NYT Mini Crossword December 05, 2025 Hints & Answers - Beat the Average 1-Minute Time
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: April 01 2022 NYT Clues Solutions | June 06 2022 NYT Clues Solutions | All NYT Down Clues October 20 2025 40 |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | December 05, 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 | 44. Refuge |
| 2 Across | 23. Dutch artist Jan van der ___ |
| 3 Across | 31. Film with the tagline "Someone has taken their love for scary movies one step too far" |
| 4 Across | 28. They aren't party people |
| 5 Across | 1. Home to Kotoka International Airport |
| 6 Across | 34. Words of retaliation |
| 7 Across | 19. Up |
| 8 Across | 29. Cut, as with a box cutter |
| 9 Across | 52. Something blocked by censors |
| 10 Across | 42. Bundle |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:
- March 19 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
- August 16 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
- Quick NYT Mini Crossword November 24
1 Across: "44. Refuge"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'K'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
ARK
2 Across: "23. Dutch artist Jan van der ___"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'M' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: M__R
Answer: Click to reveal
MEER
3 Across: "31. Film with the tagline "Someone has taken their love for scary movies one step too far""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'M'
- Word pattern: S____M
Answer: Click to reveal
SCREAM
4 Across: "28. They aren't party people"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: L____S
Answer: Click to reveal
LONERS
5 Across: "1. Home to Kotoka International Airport"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'G' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: G___A
Answer: Click to reveal
GHANA
6 Across: "34. Words of retaliation"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 8 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: T______T
Answer: Click to reveal
TAKETHAT
7 Across: "19. Up"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: R___N
Answer: Click to reveal
RISEN
8 Across: "29. Cut, as with a box cutter"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: S__T
Answer: Click to reveal
SLIT
9 Across: "52. Something blocked by censors"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: C___E
Answer: Click to reveal
CURSE
10 Across: "42. Bundle"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: P__E
Answer: Click to reveal
PILE
Down Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 45. Thickening agent found in many vegan recipes |
| 2 Down | 15. Show stoppers, sometimes |
| 3 Down | 27. Silent sort |
| 4 Down | 50. Spicy |
| 5 Down | 25. Dog treat |
| 6 Down | 11. Council, in Russian |
| 7 Down | 43. Unwitting mark |
| 8 Down | 20. Items on many a back-to-school supply list |
| 9 Down | 8. Relatives of banjoleles |
| 10 Down | 10. Repeat |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
- April 01 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- June 06 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- November 05 2019 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Down: "45. Thickening agent found in many vegan recipes"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: A__R
Answer: Click to reveal
AGAR
2 Down: "15. Show stoppers, sometimes"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: R___S
Answer: Click to reveal
RAINS
3 Down: "27. Silent sort"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'M'
- Word pattern: C__M
Answer: Click to reveal
CLAM
4 Down: "50. Spicy"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'H' and ends with 'T'
- Another word like this: live
Answer: Click to reveal
HOT
5 Down: "25. Dog treat"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'B' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: B__E
Answer: Click to reveal
BONE
6 Down: "11. Council, in Russian"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: S____T
Answer: Click to reveal
SOVIET
7 Down: "43. Unwitting mark"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'Y'
- Word pattern: P___Y
Answer: Click to reveal
PATSY
8 Down: "20. Items on many a back-to-school supply list"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: E_____S
Answer: Click to reveal
ERASERS
9 Down: "8. Relatives of banjoleles"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'U' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: U__S
Answer: Click to reveal
UKES
10 Down: "10. Repeat"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: I_____E
Answer: Click to reveal
ITERATE
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: | A bit tricky |
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.
