NYT Mini Puzzle Trivia Week 3 May 20, 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: May 12 2020 NYT Clues Solutions | May 07 2020 NYT Clues Solutions | All NYT Across Clues October 12 2025 57 |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | May 20, 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 | 62. John in the sketch "The Fish-Slapping Dance" |
| 2 Across | 39. Actress Bow of the silent film era |
| 3 Across | 15. European city that "waits for you," in a Billy Joel tune |
| 4 Across | 44. Bit of movie magic |
| 5 Across | 65. Says OK |
| 6 Across | 35. Biting |
| 7 Across | 24. Takes back a public statement |
| 8 Across | 53. Classic Pontiacs |
| 9 Across | 43. Clan |
| 10 Across | 37. ___ Kippur |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:
- April 30 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
- August 17 2019 NYT Clues Solutions
- Todays NYT Mini Crossword November 11
1 Across: "62. John in the sketch "The Fish-Slapping Dance""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: C____E
Answer:
Click to reveal
CLEESE2 Across: "39. Actress Bow of the silent film era"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: C___A
Answer:
Click to reveal
CLARA3 Across: "15. European city that "waits for you," in a Billy Joel tune"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'V' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: V____A
Answer:
Click to reveal
VIENNA4 Across: "44. Bit of movie magic"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 12 letters
- It starts with 'V' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: V__________T
Answer:
Click to reveal
VISUALEFFECT5 Across: "65. Says OK"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: A_____S
Answer:
Click to reveal
ASSENTS6 Across: "35. Biting"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'B'
- Word pattern: A___B
Answer:
Click to reveal
ACERB7 Across: "24. Takes back a public statement"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: R_____S
Answer:
Click to reveal
RECANTS8 Across: "53. Classic Pontiacs"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'G' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: G__S
Answer:
Click to reveal
GTOS9 Across: "43. Clan"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'K' and ends with 'N'
- Another word like this: family
Answer:
Click to reveal
KIN10 Across: "37. ___ Kippur"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'Y' and ends with 'M'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer:
Click to reveal
YOMDown Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 17. Old Italian money |
| 2 Down | 3. Gets hyped |
| 3 Down | 47. Atlanta athlete |
| 4 Down | 46. Beauty company whose Nasdaq ticker symbol is its name |
| 5 Down | 60. Lenovo products, informally |
| 6 Down | 45. Expressed frustration, maybe |
| 7 Down | 56. Low voice |
| 8 Down | 8. Made level |
| 9 Down | 9. Careful, this might be hot! |
| 10 Down | 38. Epitome of slowness |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
- April 30 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
- Todays NYT Mini Crossword November 11
- Tuesday NYT Mini Crossword Answers_30
1 Down: "17. Old Italian money"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: L__E
Answer:
Click to reveal
LIRE2 Down: "3. Gets hyped"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'K' and ends with 'P'
- Word pattern: K____P
Answer:
Click to reveal
KEYSUP3 Down: "47. Atlanta athlete"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'F' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: F____N
Answer:
Click to reveal
FALCON4 Down: "46. Beauty company whose Nasdaq ticker symbol is its name"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'U' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: U__A
Answer:
Click to reveal
ULTA5 Down: "60. Lenovo products, informally"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'S'
- Another word like this: PC
Answer:
Click to reveal
PCS6 Down: "45. Expressed frustration, maybe"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: S____D
Answer:
Click to reveal
SIGHED7 Down: "56. Low voice"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'B' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: B__S
Answer:
Click to reveal
BASS8 Down: "8. Made level"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: E____D
Answer:
Click to reveal
EVENED9 Down: "9. Careful, this might be hot!"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'M' and ends with 'C'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer:
Click to reveal
MIC10 Down: "38. Epitome of slowness"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 8 letters
- It starts with 'M' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: M______S
Answer:
Click to reveal
MOLASSESHow 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 58 seconds |
| Difficulty: | A bit tricky |
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.
