Jump To Section About Today's Puzzle NYT Mini Crossword Grid - Sunday, February 15, 2026 Puzzle Statistics Detail Information Date February 15, 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.
5x5 Crossword Grid Pattern 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.
Across Clues List Number Clue 1 Across 36. Circa 2 Across 79. Muckety-muck 3 Across 13. No time at all 4 Across 131. Skin softener 5 Across 100. Wear (out) 6 Across 61. Had a brain fart 7 Across 111. Ruby lookalike 8 Across 80. Frequently, poetically 9 Across 46. "My life is over" 10 Across 123. In back
Hints and Answers for Across Clues Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:
1 Across: "36. Circa" Helpful hints:
This word has 6 letters It starts with 'A' and ends with 'D' Word pattern: A____D Answer: Click to reveal AROUND
2 Across: "79. Muckety-muck" Helpful hints:
This word has 5 letters It starts with 'N' and ends with 'B' Word pattern: N___B Answer: Click to reveal NABOB
3 Across: "13. No time at all" Helpful hints:
This word has 6 letters It starts with 'A' and ends with 'H' Word pattern: A____H Answer: Click to reveal AFLASH
4 Across: "131. Skin softener" Helpful hints:
This word has 4 letters It starts with 'A' and ends with 'E' Word pattern: A__E Answer: Click to reveal ALOE
5 Across: "100. Wear (out)" Helpful hints:
This word has 4 letters It starts with 'T' and ends with 'E' Word pattern: T__E Answer: Click to reveal TIRE
6 Across: "61. Had a brain fart" Helpful hints:
This word has 7 letters It starts with 'B' and ends with 'D' Word pattern: B_____D Answer: Click to reveal BLANKED
7 Across: "111. Ruby lookalike" Helpful hints:
This word has 6 letters It starts with 'G' and ends with 'T' Word pattern: G____T Answer: Click to reveal GARNET
8 Across: "80. Frequently, poetically" Helpful hints:
This word has 3 letters It starts with 'O' and ends with 'T' Another word like this: often Answer: Click to reveal OFT
9 Across: "46. "My life is over"" Helpful hints:
This word has 8 letters It starts with 'I' and ends with 'D' Word pattern: I______D Answer: Click to reveal IMRUINED
10 Across: "123. In back " Helpful hints:
This word has 9 letters It starts with 'A' and ends with 'R' Word pattern: A_______R Answer: Click to reveal ATTHEREAR
Down Clues - 10 Total These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
Down Clues List Number Clue 1 Down 12. Many middle schoolers 2 Down 92. Part of an equestrian's ensemble 3 Down 59. Contribute 4 Down 86. Fixed, as a "m-i-t-s-a-k-e" 5 Down 128. Depressed 6 Down 73. Two peas ___ pod 7 Down 101. Lit up, in a way 8 Down 10. Dress down 9 Down 62. N.Y.C. neighborhood that's home to the Grey Art Museum 10 Down 8. Lost traction
Hints and Answers for Down Clues Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
1 Down: "12. Many middle schoolers" Helpful hints:
This word has 6 letters It starts with 'T' and ends with 'S' Word pattern: T____S Answer: Click to reveal TWEENS
2 Down: "92. Part of an equestrian's ensemble" Helpful hints:
This word has 8 letters It starts with 'B' and ends with 'S' Word pattern: B______S Answer: Click to reveal BREECHES
3 Down: "59. Contribute" Helpful hints:
This word has 3 letters It starts with 'A' and ends with 'D' Another word like this: ADHD Answer: Click to reveal ADD
4 Down: "86. Fixed, as a "m-i-t-s-a-k-e"" Helpful hints:
This word has 9 letters It starts with 'R' and ends with 'D' Word pattern: R_______D Answer: Click to reveal RESPELLED
5 Down: "128. Depressed" Helpful hints:
This word has 3 letters It starts with 'L' and ends with 'W' Another word like this: gloomy Answer: Click to reveal LOW
6 Down: "73. Two peas ___ pod" Helpful hints:
This word has 3 letters It starts with 'I' and ends with 'A' This is a short form or acronym Answer: Click to reveal INA
7 Down: "101. Lit up, in a way" Helpful hints:
This word has 7 letters It starts with 'I' and ends with 'D' Word pattern: I_____D Answer: Click to reveal IGNITED
8 Down: "10. Dress down" Helpful hints:
This word has 7 letters It starts with 'C' and ends with 'T' Word pattern: C_____T Answer: Click to reveal CHEWOUT
9 Down: "62. N.Y.C. neighborhood that's home to the Grey Art Museum" Helpful hints:
This word has 4 letters It starts with 'N' and ends with 'O' Word pattern: N__O Answer: Click to reveal NOHO
10 Down: "8. Lost traction" Helpful hints:
This word has 4 letters It starts with 'S' and ends with 'D' Word pattern: S__D Answer: Click to reveal SLID
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 Today's Puzzle by the Numbers 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: A bit tricky
More Puzzle Help If you like the NYT Mini, you might enjoy these other puzzles too:
Recent Crossword Solutions: Common Questions About Trivia Week 3 When can I play the Trivia Week 3 Mini? The Trivia Week 3 puzzle is available at 10 PM Eastern Time the night before.
How fast should I be able to solve Trivia Week 3? Most people solve the Trivia Week 3 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 3? No! The Trivia Week 3 NYT Mini is completely free. You don't need a subscription like the big crossword.
What makes a good Trivia Week 3 solver? Good Trivia Week 3 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 3? Trivia Week 3 puzzles can vary in difficulty. Saturdays are often the hardest, while Mondays are the easiest.
About This Page: We provide hints and answers for the NYT Mini Crossword to help you learn and improve. This site is not connected to The New York Times.
Last Updated: February 15, 2026 at 05:09 AM
Search terms: NYT Mini Trivia Week, Trivia Week {week_num}, Mini crossword Trivia Week, Trivia Week answers, NYT Trivia Week, February 15 2026 mini crossword
