NYT Mini Puzzle Trivia Week 2 April 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: NYT Across Today December 21 2025 | February 01 2021 NYT Clues Solutions | November 05 2021 NYT Clues Solutions |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | April 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 | 14. Reduce to a pulp |
| 2 Across | 96. Vegetables rarely cut with a knife |
| 3 Across | 93. Alternative to a Les Paul, for short |
| 4 Across | 79. Affect emotionally |
| 5 Across | 112. Winning country at the 2022 World Cup |
| 6 Across | 89. SOAP film? |
| 7 Across | 121. Fall perennial |
| 8 Across | 76. How an urgent text may be written |
| 9 Across | 117. "Baywatch" actress Eleniak |
| 10 Across | 21. Soothing succulent |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:
- November 05 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
- November 11 2019 NYT Clues Solutions
- December 03 2019 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Across: "14. Reduce to a pulp"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'M' and ends with 'H'
- Word pattern: M__H
Answer:
Click to reveal
MASH2 Across: "96. Vegetables rarely cut with a knife"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: P__S
Answer:
Click to reveal
PEAS3 Across: "93. Alternative to a Les Paul, for short"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: S___T
Answer:
Click to reveal
STRAT4 Across: "79. Affect emotionally"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'H'
- Word pattern: T___H
Answer:
Click to reveal
TOUCH5 Across: "112. Winning country at the 2022 World Cup"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 9 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: A_______A
Answer:
Click to reveal
ARGENTINA6 Across: "89. SOAP film?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 14 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: S____________E
Answer:
Click to reveal
SNAKESONAPLANE7 Across: "121. Fall perennial"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: A___R
Answer:
Click to reveal
ASTER8 Across: "76. How an urgent text may be written"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 9 letters
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: I_______S
Answer:
Click to reveal
INALLCAPS9 Across: "117. "Baywatch" actress Eleniak"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: E___A
Answer:
Click to reveal
ERIKA10 Across: "21. Soothing succulent"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: A__E
Answer:
Click to reveal
ALOEDown Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 102. What a Bohr! |
| 2 Down | 14. Dazzling displays of skill |
| 3 Down | 46. Prickly patch |
| 4 Down | 65. Big inits. in 1990s internet |
| 5 Down | 88. Used DoorDash, say |
| 6 Down | 43. Crunchy sandwiches, for short |
| 7 Down | 114. Portuguese greeting |
| 8 Down | 12. Idiot mistakes |
| 9 Down | 17. Roll call response |
| 10 Down | 70. Turkic language |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
- March 11 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- May 24 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
- Saturday NYT Mini Crossword Answers_13
1 Down: "102. What a Bohr!"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'N' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: N___S
Answer:
Click to reveal
NIELS2 Down: "14. Dazzling displays of skill"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 13 letters
- It starts with 'M' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: M___________S
Answer:
Click to reveal
MASTERCLASSES3 Down: "46. Prickly patch"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'B' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: B___R
Answer:
Click to reveal
BRIER4 Down: "65. Big inits. in 1990s internet"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'L'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer:
Click to reveal
AOL5 Down: "88. Used DoorDash, say"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: A___N
Answer:
Click to reveal
ATEIN6 Down: "43. Crunchy sandwiches, 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
BLTS7 Down: "114. Portuguese greeting"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'A'
- Another word like this: olla
Answer:
Click to reveal
OLA8 Down: "12. Idiot mistakes"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'B' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: B____S
Answer:
Click to reveal
BONERS9 Down: "17. Roll call response"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'H' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: H__E
Answer:
Click to reveal
HERE10 Down: "70. Turkic language"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: T___R
Answer:
Click to reveal
TATARHow 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: | Normal |
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.
