NYT Mini Puzzle Trivia Week 2 January 12, 2026 - Solved
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 06 2021 NYT Clues Solutions | May 17 2021 NYT Clues Solutions | May 02 2022 NYT Clues Solutions |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | January 12, 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 | 45. Substance that's a homophone and anagram of 51-Across |
| 2 Across | 28. E.M.T. process often administered to the beat of "Stayin' Alive" |
| 3 Across | 72. Conceal for the time being, as information |
| 4 Across | 17. Concluding part of a song |
| 5 Across | 68. Lock of hair |
| 6 Across | 11. Place to store a lawn mower |
| 7 Across | 21. "Halt!" |
| 8 Across | 43. Comic/TV host O'Brien |
| 9 Across | 44. Man's name that's a citrus fruit spelled backward |
| 10 Across | 6. Bird's dramatic dive |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:
- October 18 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
- July 01 2019 NYT Clues Solutions
- September 02 2019 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Across: "45. Substance that's a homophone and anagram of 51-Across"
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
2 Across: "28. E.M.T. process often administered to the beat of "Stayin' Alive""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'R'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
CPR
3 Across: "72. Conceal for the time being, as information"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: S___N
Answer: Click to reveal
SITON
4 Across: "17. Concluding part of a song"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: C__A
Answer: Click to reveal
CODA
5 Across: "68. Lock of hair"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: T___S
Answer: Click to reveal
TRESS
6 Across: "11. Place to store a lawn mower"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: S__D
Answer: Click to reveal
SHED
7 Across: "21. "Halt!""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'P'
- Word pattern: S__P
Answer: Click to reveal
STOP
8 Across: "43. Comic/TV host O'Brien"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: C___N
Answer: Click to reveal
CONAN
9 Across: "44. Man's name that's a citrus fruit spelled backward"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'L'
- Word pattern: E__L
Answer: Click to reveal
EMIL
10 Across: "6. Bird's dramatic dive"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'P'
- Word pattern: S___P
Answer: Click to reveal
SWOOP
Down Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 20. Move, to a Realtor |
| 2 Down | 32. Scottish negative |
| 3 Down | 49. Most sagacious |
| 4 Down | 54. New ___, capital of India |
| 5 Down | 37. Where meats and cheeses are often displayed |
| 6 Down | 12. Georgetown athlete |
| 7 Down | 62. Canadian gas brand |
| 8 Down | 46. Source of motivation, in modern lingo |
| 9 Down | 30. Toy cube inventor Erno |
| 10 Down | 4. You might let these "fall where they may" |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
- Across Clues NYT October 25 2025 Todays
- November 14 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
- March 16 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Down: "20. Move, to a Realtor"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'O'
- Word pattern: R__O
Answer: Click to reveal
RELO
2 Down: "32. Scottish negative"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'N' and ends with 'E'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
NAE
3 Down: "49. Most sagacious"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'W' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: W____T
Answer: Click to reveal
WISEST
4 Down: "54. New ___, capital of India"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'I'
- Word pattern: D___I
Answer: Click to reveal
DELHI
5 Down: "37. Where meats and cheeses are often displayed"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 9 letters
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: D_______S
Answer: Click to reveal
DELICASES
6 Down: "12. Georgetown athlete"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'H' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: H__A
Answer: Click to reveal
HOYA
7 Down: "62. Canadian gas brand"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'O'
- Word pattern: E__O
Answer: Click to reveal
ESSO
8 Down: "46. Source of motivation, in modern lingo"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'O'
- Word pattern: I___O
Answer: Click to reveal
INSPO
9 Down: "30. Toy cube inventor Erno"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'K'
- Word pattern: R___K
Answer: Click to reveal
RUBIK
10 Down: "4. You might let these "fall where they may""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: C___S
Answer: Click to reveal
CHIPS
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: | Easy |
Common Questions About Trivia Week 2
When can I play the Trivia Week 2 Mini?
The Trivia Week 2 puzzle is available at 10 PM Eastern Time the night before.
How fast should I be able to solve Trivia Week 2?
Most people solve the Trivia Week 2 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 2?
No! The Trivia Week 2 NYT Mini is completely free. You don't need a subscription like the big crossword.
What makes a good Trivia Week 2 solver?
Good Trivia Week 2 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 2?
Trivia Week 2 puzzles can vary in difficulty. Saturdays are often the hardest, while Mondays are the easiest.
