NYT Mini Crossword December 22, 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: December 08 2022 NYT Clues Solutions | February 08 2021 NYT Clues Solutions | Xwordhint Crossword Answers September_28 |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | December 22, 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 | 59. Cheat ... or a punny hint to the four sets of circled letters |
| 2 Across | 64. Hearing-related |
| 3 Across | 15. Older but ___ |
| 4 Across | 42. Rode the bench |
| 5 Across | 14. One of a battery's poles |
| 6 Across | 24. Rapper ___ Uzi Vert |
| 7 Across | 66. Kind of lamp that's energy-efficient |
| 8 Across | 20. "Garfield" dog |
| 9 Across | 55. Pink ___ (rock band) |
| 10 Across | 17. Saxophone, trumpet, piano and bass, perhaps |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:
- October 15 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
- Down Clues NYT November 10 2025 Todays
- February 08 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Across: "59. Cheat ... or a punny hint to the four sets of circled letters"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 11 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: S_________E
Answer: Click to reveal
SHORTCHANGE
2 Across: "64. Hearing-related"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'L'
- Word pattern: A___L
Answer: Click to reveal
AURAL
3 Across: "15. Older but ___"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'W' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: W___R
Answer: Click to reveal
WISER
4 Across: "42. Rode the bench"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'T'
- Another word like this: ride
Answer: Click to reveal
SAT
5 Across: "14. One of a battery's poles"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: A___E
Answer: Click to reveal
ANODE
6 Across: "24. Rapper ___ Uzi Vert"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'L'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
LIL
7 Across: "66. Kind of lamp that's energy-efficient"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'D'
- Another word like this: guide
Answer: Click to reveal
LED
8 Across: "20. "Garfield" dog"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: O__E
Answer: Click to reveal
ODIE
9 Across: "55. Pink ___ (rock band)"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'F' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: F___D
Answer: Click to reveal
FLOYD
10 Across: "17. Saxophone, trumpet, piano and bass, perhaps"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 11 letters
- It starts with 'J' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: J_________T
Answer: Click to reveal
JAZZQUARTET
Down Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 61. Surgery sites, in brief |
| 2 Down | 7. Wispy clouds |
| 3 Down | 27. Em, to Dorothy |
| 4 Down | 62. Beanie or bowler |
| 5 Down | 12. Reaction to pollen, e.g. |
| 6 Down | 48. Is over by |
| 7 Down | 60. Shade of color |
| 8 Down | 38. "No sweat!" |
| 9 Down | 45. Nine-sided figure |
| 10 Down | 8. Approx. |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
- October 15 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
- Todays 55 NYT Mini December 13 2025
- Down Clues NYT November 10 2025 Todays
1 Down: "61. Surgery sites, in brief"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'S'
- Another word like this: surgery
Answer: Click to reveal
ORS
2 Down: "7. Wispy clouds"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'I'
- Word pattern: C___I
Answer: Click to reveal
CIRRI
3 Down: "27. Em, to Dorothy"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: A__T
Answer: Click to reveal
AUNT
4 Down: "62. Beanie or bowler"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'H' and ends with 'T'
- Another word like this: chapeau
Answer: Click to reveal
HAT
5 Down: "12. Reaction to pollen, e.g."
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'Y'
- Word pattern: A_____Y
Answer: Click to reveal
ALLERGY
6 Down: "48. Is over by"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: E____T
Answer: Click to reveal
ENDSAT
7 Down: "60. Shade of color"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'H' and ends with 'E'
- Another word like this: imbue
Answer: Click to reveal
HUE
8 Down: "38. "No sweat!""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'Y'
- Word pattern: E__Y
Answer: Click to reveal
EASY
9 Down: "45. Nine-sided figure"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'N' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: N_____N
Answer: Click to reveal
NONAGON
10 Down: "8. Approx."
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
EST
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: | Normal |
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.
