Trivia Week 4 August 30, 2026 NYT Mini Crossword Hints
Today's Mini has 20 clues to get through. Hints and answers for all of them are below.
Popular Puzzles: March 18 2020 NYT Clues Solutions | Todays NYT Mini Crossword October 01 | NYT Down Today November 15 2025 |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | August 30, 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 4 NYT Mini Crossword Grid Layout
It's a 5 by 5 grid today — five boxes across, five 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 One Fast
- Skim every clue once before you write anything — your brain keeps chewing on the ones you don't solve right away.
- Knock out the short answers (3 letters or under) first.
- Lean on the crossing letters once a couple of words are in.
- A question mark in a clue usually means there's a pun coming.
- THE, AND, ARE, FOR, NOT — these little words show up constantly, keep them in your back pocket.
Quick Facts
- Total squares: 25 (5 × 5)
- Typical solve time: well under a minute for most regulars
- Good time to play: on a coffee break
- Difficulty: built to be approachable
Across Clues - 10 Total
These run left to right across the grid.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Across | 26. Discount Chinese e-tailer |
| 2 Across | 64. Friar with a famous "razor" |
| 3 Across | 100. Join, as two metal surfaces |
| 4 Across | 93. Discontinued Swedish cars |
| 5 Across | 31. Pink-slips |
| 6 Across | 126. Instants |
| 7 Across | 24. LIAM NEESON |
| 8 Across | 122. Submitted by the deadline |
| 9 Across | 68. Turns on the waterworks |
| 10 Across | 124. Musician/actress Haim |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Stuck on one? Hints and answers for each clue are below. A few other guides worth a look:
- NYT Down Today November 15 2025
- Xwordhint Crossword Answers December 21
- May 02 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Across: "26. Discount Chinese e-tailer"
Hints:
- Starts with 'T', ends with 'U'.
- This is more of an abbreviation than a regular word.
- Blank it out and you get: T__U
Answer:
Click to reveal
TEMU2 Across: "64. Friar with a famous "razor""
Hints:
- You could also think of it as "Ockham."
- This one runs 5 letters long.
- First letter's a 'O', last letter's a 'M'.
Answer:
Click to reveal
OCCAM3 Across: "100. Join, as two metal surfaces"
Hints:
- Kicks off with 'S' and wraps up with 'R'.
- Pattern-wise it looks like: S____R
- It's a 6-letter word.
Answer:
Click to reveal
SOLDER4 Across: "93. Discontinued Swedish cars"
Hints:
- Starts with 'S', ends with 'S'.
- Pattern-wise it looks like: S___S
- This one runs 5 letters long.
Answer:
Click to reveal
SAABS5 Across: "31. Pink-slips"
Hints:
- Short form / acronym territory here.
- You could also think of it as "fire."
- First letter's a 'C', last letter's a 'S'.
Answer:
Click to reveal
CANS6 Across: "126. Instants"
Hints:
- Starts with 'S', ends with 'S'.
- Short form / acronym territory here.
- Count on 4 letters here.
Answer:
Click to reveal
SECS7 Across: "24. LIAM NEESON"
Hints:
- This one runs 8 letters long.
- First letter's a 'S', last letter's a 'O'.
Answer:
Click to reveal
SALMINEO8 Across: "122. Submitted by the deadline"
Hints:
- If that helps, the shape is: I______E
- You're looking for 8 letters.
- First letter's a 'I', last letter's a 'E'.
Answer:
Click to reveal
INONTIME9 Across: "68. Turns on the waterworks"
Hints:
- Think of it this way — a loud utterance; often in protest or opposition.
- Count on 5 letters here.
- Pattern-wise it looks like: C___S
Answer:
Click to reveal
CRIES10 Across: "124. Musician/actress Haim"
Hints:
- Pattern-wise it looks like: A___A
- Kicks off with 'A' and wraps up with 'A'.
- This one runs 5 letters long.
Answer:
Click to reveal
ALANADown Clues - 10 Total
These run top to bottom in the grid.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 67. Christmas presence? |
| 2 Down | 95. Withdraw from a union |
| 3 Down | 23. Mineral that makes cosmetics shimmer |
| 4 Down | 29. Clear |
| 5 Down | 6. Like 666, popularly |
| 6 Down | 94. Periods of 730 days |
| 7 Down | 1. God, to Bob Marley |
| 8 Down | 32. Hit a ___ |
| 9 Down | 58. Diva's time to shine |
| 10 Down | 86. Hostile manner, informally |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Same deal here — hints then answers. You might also like:
- Xwordhint Crossword Answers October 03
- April 16 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
- Todays NYT Mini Crossword October 01
1 Down: "67. Christmas presence?"
Hints:
- Short form / acronym territory here.
- Blank it out and you get: M__I
- Close enough in meaning: magus.
Answer:
Click to reveal
MAGI2 Down: "95. Withdraw from a union"
Hints:
- First letter's a 'S', last letter's a 'E'.
- Pattern-wise it looks like: S____E
- Basically, withdraw from an organization or communion.
Answer:
Click to reveal
SECEDE3 Down: "23. Mineral that makes cosmetics shimmer"
Hints:
- Blank it out and you get: M__A
- You're looking for 4 letters.
- Kicks off with 'M' and wraps up with 'A'.
Answer:
Click to reveal
MICA4 Down: "29. Clear"
Hints:
- Kicks off with 'E' and wraps up with 'E'.
- It's a 5-letter word.
- If that helps, the shape is: E___E
Answer:
Click to reveal
ERASE5 Down: "6. Like 666, popularly"
Hints:
- It's a 7-letter word.
- You could also think of it as "demonic."
- Starts with 'S', ends with 'C'.
Answer:
Click to reveal
SATANIC6 Down: "94. Periods of 730 days"
Hints:
- Kicks off with 'B' and wraps up with 'A'.
- Count on 7 letters here.
- Pattern-wise it looks like: B_____A
Answer:
Click to reveal
BIENNIA7 Down: "1. God, to Bob Marley"
Hints:
- This one runs 3 letters long.
- First letter's a 'J', last letter's a 'H'.
- Short form / acronym territory here.
Answer:
Click to reveal
JAH8 Down: "32. Hit a ___"
Hints:
- Pattern-wise it looks like: S__G
- It's a 4-letter word.
- Close enough in meaning: hang-up.
Answer:
Click to reveal
SNAG9 Down: "58. Diva's time to shine"
Hints:
- Think of it this way — an elaborate song for solo voice.
- You're looking for 4 letters.
- First letter's a 'A', last letter's a 'A'.
Answer:
Click to reveal
ARIA10 Down: "86. Hostile manner, informally"
Hints:
- Short form / acronym territory here.
- Starts with 'T', ends with 'E'.
- This one runs 4 letters long.
Answer:
Click to reveal
TUDEHow to Solve the NYT Mini Crossword Faster
A few things that actually help once you've been doing these a while:
Step-by-Step Strategy
- Scan before you solve: One quick read-through of all the clues before you commit to anything usually pays off.
- Short words first: The 2-3 letter answers are almost always the low-hanging fruit.
- Let crossings guide you: Harder answers get much easier once a couple of crossing letters are locked in.
- Puns hide behind question marks: If a clue ends in "?", expect wordplay, not a straight answer.
- A few words repeat a lot: ERA, ORE, ATE, ICE show up more than you'd expect — keep them in mind.
Letter Tips That Really Help
- E is the most common letter in English, so it's worth guessing early.
- Words ending in S are usually plurals.
- Blanks ("___") in a clue mean the answer fits exactly into those spaces.
- An abbreviation in the clue is a signal the answer's abbreviated too.
Time Goals to Aim For
| Your Time | Skill Level | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| Under 30 seconds | Expert | You've clearly got the puzzle's patterns down. |
| 30-60 seconds | Advanced | Solid pace — you're solving quickly. |
| 1-2 minutes | Good | Right where most regular solvers land. |
| Over 2 minutes | Learning | Totally fine — speed comes with reps. |
Puzzle Numbers and Facts
| Total Clues: | 20 |
| Grid Size: | 5 boxes across, 5 boxes down |
| Total Squares: | 25 |
| Average Time: | 45 seconds |
| Difficulty: | Normal |
Common Questions About Trivia Week 4
When does the Trivia Week 4 Mini go live?
It usually goes live around 10 PM Eastern the night before.
How long should Trivia Week 4 take me?
Most people land somewhere between 30 seconds and 2 minutes. Slower than that is completely normal too — it gets faster with practice.
Is Trivia Week 4 free to play?
It's free to play, unlike the main NYT Crossword which sits behind a paywall.
What actually makes someone good at Trivia Week 4?
Knowing the common short words, spotting wordplay quickly, and reading crossing letters well — that combination gets you most of the way there.
Does Trivia Week 4 get harder as the week goes on?
It varies day to day — Saturdays tend to be the toughest, Mondays the easiest.