Trivia Week 2 NYT Mini February 09, 2026 Solutions & Guide
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: June 10 2020 NYT Clues Solutions | November 20 2020 NYT Clues Solutions | June 11 2022 NYT Clues Solutions |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | February 09, 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 | 61. Nine-member musical group |
| 2 Across | 39. Online "haha" |
| 3 Across | 30. "Delicious!" |
| 4 Across | 45. Crow's call |
| 5 Across | 20. Main drag through Sin City |
| 6 Across | 63. Pimples |
| 7 Across | 13. Like a situation with only bad outcomes |
| 8 Across | 55. Question to a scaredy-cat ... to which the final parts of 20-, 32- and 42-Across would answer "Yes!" |
| 9 Across | 60. Lake on Ohio's northern border |
| 10 Across | 44. Explosive-sounding TV channel |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:
- All NYT Across Clues December 12 2025
- April 08 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
- Xwordhint Crossword Answers November 24
1 Across: "61. Nine-member musical group"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'N' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: N___T
Answer: Click to reveal
NONET
2 Across: "39. Online "haha""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'L'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
LOL
3 Across: "30. "Delicious!""
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
YUM
4 Across: "45. Crow's call"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'W'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
CAW
5 Across: "20. Main drag through Sin City"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 13 letters
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'P'
- Word pattern: L___________P
Answer: Click to reveal
LASVEGASSTRIP
6 Across: "63. Pimples"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: A__E
Answer: Click to reveal
ACNE
7 Across: "13. Like a situation with only bad outcomes"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'N' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: N___N
Answer: Click to reveal
NOWIN
8 Across: "55. Question to a scaredy-cat ... to which the final parts of 20-, 32- and 42-Across would answer "Yes!""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 13 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: A___________N
Answer: Click to reveal
AREYOUCHICKEN
9 Across: "60. Lake on Ohio's northern border"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: E__E
Answer: Click to reveal
ERIE
10 Across: "44. Explosive-sounding TV channel"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'T'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
TNT
Down Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 4. Apportioned |
| 2 Down | 56. Oceanic predator |
| 3 Down | 1. ___-Saxon |
| 4 Down | 10. Portable writing surface |
| 5 Down | 36. India's smallest state by area |
| 6 Down | 54. "Come in" |
| 7 Down | 22. "Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of ___" |
| 8 Down | 42. Period before starting more school |
| 9 Down | 21. Sanskrit word for "teacher" |
| 10 Down | 6. Wipe clean |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
- Xwordhint Crossword Answers November 24
- April 08 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
- November 09 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Down: "4. Apportioned"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 9 letters
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'P'
- Word pattern: D_______P
Answer: Click to reveal
DIVVIEDUP
2 Down: "56. Oceanic predator"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: O__A
Answer: Click to reveal
ORCA
3 Down: "1. ___-Saxon"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'O'
- Word pattern: A___O
Answer: Click to reveal
ANGLO
4 Down: "10. Portable writing surface"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 9 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: C_______D
Answer: Click to reveal
CLIPBOARD
5 Down: "36. India's smallest state by area"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'G' and ends with 'A'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
GOA
6 Down: "54. "Come in""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: E___R
Answer: Click to reveal
ENTER
7 Down: "22. "Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of ___""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'M'
- Another word like this: odd
Answer: Click to reveal
RUM
8 Down: "42. Period before starting more school"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'G' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: G_____R
Answer: Click to reveal
GAPYEAR
9 Down: "21. Sanskrit word for "teacher""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'G' and ends with 'U'
- Word pattern: G__U
Answer: Click to reveal
GURU
10 Down: "6. Wipe clean"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: E___E
Answer: Click to reveal
ERASE
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 52 seconds |
| Difficulty: | Normal |
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.
