Wednesday's NYT Mini Dec 17 - 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: September 21 2019 NYT Clues Solutions | Todays Across Crossword NYT December 10 | NYT Across Today October 13 2025 |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | December 17, 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 | 40. Works on a muffler, say |
| 2 Across | 25. Like barked orders |
| 3 Across | 22. Centerpiece of "The Hobbit" |
| 4 Across | 37. Brand once known as "Standard Oil Company of Indiana" |
| 5 Across | 20. Meeting, casually |
| 6 Across | 66. Pot grower? |
| 7 Across | 55. Pieces of advice |
| 8 Across | 19. Elmer's nemesis |
| 9 Across | 36. Fellow fighter |
| 10 Across | 15. Turner of old movies |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:
- Todays Across Crossword NYT December 10
- April 12 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- Sundays NYT Across Nov 09 Full
1 Across: "40. Works on a muffler, say"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'K' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: K___S
Answer: Click to reveal
KNITS
2 Across: "25. Like barked orders"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: C__T
Answer: Click to reveal
CURT
3 Across: "22. Centerpiece of "The Hobbit""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'Q' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: Q___T
Answer: Click to reveal
QUEST
4 Across: "37. Brand once known as "Standard Oil Company of Indiana""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'O'
- Word pattern: A___O
Answer: Click to reveal
AMOCO
5 Across: "20. Meeting, casually"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'H'
- Word pattern: S__H
Answer: Click to reveal
SESH
6 Across: "66. Pot grower?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: A__E
Answer: Click to reveal
ANTE
7 Across: "55. Pieces of advice"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: T__S
Answer: Click to reveal
TIPS
8 Across: "19. Elmer's nemesis"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'B' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: B__S
Answer: Click to reveal
BUGS
9 Across: "36. Fellow fighter"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'Y'
- Word pattern: A__Y
Answer: Click to reveal
ALLY
10 Across: "15. Turner of old movies"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: L__A
Answer: Click to reveal
LANA
Down Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 42. Suffix with beat or neat |
| 2 Down | 57. Short stroke |
| 3 Down | 3. What makes a stud become studious? |
| 4 Down | 25. Jost's longtime "Weekend Update" co-anchor |
| 5 Down | 29. Follow, as advice |
| 6 Down | 31. Canines, e.g. |
| 7 Down | 4. Fully get |
| 8 Down | 2. Yamaha product |
| 9 Down | 40. "Get Smart" bad guys |
| 10 Down | 8. Marchers in sidewalk cracks |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
- December 31 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
- October 16 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
- November 26 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Down: "42. Suffix with beat or neat"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'N' and ends with 'K'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
NIK
2 Down: "57. Short stroke"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: P__T
Answer: Click to reveal
PUTT
3 Down: "3. What makes a stud become studious?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: I__S
Answer: Click to reveal
IOUS
4 Down: "25. Jost's longtime "Weekend Update" co-anchor"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'E'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
CHE
5 Down: "29. Follow, as advice"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: A___N
Answer: Click to reveal
ACTON
6 Down: "31. Canines, e.g."
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'H'
- Word pattern: T___H
Answer: Click to reveal
TEETH
7 Down: "4. Fully get"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'F' and ends with 'M'
- Word pattern: F____M
Answer: Click to reveal
FATHOM
8 Down: "2. Yamaha product"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: O__E
Answer: Click to reveal
OBOE
9 Down: "40. "Get Smart" bad guys"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'K' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: K__S
Answer: Click to reveal
KAOS
10 Down: "8. Marchers in sidewalk cracks"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: A__S
Answer: Click to reveal
ANTS
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: | 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.
