Thursday's NYT Mini Nov 20 - All 10 Across & 10 Down Clues Decoded
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: July 09 2020 NYT Clues Solutions | April 21 2023 NYT Clues Solutions | November 02 2022 NYT Clues Solutions |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | November 20, 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 | 60. Singer with the #1 hits "Umbrella" and "Disturbia," familiarly |
| 2 Across | 53. Vesper Lynd portrayer in "Casino Royale" |
| 3 Across | 13. Bread for dipping |
| 4 Across | 65. Supporting article? |
| 5 Across | 15. Very, very particular |
| 6 Across | 22. Beurre demi-___ (salted butter, in France) |
| 7 Across | 64. "Jumping Jehoshaphat!" |
| 8 Across | 23. Turns on |
| 9 Across | 26. "Hail," in Latin |
| 10 Across | 63. Came down to earth |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:
- October 14 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
- March 18 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
- August 20 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Across: "60. Singer with the #1 hits "Umbrella" and "Disturbia," familiarly"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'I'
- Word pattern: R__I
Answer: Click to reveal
RIRI
2 Across: "53. Vesper Lynd portrayer in "Casino Royale""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 8 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: E______N
Answer: Click to reveal
EVAGREEN
3 Across: "13. Bread for dipping"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'P'
- Another word like this: sops
Answer: Click to reveal
SOP
4 Across: "65. Supporting article?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'B' and ends with 'A'
- Another word like this: bandeau
Answer: Click to reveal
BRA
5 Across: "15. Very, very particular"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'L'
- Word pattern: A__L
Answer: Click to reveal
ANAL
6 Across: "22. Beurre demi-___ (salted butter, in France)"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'L'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
SEL
7 Across: "64. "Jumping Jehoshaphat!""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: E___S
Answer: Click to reveal
EGADS
8 Across: "23. Turns on"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 10 letters
- It starts with 'B' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: B________S
Answer: Click to reveal
BETTERDAYS
9 Across: "26. "Hail," in Latin"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'E'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
AVE
10 Across: "63. Came down to earth"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: A__T
Answer: Click to reveal
ALIT
Down Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 3. Dry seasons? |
| 2 Down | 42. Bash |
| 3 Down | 55. Palindromic flour |
| 4 Down | 21. Atomic number of neon |
| 5 Down | 39. Most characters in Pixar's first film |
| 6 Down | 6. Off-road rover, for short |
| 7 Down | 5. Yalie |
| 8 Down | 54. Tipping points? |
| 9 Down | 49. Mars follower, in Marseille |
| 10 Down | 37. Perfume compounds |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
- September 07 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- Down Clues NYT November 10 2025 Todays
- September 11 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Down: "3. Dry seasons?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 9 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: S_______S
Answer: Click to reveal
SPICERUBS
2 Down: "42. Bash"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'G'
- Word pattern: S_____G
Answer: Click to reveal
SHINDIG
3 Down: "55. Palindromic flour"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: A__A
Answer: Click to reveal
ATTA
4 Down: "21. Atomic number of neon"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'N'
- Another word like this: tenner
Answer: Click to reveal
TEN
5 Down: "39. Most characters in Pixar's first film"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: T__S
Answer: Click to reveal
TOYS
6 Down: "6. Off-road rover, for short"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'V'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
ATV
7 Down: "5. Yalie"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'I'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
ELI
8 Down: "54. Tipping points?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'J' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: J__S
Answer: Click to reveal
JARS
9 Down: "49. Mars follower, in Marseille"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'L'
- Word pattern: A___L
Answer: Click to reveal
AVRIL
10 Down: "37. Perfume compounds"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: E____S
Answer: Click to reveal
ESTERS
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 3 seconds |
| Difficulty: | Normal |
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.
