Today's 5×5 NYT Mini December 13, 2025 - Instant Answers Plus Learning 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: February 03 2023 NYT Clues Solutions | October 28 2019 NYT Clues Solutions | August 28 2020 NYT Clues Solutions |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | December 13, 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 | 42. "___ won't!" |
| 2 Across | 45. They travel through tubes |
| 3 Across | 1. Possible turnoff on a first date |
| 4 Across | 12. Yellow 5 and Red 40, for two |
| 5 Across | 48. Gluttonous request ... or what this puzzle has vis-à-vis the possible answer lengths? |
| 6 Across | 52. Morning prayer |
| 7 Across | 34. Board of creatives? |
| 8 Across | 40. First, second or third |
| 9 Across | 46. "Dang it!" |
| 10 Across | 24. Robert Byrd was one for 51 years: Abbr. |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:
- August 30 2019 NYT Clues Solutions
- Quick NYT Mini Crossword September 28
- September 14 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Across: "42. "___ won't!""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'N' and ends with 'I'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
NOI
2 Across: "45. They travel through tubes"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'A'
- Another word like this: ovum
Answer: Click to reveal
OVA
3 Across: "1. Possible turnoff on a first date"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 9 letters
- It starts with 'B' and ends with 'H'
- Word pattern: B_______H
Answer: Click to reveal
BADBREATH
4 Across: "12. Yellow 5 and Red 40, for two"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 13 letters
- It starts with 'F' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: F___________S
Answer: Click to reveal
FOODADDITIVES
5 Across: "48. Gluttonous request ... or what this puzzle has vis-à-vis the possible answer lengths?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 15 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'G'
- Word pattern: O_____________G
Answer: Click to reveal
ONEOFEVERYTHING
6 Across: "52. Morning prayer"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'M' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: M____S
Answer: Click to reveal
MATINS
7 Across: "34. Board of creatives?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: P_____E
Answer: Click to reveal
PALETTE
8 Across: "40. First, second or third"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'L'
- Word pattern: O_____L
Answer: Click to reveal
ORDINAL
9 Across: "46. "Dang it!""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: A___N
Answer: Click to reveal
AWMAN
10 Across: "24. Robert Byrd was one for 51 years: Abbr."
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'N'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
SEN
Down Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 28. Pot user? |
| 2 Down | 31. Birds also known as "little auks" |
| 3 Down | 13. Some of them may be forgiven |
| 4 Down | 9. Order at a restaurant |
| 5 Down | 26. Cousin of a wolverine |
| 6 Down | 49. A little work |
| 7 Down | 50. Pitch, roll and ___ (rotations along the three-dimensional axes) |
| 8 Down | 47. Sound from fans |
| 9 Down | 4. Fancy hotel amenities |
| 10 Down | 41. Rapper with the 2022 hit "Big Energy" |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
- August 25 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
- December 17 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
- Quick NYT Mini Crossword September 28
1 Down: "28. Pot user?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: E___R
Answer: Click to reveal
EELER
2 Down: "31. Birds also known as "little auks""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 8 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: S______S
Answer: Click to reveal
SEADOVES
3 Down: "13. Some of them may be forgiven"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 12 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: S__________S
Answer: Click to reveal
STUDENTLOANS
4 Down: "9. Order at a restaurant"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'H' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: H__E
Answer: Click to reveal
HAVE
5 Down: "26. Cousin of a wolverine"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: O___R
Answer: Click to reveal
OTTER
6 Down: "49. A little work"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'G'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
ERG
7 Down: "50. Pitch, roll and ___ (rotations along the three-dimensional axes)"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'Y' and ends with 'W'
- Another word like this: gape
Answer: Click to reveal
YAW
8 Down: "47. Sound from fans"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'W' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: W__R
Answer: Click to reveal
WHIR
9 Down: "4. Fancy hotel amenities"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'B' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: B____S
Answer: Click to reveal
BIDETS
10 Down: "41. Rapper with the 2022 hit "Big Energy""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'O'
- Word pattern: L___O
Answer: Click to reveal
LATTO
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 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.
