NYT Mini Answers October 22, 2026 - Trivia Week 4 Special
Today's Mini has 20 clues to get through. Hints and answers for all of them are below.
Popular Puzzles: Sundays NYT Across Nov 09 Full | NYT Crossword Down November 12 2025 All | June 30 2021 NYT Clues Solutions |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | October 22, 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 4 NYT Mini Crossword Grid Layout
It's a 5 by 5 grid today — five boxes across, five 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 One Fast
- Skim every clue once before you write anything — your brain keeps chewing on the ones you don't solve right away.
- Knock out the short answers (3 letters or under) first.
- Lean on the crossing letters once a couple of words are in.
- A question mark in a clue usually means there's a pun coming.
- THE, AND, ARE, FOR, NOT — these little words show up constantly, keep them in your back pocket.
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 | 32. Pre-euro money |
| 2 Across | 14. Some supermarkets, in brief |
| 3 Across | 53. "Who knew?!" |
| 4 Across | 19. *Line used in plotting points |
| 5 Across | 33. Confection whose name is a contraction |
| 6 Across | 34. *Weapon in "Ivanhoe" |
| 7 Across | 44. Display, with "out" |
| 8 Across | 67. 35mm options |
| 9 Across | 63. When said five times, an Abba song |
| 10 Across | 57. *Inventory clearance option |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Stuck on one? Hints and answers for each clue are below. A few other guides worth a look:
- June 30 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
- May 16 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
- NYT Down Today October 29 2025 Complete
1 Across: "32. Pre-euro money"
Hints:
- Blank it out and you get: L__A
- Starts with 'L', ends with 'A'.
- You're looking for 4 letters.
Answer:
Click to reveal
LIRA2 Across: "14. Some supermarkets, in brief"
Hints:
- Pattern-wise it looks like: I__S
- Short form / acronym territory here.
- Starts with 'I', ends with 'S'.
Answer:
Click to reveal
IGAS3 Across: "53. "Who knew?!""
Hints:
- You're looking for 3 letters.
- This is more of an abbreviation than a regular word.
- 'g-force' points in the same direction.
Answer:
Click to reveal
GEE4 Across: "19. *Line used in plotting points"
Hints:
- Kicks off with 'A' and wraps up with 'S'.
- Count on 6 letters here.
- Pattern-wise it looks like: A____S
Answer:
Click to reveal
AXIOMS5 Across: "33. Confection whose name is a contraction"
Hints:
- Count on 5 letters here.
- If that helps, the shape is: S___E
- Kicks off with 'S' and wraps up with 'E'.
Answer:
Click to reveal
SMORE6 Across: "34. *Weapon in "Ivanhoe""
Hints:
- Starts with 'L', ends with 'E'.
- If that helps, the shape is: L_____E
- You're looking for 7 letters.
Answer:
Click to reveal
LANCOME7 Across: "44. Display, with "out""
Hints:
- This one runs 4 letters long.
- Basically, a slow pace of running.
- Kicks off with 'T' and wraps up with 'T'.
Answer:
Click to reveal
TROT8 Across: "67. 35mm options"
Hints:
- This is more of an abbreviation than a regular word.
- Starts with 'S', ends with 'S'.
- Count on 4 letters here.
Answer:
Click to reveal
SLRS9 Across: "63. When said five times, an Abba song"
Hints:
- This is more of an abbreviation than a regular word.
- Starts with 'I', ends with 'O'.
- This one runs 3 letters long.
Answer:
Click to reveal
IDO10 Across: "57. *Inventory clearance option"
Hints:
- This one runs 6 letters long.
- First letter's a 'S', last letter's a 'E'.
Answer:
Click to reveal
SALOMEDown Clues - 10 Total
These run top to bottom in the grid.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 45. Alternative to boo |
| 2 Down | 61. Ding-dong |
| 3 Down | 36. "O ___ babbino caro" (Puccini aria) |
| 4 Down | 37. Thumbs Up or Thinking Face |
| 5 Down | 3. Instrument heard at Rosh Hashana services |
| 6 Down | 58. Apt letters missing from j_i_ _d |
| 7 Down | 1. Was unable to go further |
| 8 Down | 49. Big blowout |
| 9 Down | 27. Old pros |
| 10 Down | 26. Bit of red tape |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Same deal here — hints then answers. You might also like:
- June 24 2019 NYT Clues Solutions
- Quick NYT Mini Crossword December 08
- Xwordhint Crossword Answers December 03
1 Down: "45. Alternative to boo"
Hints:
- You're looking for 6 letters.
- First letter's a 'H', last letter's a 'T'.
- If that helps, the shape is: H____T
Answer:
Click to reveal
HISSAT2 Down: "61. Ding-dong"
Hints:
- Think of it this way — the fleshy part of the human body that you sit on.
- Starts with 'A', ends with 'S'.
- This is more of an abbreviation than a regular word.
Answer:
Click to reveal
ASS3 Down: "36. "O ___ babbino caro" (Puccini aria)"
Hints:
- Short form / acronym territory here.
- Kicks off with 'M' and wraps up with 'O'.
- You're looking for 3 letters.
Answer:
Click to reveal
MIO4 Down: "37. Thumbs Up or Thinking Face"
Hints:
- Starts with 'E', ends with 'I'.
- Blank it out and you get: E___I
- It's a 5-letter word.
Answer:
Click to reveal
EMOJI5 Down: "3. Instrument heard at Rosh Hashana services"
Hints:
- It's a 8-letter word.
- Kicks off with 'R' and wraps up with 'N'.
Answer:
Click to reveal
RAMSHORN6 Down: "58. Apt letters missing from j_i_ _d"
Hints:
- First letter's a 'O', last letter's a 'E'.
- Close enough in meaning: I.
- Count on 3 letters here.
Answer:
Click to reveal
ONE7 Down: "1. Was unable to go further"
Hints:
- You're looking for 8 letters.
- Kicks off with 'H' and wraps up with 'L'.
Answer:
Click to reveal
HITAWALL8 Down: "49. Big blowout"
Hints:
- Close enough in meaning: bang.
- Think of it this way — a vigorous blow.
- Short form / acronym territory here.
Answer:
Click to reveal
BASH9 Down: "27. Old pros"
Hints:
- Kicks off with 'A' and wraps up with 'S'.
- Blank it out and you get: A____S
- Basically, someone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field.
Answer:
Click to reveal
ADEPTS10 Down: "26. Bit of red tape"
Hints:
- Close enough in meaning: strain.
- First letter's a 'F', last letter's a 'M'.
- It's a 4-letter word.
Answer:
Click to reveal
FORMHow 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: | 52 seconds |
| Difficulty: | Medium |
Common Questions About Trivia Week 4
When does the Trivia Week 4 Mini go live?
It usually goes live around 10 PM Eastern the night before.
How long should Trivia Week 4 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 4 free to play?
Nope, it's free — no subscription needed like the full-size crossword.
What actually makes someone good at Trivia Week 4?
It mostly comes down to recognizing common short answers and catching puns fast. The rest is just reps.
Does Trivia Week 4 get harder as the week goes on?
Difficulty shifts through the week; expect Monday to be gentle and Saturday to bite a bit more.
