NYT Mini Trivia Week 1 September 04, 2026 - Hints & Answers
20 clues today. If you're stuck on any of them, scroll down — hints first, answers hidden underneath.
Popular Puzzles: January 21 2020 NYT Clues Solutions | November 16 2019 NYT Clues Solutions | December 26 2019 NYT Clues Solutions |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | September 04, 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 1 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 | 53. Bit of filming |
| 2 Across | 49. Super, slangily |
| 3 Across | 46. Longtime Pixar character who saiys "I might be old, but I still got a spring in my step!" |
| 4 Across | 16. "Outta my way!" |
| 5 Across | 1. Result of a tense build-up? |
| 6 Across | 58. Cravings |
| 7 Across | 52. Follower of hand or home |
| 8 Across | 30. Agcy. concerned with declarations |
| 9 Across | 48. See 44-Across |
| 10 Across | 15. Kick off |
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 15 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
- February 20 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
- May 27 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Across: "53. Bit of filming"
Hints:
- Count on 4 letters here.
- This is more of an abbreviation than a regular word.
- Pattern-wise it looks like: T__E
Answer:
Click to reveal
TAKE2 Across: "49. Super, slangily"
Hints:
- This one runs 5 letters long.
- First letter's a 'H', last letter's a 'A'.
- Blank it out and you get: H___A
Answer:
Click to reveal
HECKA3 Across: "46. Longtime Pixar character who saiys "I might be old, but I still got a spring in my step!""
Hints:
- It's a 9-letter word.
- If that helps, the shape is: S_______G
- First letter's a 'S', last letter's a 'G'.
Answer:
Click to reveal
SLINKYDOG4 Across: "16. "Outta my way!""
Hints:
- Basically, the act of deciding to do something.
- First letter's a 'M', last letter's a 'E'.
- 'travel' points in the same direction.
Answer:
Click to reveal
MOVE5 Across: "1. Result of a tense build-up?"
Hints:
- If that helps, the shape is: J________R
- It's a 10-letter word.
- First letter's a 'J', last letter's a 'R'.
Answer:
Click to reveal
JENGATOWER6 Across: "58. Cravings"
Hints:
- First letter's a 'Y', last letter's a 'S'.
- This one runs 4 letters long.
- Close enough in meaning: yearn.
Answer:
Click to reveal
YENS7 Across: "52. Follower of hand or home"
Hints:
- If that helps, the shape is: M__E
- This is more of an abbreviation than a regular word.
- You're looking for 4 letters.
Answer:
Click to reveal
MADE8 Across: "30. Agcy. concerned with declarations"
Hints:
- You're looking for 3 letters.
- First letter's a 'I', last letter's a 'S'.
- This is more of an abbreviation than a regular word.
Answer:
Click to reveal
IRS9 Across: "48. See 44-Across"
Hints:
- First letter's a 'L', last letter's a 'N'.
- Count on 5 letters here.
- 'Romance' points in the same direction.
Answer:
Click to reveal
LATIN10 Across: "15. Kick off"
Hints:
- First letter's a 'I', last letter's a 'E'.
- Think of it this way — commence officially.
- It's a 10-letter word.
Answer:
Click to reveal
INAUGURATEDown Clues - 10 Total
These run top to bottom in the grid.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 4. Neighbor of Sierra Leone |
| 2 Down | 9. Singer dubbed the "Matriarch of the Blues" |
| 3 Down | 10. Gun before the green, say |
| 4 Down | 8. Trounce |
| 5 Down | 5. In the past |
| 6 Down | 37. Start to congeal |
| 7 Down | 13. Adjective that becomes its own synonym after its first letter is dropped |
| 8 Down | 51. "Rude Boy" singer, to fans |
| 9 Down | 2. Captivates |
| 10 Down | 40. Clear |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Same deal here — hints then answers. You might also like:
- March 25 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
- September 08 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
- January 21 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Down: "4. Neighbor of Sierra Leone"
Hints:
- If that helps, the shape is: G____A
- First letter's a 'G', last letter's a 'A'.
- Think of it this way — a former British gold coin worth 21 shillings.
Answer:
Click to reveal
GUINEA2 Down: "9. Singer dubbed the "Matriarch of the Blues""
Hints:
- Kicks off with 'E' and wraps up with 'S'.
- It's a 9-letter word.
- If that helps, the shape is: E_______S
Answer:
Click to reveal
ETTAJAMES3 Down: "10. Gun before the green, say"
Hints:
- You're looking for 3 letters.
- Basically, rate of revolution of a motor.
- Short form / acronym territory here.
Answer:
Click to reveal
REV4 Down: "8. Trounce"
Hints:
- This one runs 6 letters long.
- Think of it this way — a forceful consequence; a strong effect.
- First letter's a 'W', last letter's a 'P'.
Answer:
Click to reveal
WALLOP5 Down: "5. In the past"
Hints:
- You could also think of it as "agone."
- Kicks off with 'A' and wraps up with 'O'.
- Basically, gone by; or in the past.
Answer:
Click to reveal
AGO6 Down: "37. Start to congeal"
Hints:
- In plain terms: make thick or thicker.
- You're looking for 7 letters.
- Kicks off with 'T' and wraps up with 'N'.
Answer:
Click to reveal
THICKEN7 Down: "13. Adjective that becomes its own synonym after its first letter is dropped"
Hints:
- Kicks off with 'E' and wraps up with 'T'.
- You're looking for 7 letters.
- 'malign' points in the same direction.
Answer:
Click to reveal
EVILEST8 Down: "51. "Rude Boy" singer, to fans"
Hints:
- Count on 4 letters here.
- First letter's a 'R', last letter's a 'I'.
- Short form / acronym territory here.
Answer:
Click to reveal
RIRI9 Down: "2. Captivates"
Hints:
- You could also think of it as "charm."
- Pattern-wise it looks like: E_____S
- This one runs 7 letters long.
Answer:
Click to reveal
ENAMORS10 Down: "40. Clear"
Hints:
- 'plain' points in the same direction.
- Starts with 'E', ends with 'T'.
- Pattern-wise it looks like: E_____T
Answer:
Click to reveal
EVIDENTHow 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 1
When does the Trivia Week 1 Mini go live?
It usually goes live around 10 PM Eastern the night before.
How long should Trivia Week 1 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 1 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 1?
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 1 get harder as the week goes on?
It varies day to day — Saturdays tend to be the toughest, Mondays the easiest.
