NYT Mini Puzzle Trivia Week 2 February 13, 2026 - Solved
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: October 01 2020 NYT Clues Solutions | January 01 2020 NYT Clues Solutions | June 19 2021 NYT Clues Solutions |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | February 13, 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 | 53. Provincetown catch |
| 2 Across | 54. Hit's counterpart |
| 3 Across | 26. Casual assent |
| 4 Across | 35. Le contraire de "après" |
| 5 Across | 27. Dating qualifier |
| 6 Across | 43. Alphabetically last nutrient in a multivitamin, often |
| 7 Across | 25. Catches |
| 8 Across | 44. Counsel council, for short |
| 9 Across | 45. Gives a wave, maybe |
| 10 Across | 13. "Abso-freaking-lutely!" |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:
- September 29 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
- September 22 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- July 09 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Across: "53. Provincetown catch"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: S___D
Answer: Click to reveal
SCROD
2 Across: "54. Hit's counterpart"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'Y'
- Word pattern: S__Y
Answer: Click to reveal
STAY
3 Across: "26. Casual assent"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'Y' and ends with 'P'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
YEP
4 Across: "35. Le contraire de "après""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: A___T
Answer: Click to reveal
AVANT
5 Across: "27. Dating qualifier"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: C___A
Answer: Click to reveal
CIRCA
6 Across: "43. Alphabetically last nutrient in a multivitamin, often"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'Z' and ends with 'C'
- Word pattern: Z__C
Answer: Click to reveal
ZINC
7 Across: "25. Catches"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'N' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: N__S
Answer: Click to reveal
NABS
8 Across: "44. Counsel council, for short"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'A'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
ABA
9 Across: "45. Gives a wave, maybe"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'I'
- Word pattern: S____I
Answer: Click to reveal
SAYSHI
10 Across: "13. "Abso-freaking-lutely!""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 8 letters
- It starts with 'H' and ends with 'H'
- Word pattern: H______H
Answer: Click to reveal
HELLYEAH
Down Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 32. Ones offering cheap shots? |
| 2 Down | 3. It's handled at the bar |
| 3 Down | 45. Word with guitar or go |
| 4 Down | 46. Historic event the French call "le jour J" |
| 5 Down | 5. Bishop's locale |
| 6 Down | 34. Honolulu thank you |
| 7 Down | 16. Offerings at a reception |
| 8 Down | 43. Canyon with a much-hiked section called the Narrows |
| 9 Down | 39. Puts down |
| 10 Down | 42. Blinkers? |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
- December 06 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
- January 01 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
- October 01 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Down: "32. Ones offering cheap shots?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 8 letters
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: D______S
Answer: Click to reveal
DIVEBARS
2 Down: "3. It's handled at the bar"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'P'
- Word pattern: A____P
Answer: Click to reveal
ALETAP
3 Down: "45. Word with guitar or go"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'O'
- Word pattern: S__O
Answer: Click to reveal
SOLO
4 Down: "46. Historic event the French call "le jour J""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'Y'
- Word pattern: D__Y
Answer: Click to reveal
DDAY
5 Down: "5. Bishop's locale"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'E'
- Another word like this: realise
Answer: Click to reveal
SEE
6 Down: "34. Honolulu thank you"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'M' and ends with 'O'
- Word pattern: M____O
Answer: Click to reveal
MAHALO
7 Down: "16. Offerings at a reception"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: T____S
Answer: Click to reveal
TOASTS
8 Down: "43. Canyon with a much-hiked section called the Narrows"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'Z' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: Z__N
Answer: Click to reveal
ZION
9 Down: "39. Puts down"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: S____S
Answer: Click to reveal
SCORNS
10 Down: "42. Blinkers?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: E__S
Answer: Click to reveal
EYES
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 1 minute 10 seconds |
| Difficulty: | A bit tricky |
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.
