Quick NYT Mini Crossword December 15, 2025 - Mobile-Friendly Solutions & Speed Tips
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 30 2020 NYT Clues Solutions | March 10 2021 NYT Clues Solutions | February 12 2020 NYT Clues Solutions |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | December 15, 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 | 21. "Balderdash!" |
| 2 Across | 27. Good, long bath |
| 3 Across | 64. Tales of yore |
| 4 Across | 68. ___ Cottontail |
| 5 Across | 28. Slight injury from tripping |
| 6 Across | 45. Dog-___ (like the pages in some books) |
| 7 Across | 32. Karl Marx's "___ Kapital" |
| 8 Across | 43. Alternative to the pill, in brief |
| 9 Across | 63. Suitable, as a unit in a bldg.? |
| 10 Across | 36. President Hoover |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:
- March 14 2023 NYT Clues Solutions
- September 18 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
- March 10 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Across: "21. "Balderdash!""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: L__S
Answer: Click to reveal
LIES
2 Across: "27. Good, long bath"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'K'
- Word pattern: S__K
Answer: Click to reveal
SOAK
3 Across: "64. Tales of yore"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: L__E
Answer: Click to reveal
LORE
4 Across: "68. ___ Cottontail"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: P___R
Answer: Click to reveal
PETER
5 Across: "28. Slight injury from tripping"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 10 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: S________E
Answer: Click to reveal
STUBBEDTOE
6 Across: "45. Dog-___ (like the pages in some books)"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: E___D
Answer: Click to reveal
EARED
7 Across: "32. Karl Marx's "___ Kapital""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'S'
- Another word like this: hyrax
Answer: Click to reveal
DAS
8 Across: "43. Alternative to the pill, in brief"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'D'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
IUD
9 Across: "63. Suitable, as a unit in a bldg.?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'T'
- Another word like this: liable
Answer: Click to reveal
APT
10 Across: "36. President Hoover"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'H' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: H_____T
Answer: Click to reveal
HERBERT
Down Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 22. Be on the wane |
| 2 Down | 33. Re-election restriction |
| 3 Down | 56. Like bright signs on the Las Vegas Strip |
| 4 Down | 31. Like a ripe strawberry |
| 5 Down | 62. Suffix with Benedict or elephant |
| 6 Down | 53. Show feelings onstage |
| 7 Down | 9. Opera great Enrico |
| 8 Down | 26. Turning point in W.W. II |
| 9 Down | 48. Prez before 10-Across |
| 10 Down | 12. Colonial-era pirate captain |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
- Xwordhint Crossword Answers December 11
- September 20 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- February 09 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Down: "22. Be on the wane"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'B'
- Another word like this: reflux
Answer: Click to reveal
EBB
2 Down: "33. Re-election restriction"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 9 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: T_______T
Answer: Click to reveal
TERMLIMIT
3 Down: "56. Like bright signs on the Las Vegas Strip"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'N' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: N__N
Answer: Click to reveal
NEON
4 Down: "31. Like a ripe strawberry"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'D'
- Another word like this: ruddy
Answer: Click to reveal
RED
5 Down: "62. Suffix with Benedict or elephant"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'E'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
INE
6 Down: "53. Show feelings onstage"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: E___E
Answer: Click to reveal
EMOTE
7 Down: "9. Opera great Enrico"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'O'
- Word pattern: C____O
Answer: Click to reveal
CARUSO
8 Down: "26. Turning point in W.W. II"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'Y'
- Word pattern: D__Y
Answer: Click to reveal
DDAY
9 Down: "48. Prez before 10-Across"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'E'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
DDE
10 Down: "12. Colonial-era pirate captain"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'K' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: K__D
Answer: Click to reveal
KIDD
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 58 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.
