NYT Mini Answers February 21, 2026 - Trivia Week 3 Special
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 23 2019 NYT Clues Solutions | September 20 2022 NYT Clues Solutions | Across Clues NYT December 29 2025 |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | February 21, 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 | 42. Savory latke topping |
| 2 Across | 41. Rachel ___, author of "Heated Rivalry" |
| 3 Across | 29. Author of "The Fisherman and His Flute" |
| 4 Across | 18. Split in two |
| 5 Across | 40. Items of some import? |
| 6 Across | 34. Architect's tool |
| 7 Across | 53. "Sick!" |
| 8 Across | 24. Yom Kippur topic |
| 9 Across | 15. Film subgenre exemplified by "The Thing" or "The Fly" |
| 10 Across | 59. How low can you go? |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:
- Todays 55 NYT Mini December 30 2025
- Across Clues NYT December 29 2025
- June 11 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Across: "42. Savory latke topping"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'X'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
LOX
2 Across: "41. Rachel ___, author of "Heated Rivalry""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: R__D
Answer: Click to reveal
REID
3 Across: "29. Author of "The Fisherman and His Flute""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'P'
- Word pattern: A___P
Answer: Click to reveal
AESOP
4 Across: "18. Split in two"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'F' and ends with 'K'
- Word pattern: F__K
Answer: Click to reveal
FORK
5 Across: "40. Items of some import?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: E_____A
Answer: Click to reveal
EXOTICA
6 Across: "34. Architect's tool"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: T_____E
Answer: Click to reveal
TSQUARE
7 Across: "53. "Sick!""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: D__E
Answer: Click to reveal
DOPE
8 Across: "24. Yom Kippur topic"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'N'
- Another word like this: sinning
Answer: Click to reveal
SIN
9 Across: "15. Film subgenre exemplified by "The Thing" or "The Fly""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 10 letters
- It starts with 'B' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: B________R
Answer: Click to reveal
BODYHORROR
10 Across: "59. How low can you go?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 10 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'M'
- Word pattern: R________M
Answer: Click to reveal
ROCKBOTTOM
Down Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 7. They might have all the answers |
| 2 Down | 59. Phase for dreamers |
| 3 Down | 4. Overseer of the Erie Canal, in brief |
| 4 Down | 11. Like a spoilsport |
| 5 Down | 28. Followed surreptitiously |
| 6 Down | 10. New ___ (official cap maker for M.L.B.) |
| 7 Down | 1. Smoking spot |
| 8 Down | 48. Chile con carne cuisine |
| 9 Down | 47. Defunct image editor |
| 10 Down | 26. See 9-Down |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
- Across Clues NYT December 29 2025
- August 31 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
- May 26 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Down: "7. They might have all the answers"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 10 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'M'
- Word pattern: T________M
Answer: Click to reveal
TRIVIATEAM
2 Down: "59. Phase for dreamers"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'M'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
REM
3 Down: "4. Overseer of the Erie Canal, in brief"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'N' and ends with 'S'
- Another word like this: NY
Answer: Click to reveal
NYS
4 Down: "11. Like a spoilsport"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'N' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: N___N
Answer: Click to reveal
NOFUN
5 Down: "28. Followed surreptitiously"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: T_____D
Answer: Click to reveal
TRAILED
6 Down: "10. New ___ (official cap maker for M.L.B.)"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'A'
- Another word like this: epoch
Answer: Click to reveal
ERA
7 Down: "1. Smoking spot"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'B' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: B____T
Answer: Click to reveal
BBQPIT
8 Down: "48. Chile con carne cuisine"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'X'
- Word pattern: T____X
Answer: Click to reveal
TEXMEX
9 Down: "47. Defunct image editor"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'O'
- Word pattern: I____O
Answer: Click to reveal
IPHOTO
10 Down: "26. See 9-Down"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: O__R
Answer: Click to reveal
OVER
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: | Medium |
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.
