, that's loud!""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 11 letters
- It starts with 'W' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: W_________T
Answer: Click to reveal
WHATARACKET
8 Across: "44. Musical production that might include grunts, groans, thwops, snorts and barks"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 9 letters
- It starts with 'W' and ends with 'G'
- Word pattern: W_______G
Answer: Click to reveal
WHALESONG
9 Across: "34. They're protected by scabbards"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: S____S
Answer: Click to reveal
SABERS
10 Across: "40. Word with flat or tax"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: R__E
Answer: Click to reveal
RATE
Down Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 27. High-level intelligence assets? |
| 2 Down | 23. Prominent features on goblin sharks |
| 3 Down | 21. Play list? |
| 4 Down | 45. Transport |
| 5 Down | 8. About half of all these are made in Philadelphia, for short |
| 6 Down | 1. Leave no ___ (camping tenet) |
| 7 Down | 11. Wrapped |
| 8 Down | 25. What sfouf is, in Lebanese cuisine |
| 9 Down | 49. 2004 biopic for which Jamie Foxx won an Oscar |
| 10 Down | 31. Coast |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
- February 14 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- Xwordhint Crossword Answers October 02
- August 30 2019 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Down: "27. High-level intelligence assets?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 9 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: S_______S
Answer: Click to reveal
SPYPLANES
2 Down: "23. Prominent features on goblin sharks"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'N' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: N___S
Answer: Click to reveal
NOSES
3 Down: "21. Play list?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: R____R
Answer: Click to reveal
ROSTER
4 Down: "45. Transport"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'P'
- Word pattern: S__P
Answer: Click to reveal
SHIP
5 Down: "8. About half of all these are made in Philadelphia, for short"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'U' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: U_____S
Answer: Click to reveal
USCOINS
6 Down: "1. Leave no ___ (camping tenet)"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: T___E
Answer: Click to reveal
TRACE
7 Down: "11. Wrapped"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: E___D
Answer: Click to reveal
ENDED
8 Down: "25. What sfouf is, in Lebanese cuisine"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: C__E
Answer: Click to reveal
CAKE
9 Down: "49. 2004 biopic for which Jamie Foxx won an Oscar"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'Y'
- Another word like this: radiate
Answer: Click to reveal
RAY
10 Down: "31. Coast"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 8 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: S______E
Answer: Click to reveal
SEASHORE
How 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: | Easy |
Common Questions About NYT Mini Crossword
When can I play the NYT Mini?
The puzzle comes out at 10 PM Eastern Time the night before. So you can play Monday's puzzle starting Sunday at 10 PM.
How fast should I be able to solve it?
Most people solve the 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?
No! The NYT Mini is completely free. You don't need a subscription like the big crossword.
What makes a good Mini solver?
Good Mini solvers know common short words, can spot wordplay quickly, and use crossing letters well. Practice helps a lot!
Are the puzzles harder on certain days?
Unlike the big NYT crossword, the Mini stays about the same difficulty every day. Sometimes Saturday might be a tiny bit harder.
