Today's 5×5 NYT Mini December 10, 2025 - Instant Answers Plus Learning Hints
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 24 2022 NYT Clues Solutions | February 23 2021 NYT Clues Solutions | June 01 2021 NYT Clues Solutions |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | December 10, 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 | 55. Time piece? |
| 2 Across | 56. Hole in the wall |
| 3 Across | 47. Some pearls of wisdom |
| 4 Across | 67. Article of pool equipment |
| 5 Across | 51. Used to have |
| 6 Across | 38. Bit of condensation |
| 7 Across | 16. City NE of Olympia |
| 8 Across | 73. Final boss in the game God of War |
| 9 Across | 72. Diocese assemblies |
| 10 Across | 46. Corp. money bigwig |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:
- June 20 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
- August 23 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
- June 23 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Across: "55. Time piece?"
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
2 Across: "56. Hole in the wall"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'P'
- Word pattern: R_____P
Answer: Click to reveal
RATTRAP
3 Across: "47. Some pearls of wisdom"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: S__S
Answer: Click to reveal
SAWS
4 Across: "67. Article of pool equipment"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'K'
- Word pattern: R__K
Answer: Click to reveal
RACK
5 Across: "51. Used to have"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: O___D
Answer: Click to reveal
OWNED
6 Across: "38. Bit of condensation"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'B' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: B__D
Answer: Click to reveal
BEAD
7 Across: "16. City NE of Olympia"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: T____A
Answer: Click to reveal
TACOMA
8 Across: "73. Final boss in the game God of War"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: A__S
Answer: Click to reveal
ARES
9 Across: "72. Diocese assemblies"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: S____S
Answer: Click to reveal
SYNODS
10 Across: "46. Corp. money bigwig"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'O'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
CFO
Down Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 52. Standing |
| 2 Down | 13. Beehive State athlete |
| 3 Down | 9. "You can say that again!" |
| 4 Down | 3. Healthier version of a breakfast side dish |
| 5 Down | 14. Grassy section |
| 6 Down | 58. "Community" character played by Donald Glover |
| 7 Down | 64. Prize that a prospector pries |
| 8 Down | 6. Alters the shape of |
| 9 Down | 66. Some N.F.L. linemen |
| 10 Down | 41. ___ gaz (carbonated: Fr.) |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
- December 24 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- September 14 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
- January 08 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Down: "52. Standing"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: E___T
Answer: Click to reveal
ERECT
2 Down: "13. Beehive State athlete"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'U' and ends with 'E'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
UTE
3 Down: "9. "You can say that again!""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: A__N
Answer: Click to reveal
AMEN
4 Down: "3. Healthier version of a breakfast side dish"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 11 letters
- It starts with 'V' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: V_________N
Answer: Click to reveal
VEGGIEBACON
5 Down: "14. Grassy section"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'D'
- Another word like this: turf
Answer: Click to reveal
SOD
6 Down: "58. "Community" character played by Donald Glover"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'Y'
- Word pattern: T__Y
Answer: Click to reveal
TROY
7 Down: "64. Prize that a prospector pries"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'E'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
ORE
8 Down: "6. Alters the shape of"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'W' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: W___S
Answer: Click to reveal
WARPS
9 Down: "66. Some N.F.L. linemen"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'S'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
DTS
10 Down: "41. ___ gaz (carbonated: Fr.)"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'C'
- Word pattern: A__C
Answer: Click to reveal
AVEC
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: | 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.
