NYT Mini Trivia Week 4 August 22, 2026 - Hints & Answers
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 07 2020 NYT Clues Solutions | October 23 2019 NYT Clues Solutions | NYT Crossword Across October 31 2025 |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | August 22, 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 | 51. Many a guest writer's piece |
| 2 Across | 62. Acknowledged |
| 3 Across | 48. Follow around |
| 4 Across | 58. Tied up with? |
| 5 Across | 20. From scratch |
| 6 Across | 15. "Hello?" follower |
| 7 Across | 50. Portal released concurrently with Windows 95 |
| 8 Across | 38. "Lemme think ..." |
| 9 Across | 63. "Relax, it'll be fine" |
| 10 Across | 42. Name shared by the locales of University of South Carolina and the University of Missouri |
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
- August 09 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
- NYT Crossword Across October 31 2025
1 Across: "51. Many a guest writer's piece"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: O__D
Answer:
Click to reveal
OPED2 Across: "62. Acknowledged"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: S__N
Answer:
Click to reveal
SEEN3 Across: "48. Follow around"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'W'
- Word pattern: S____W
Answer:
Click to reveal
SHADOW4 Across: "58. Tied up with?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'W'
- Word pattern: D__W
Answer:
Click to reveal
DREW5 Across: "20. From scratch"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'W'
- Word pattern: A__W
Answer:
Click to reveal
ANEW6 Across: "15. "Hello?" follower"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 10 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: A________E
Answer:
Click to reveal
ANYONEHOME7 Across: "50. Portal released concurrently with Windows 95"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'M' and ends with 'N'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer:
Click to reveal
MSN8 Across: "38. "Lemme think ...""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'U' and ends with 'H'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer:
Click to reveal
UHH9 Across: "63. "Relax, it'll be fine""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 10 letters
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: D________S
Answer:
Click to reveal
DONTSTRESS10 Across: "42. Name shared by the locales of University of South Carolina and the University of Missouri"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 8 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: C______A
Answer:
Click to reveal
COLUMBIADown Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 49. Maker of the Hacky Sack and Hula-Hoop |
| 2 Down | 33. Iconic hairstyle of Jane Fonda and Stevie Nicks |
| 3 Down | 4. Analytical graphic that divides data into quartiles |
| 4 Down | 7. Author Silverstein |
| 5 Down | 10. Crisco competitor |
| 6 Down | 24. Smoking events, for short |
| 7 Down | 44. Subcompact vehicle |
| 8 Down | 12. "Absolutely, positively!" |
| 9 Down | 46. Contract winner, typically |
| 10 Down | 27. Francis's successor |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
1 Down: "49. Maker of the Hacky Sack and Hula-Hoop"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'W' and ends with 'O'
- Word pattern: W___O
Answer:
Click to reveal
WHAMO2 Down: "33. Iconic hairstyle of Jane Fonda and Stevie Nicks"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'G'
- Word pattern: S__G
Answer:
Click to reveal
SHAG3 Down: "4. Analytical graphic that divides data into quartiles"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'B' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: B_____T
Answer:
Click to reveal
BOXPLOT4 Down: "7. Author Silverstein"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'L'
- Word pattern: S__L
Answer:
Click to reveal
SHEL5 Down: "10. Crisco competitor"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'W' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: W____N
Answer:
Click to reveal
WESSON6 Down: "24. Smoking events, for short"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'B' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: B__S
Answer:
Click to reveal
BBQS7 Down: "44. Subcompact vehicle"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'M' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: M_____R
Answer:
Click to reveal
MINICAR8 Down: "12. "Absolutely, positively!""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 10 letters
- It starts with 'Y' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: Y________T
Answer:
Click to reveal
YESNODOUBT9 Down: "46. Contract winner, typically"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: L____D
Answer:
Click to reveal
LOWBID10 Down: "27. Francis's successor"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'O'
- Another word like this: Lion
Answer:
Click to reveal
LEOHow 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 52 seconds |
| Difficulty: | A bit tricky |
Common Questions About Trivia Week 4
When can I play the Trivia Week 4 Mini?
The Trivia Week 4 puzzle is available at 10 PM Eastern Time the night before.
How fast should I be able to solve Trivia Week 4?
Most people solve the Trivia Week 4 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 4?
No! The Trivia Week 4 NYT Mini is completely free. You don't need a subscription like the big crossword.
What makes a good Trivia Week 4 solver?
Good Trivia Week 4 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 4?
Trivia Week 4 puzzles can vary in difficulty. Saturdays are often the hardest, while Mondays are the easiest.
