Trivia Week 4 January 28, 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: June 14 2021 NYT Clues Solutions | October 20 2021 NYT Clues Solutions | October 18 2021 NYT Clues Solutions |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | January 28, 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 | 50. Vegetable resembling a spring onion |
| 2 Across | 20. Deserving a D, say |
| 3 Across | 27. Pay attention to, as warnings |
| 4 Across | 11. Genre for many a mixtape |
| 5 Across | 51. Vegas's airport code |
| 6 Across | 37. Relatives in a sty? |
| 7 Across | 21. 1,000 G's |
| 8 Across | 5. Monster whose gaze remained lethal after her death |
| 9 Across | 64. Tyrannical ruler |
| 10 Across | 45. Functions |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:
- September 08 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
- October 20 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
- January 15 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Across: "50. Vegetable resembling a spring onion"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'K'
- Word pattern: L__K
Answer: Click to reveal
LEEK
2 Across: "20. Deserving a D, say"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: P__R
Answer: Click to reveal
POOR
3 Across: "27. Pay attention to, as warnings"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'H' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: H__D
Answer: Click to reveal
HEED
4 Across: "11. Genre for many a mixtape"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'P'
- Another word like this: tap
Answer: Click to reveal
RAP
5 Across: "51. Vegas's airport code"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'S'
- Another word like this: LA
Answer: Click to reveal
LAS
6 Across: "37. Relatives in a sty?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: P_____N
Answer: Click to reveal
PIGSKIN
7 Across: "21. 1,000 G's"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'M' and ends with 'L'
- Another word like this: ml
Answer: Click to reveal
MIL
8 Across: "5. Monster whose gaze remained lethal after her death"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'M' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: M____A
Answer: Click to reveal
MEDUSA
9 Across: "64. Tyrannical ruler"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: D____T
Answer: Click to reveal
DESPOT
10 Across: "45. Functions"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'U' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: U__S
Answer: Click to reveal
USES
Down Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 27. Southwest people whose name means "peaceful" |
| 2 Down | 5. "___ Robinson" (Simon & Garfunkel hit) |
| 3 Down | 10. Ending with lemon or lime |
| 4 Down | 34. Word after space or screen |
| 5 Down | 44. Wolfs (down) |
| 6 Down | 59. Día de ___ Muertos |
| 7 Down | 1. It goes down in flames |
| 8 Down | 45. What it all comes down to |
| 9 Down | 9. "Sex ___" (adage) |
| 10 Down | 13. Outlet store? |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
- July 24 2019 NYT Clues Solutions
- Down Clues NYT November 16 2025 Todays
- September 08 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Down: "27. Southwest people whose name means "peaceful""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'H' and ends with 'I'
- Word pattern: H__I
Answer: Click to reveal
HOPI
2 Down: "5. "___ Robinson" (Simon & Garfunkel hit)"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'M' and ends with 'S'
- Another word like this: Mrs.
Answer: Click to reveal
MRS
3 Down: "10. Ending with lemon or lime"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'E'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
ADE
4 Down: "34. Word after space or screen"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: S___R
Answer: Click to reveal
SAVER
5 Down: "44. Wolfs (down)"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: S____S
Answer: Click to reveal
SNARFS
6 Down: "59. Día de ___ Muertos"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'S'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
LOS
7 Down: "1. It goes down in flames"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'H'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
ASH
8 Down: "45. What it all comes down to"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'U' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: U____T
Answer: Click to reveal
UPSHOT
9 Down: "9. "Sex ___" (adage)"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: S___S
Answer: Click to reveal
SELLS
10 Down: "13. Outlet store?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: P___R
Answer: Click to reveal
POWER
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: | Medium |
Common Questions About Trivia Week 4
When can I play the Trivia Week 4 Mini?
The Trivia Week 4 puzzle is available at 10 PM Eastern Time the night before.
How fast should I be able to solve Trivia Week 4?
Most people solve the Trivia Week 4 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 4?
No! The Trivia Week 4 NYT Mini is completely free. You don't need a subscription like the big crossword.
What makes a good Trivia Week 4 solver?
Good Trivia Week 4 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 4?
Trivia Week 4 puzzles can vary in difficulty. Saturdays are often the hardest, while Mondays are the easiest.
