NYT Mini Answers August 20, 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: Todays Across Crossword NYT October 04 | Sunday NYT Down Solutions December 28 | Tuesday NYT Mini Crossword Answers |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | August 20, 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 | 65. Out with ate, ate, ate |
| 2 Across | 26. Place recording |
| 3 Across | 21. To cop |
| 4 Across | 24. York ___ |
| 5 Across | 46. Into light |
| 6 Across | 42. Set off |
| 7 Across | 39. Sponge bath |
| 8 Across | 57. For repentance some feel |
| 9 Across | 15. Correct thoroughly |
| 10 Across | 17. Try to place connoisseurs? |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:
- November 12 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
- May 19 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
- Saturday NYT Across Solutions December
1 Across: "65. Out with ate, ate, ate"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: P____D
Answer:
Click to reveal
PIGGED2 Across: "26. Place recording"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'O'
- Word pattern: S____O
Answer:
Click to reveal
STUDIO3 Across: "21. To cop"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'N'
- Another word like this: have
Answer:
Click to reveal
OWN4 Across: "24. York ___"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'N' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: N___A
Answer:
Click to reveal
NUEVA5 Across: "46. Into light"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: C____T
Answer:
Click to reveal
CUSSAT6 Across: "42. Set off"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'Y'
- Word pattern: D____Y
Answer:
Click to reveal
DEFRAY7 Across: "39. Sponge bath"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: L___A
Answer:
Click to reveal
LOOFA8 Across: "57. For repentance some feel"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'E'
- Another word like this: sorrow
Answer:
Click to reveal
RUE9 Across: "15. Correct thoroughly"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: S____N
Answer:
Click to reveal
SPOTON10 Across: "17. Try to place connoisseurs?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 11 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'M'
- Word pattern: T_________M
Answer:
Click to reveal
TASTINGROOMDown Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 41. Univ. with an annual Mystery Hunt |
| 2 Down | 23. Distinctive expression ... or a hint to this puzzle's Across clues |
| 3 Down | 44. Goes nuts for |
| 4 Down | 2. Asian sea currently undergoing replenishment efforts |
| 5 Down | 1. URL starter |
| 6 Down | 9. Babe in the Hundred Acre Wood |
| 7 Down | 5. ID in some data breaches |
| 8 Down | 8. Loads |
| 9 Down | 26. Mole, e.g. |
| 10 Down | 13. It's worth remembering! |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
- Todays Across Crossword NYT October 04
- NYT Mini Crossword Answers Today_23
- October 26 2019 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Down: "41. Univ. with an annual Mystery Hunt"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'M' and ends with 'T'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer:
Click to reveal
MIT2 Down: "23. Distinctive expression ... or a hint to this puzzle's Across clues"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 12 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: T__________E
Answer:
Click to reveal
TURNOFPHRASE3 Down: "44. Goes nuts for"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'P'
- Word pattern: E____P
Answer:
Click to reveal
EATSUP4 Down: "2. Asian sea currently undergoing replenishment efforts"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'L'
- Word pattern: A__L
Answer:
Click to reveal
ARAL5 Down: "1. URL starter"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'H' and ends with 'P'
- Word pattern: H__P
Answer:
Click to reveal
HTTP6 Down: "9. Babe in the Hundred Acre Wood"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'O'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer:
Click to reveal
ROO7 Down: "5. ID in some data breaches"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'N'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer:
Click to reveal
SSN8 Down: "8. Loads"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: A__N
Answer:
Click to reveal
ATON9 Down: "26. Mole, e.g."
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'Y'
- Another word like this: sight
Answer:
Click to reveal
SPY10 Down: "13. It's worth remembering!"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'O'
- Word pattern: A___O
Answer:
Click to reveal
ALAMOHow 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: | Easy |
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.
