Trivia Week 3 NYT Mini January 19, 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: March 15 2022 NYT Clues Solutions | Fridays NYT Across Oct 24 Full | October 05 2020 NYT Clues Solutions |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | January 19, 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 | 5. Old-fashioned butter maker |
| 2 Across | 15. In on, as a trend |
| 3 Across | 16. Big coffee containers |
| 4 Across | 21. :), ;), :D and others |
| 5 Across | 69. "I wish I could ___ that!" |
| 6 Across | 66. Capital of Arkansas ... or a description of 17-, 29- and 50-Across? |
| 7 Across | 20. In progress |
| 8 Across | 72. Things shifted on a bicycle or in a car |
| 9 Across | 68. In ___ land (daydreaming) |
| 10 Across | 36. X minus III, in old Rome |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:
1 Across: "5. Old-fashioned butter maker"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: C___N
Answer: Click to reveal
CHURN
2 Across: "15. In on, as a trend"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'H' and ends with 'O'
- Word pattern: H___O
Answer: Click to reveal
HIPTO
3 Across: "16. Big coffee containers"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'U' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: U__S
Answer: Click to reveal
URNS
4 Across: "21. :), ;), :D and others"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: S_____S
Answer: Click to reveal
SMILEYS
5 Across: "69. "I wish I could ___ that!""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'U' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: U___E
Answer: Click to reveal
UNSEE
6 Across: "66. Capital of Arkansas ... or a description of 17-, 29- and 50-Across?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 10 letters
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'K'
- Word pattern: L________K
Answer: Click to reveal
LITTLEROCK
7 Across: "20. In progress"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'G'
- Word pattern: O_____G
Answer: Click to reveal
ONGOING
8 Across: "72. Things shifted on a bicycle or in a car"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'G' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: G___S
Answer: Click to reveal
GEARS
9 Across: "68. In ___ land (daydreaming)"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: L__A
Answer: Click to reveal
LALA
10 Across: "36. X minus III, in old Rome"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'V' and ends with 'I'
- Another word like this: sevener
Answer: Click to reveal
VII
Down Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 10. Counterpart of quantity |
| 2 Down | 63. Surveyor's measure |
| 3 Down | 52. Pete who directed "Up," "Inside Out" and "Soul" |
| 4 Down | 4. Auditions |
| 5 Down | 59. Dark leafy green |
| 6 Down | 47. Finale |
| 7 Down | 64. Gave a thumbs-up |
| 8 Down | 51. Jewel |
| 9 Down | 26. Biblical spy for Moses |
| 10 Down | 60. Fork prong |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
- April 02 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
- September 23 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
- May 06 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Down: "10. Counterpart of quantity"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'Q' and ends with 'Y'
- Word pattern: Q_____Y
Answer: Click to reveal
QUALITY
2 Down: "63. Surveyor's measure"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: A__E
Answer: Click to reveal
ACRE
3 Down: "52. Pete who directed "Up," "Inside Out" and "Soul""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: D____R
Answer: Click to reveal
DOCTER
4 Down: "4. Auditions"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: T_____S
Answer: Click to reveal
TRYOUTS
5 Down: "59. Dark leafy green"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'K' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: K__E
Answer: Click to reveal
KALE
6 Down: "47. Finale"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'D'
- Another word like this: death
Answer: Click to reveal
END
7 Down: "64. Gave a thumbs-up"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: O__D
Answer: Click to reveal
OKED
8 Down: "51. Jewel"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'G' and ends with 'M'
- Another word like this: jewel
Answer: Click to reveal
GEM
9 Down: "26. Biblical spy for Moses"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'B'
- Word pattern: C___B
Answer: Click to reveal
CALEB
10 Down: "60. Fork prong"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: T__E
Answer: Click to reveal
TINE
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 Trivia Week 3
When can I play the Trivia Week 3 Mini?
The Trivia Week 3 puzzle is available at 10 PM Eastern Time the night before.
How fast should I be able to solve Trivia Week 3?
Most people solve the Trivia Week 3 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 3?
No! The Trivia Week 3 NYT Mini is completely free. You don't need a subscription like the big crossword.
What makes a good Trivia Week 3 solver?
Good Trivia Week 3 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 3?
Trivia Week 3 puzzles can vary in difficulty. Saturdays are often the hardest, while Mondays are the easiest.
