Mini Crossword NYT December 27, 2025 - Today's Puzzle Solved in Under 1 Minutes
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: October 29 2022 NYT Clues Solutions | Xwordhint Crossword Answers September_25 | NYT Across Crossword December 11 2025 |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | December 27, 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 | 19. Price-ending digits, often |
| 2 Across | 43. Many a popular TikTok |
| 3 Across | 39. Divert |
| 4 Across | 42. Bad singer? |
| 5 Across | 32. Superman's mother |
| 6 Across | 51. Gets dragged along on a beach trip? |
| 7 Across | 5. ___ Seton, author of "Foxfire" and "Katherine" |
| 8 Across | 18. "At this point, that's no surprise" |
| 9 Across | 62. List abbr. |
| 10 Across | 63. Certain wings |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:
- January 19 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
- October 29 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- All NYT Down Clues September 16 2025 41
1 Across: "19. Price-ending digits, often"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'N' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: N___S
Answer: Click to reveal
NINES
2 Across: "43. Many a popular TikTok"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'M' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: M__E
Answer: Click to reveal
MEME
3 Across: "39. Divert"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: A___E
Answer: Click to reveal
AMUSE
4 Across: "42. Bad singer?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'T'
- Another word like this: stinker
Answer: Click to reveal
RAT
5 Across: "32. Superman's mother"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: L__A
Answer: Click to reveal
LARA
6 Across: "51. Gets dragged along on a beach trip?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 9 letters
- It starts with 'W' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: W_______S
Answer: Click to reveal
WATERSKIS
7 Across: "5. ___ Seton, author of "Foxfire" and "Katherine""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: A__A
Answer: Click to reveal
ANYA
8 Across: "18. "At this point, that's no surprise""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 10 letters
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: I________T
Answer: Click to reveal
IMUSEDTOIT
9 Across: "62. List abbr."
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'L'
- Word pattern: E__L
Answer: Click to reveal
ETAL
10 Across: "63. Certain wings"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: E__S
Answer: Click to reveal
ELLS
Down Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 35. Historical region of southwestern France |
| 2 Down | 27. "Do the Right Thing" pizzeria |
| 3 Down | 11. 2021 science fiction novel by Nnedi Okorafor |
| 4 Down | 12. "Whatcha ___?" |
| 5 Down | 13. Makes a choice |
| 6 Down | 16. John with some ground-breaking inventions |
| 7 Down | 28. Cold bathhouse amenity |
| 8 Down | 44. Let up |
| 9 Down | 46. First responder, for short |
| 10 Down | 54. Wind-up toy? |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
- All NYT Down Clues September 16 2025 41
- April 18 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- Quick NYT Mini Crossword November 24
1 Down: "35. Historical region of southwestern France"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 9 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: A_______E
Answer: Click to reveal
AQUITAINE
2 Down: "27. "Do the Right Thing" pizzeria"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: S__S
Answer: Click to reveal
SALS
3 Down: "11. 2021 science fiction novel by Nnedi Okorafor"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'N' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: N__R
Answer: Click to reveal
NOOR
4 Down: "12. "Whatcha ___?""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: D__N
Answer: Click to reveal
DOIN
5 Down: "13. Makes a choice"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: O__S
Answer: Click to reveal
OPTS
6 Down: "16. John with some ground-breaking inventions"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: D___E
Answer: Click to reveal
DEERE
7 Down: "28. Cold bathhouse amenity"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 10 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'L'
- Word pattern: P________L
Answer: Click to reveal
PLUNGEPOOL
8 Down: "44. Let up"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: E___D
Answer: Click to reveal
EASED
9 Down: "46. First responder, for short"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'T'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
EMT
10 Down: "54. Wind-up toy?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'K' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: K__E
Answer: Click to reveal
KITE
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 10 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.
