Sunday NYT Mini Crossword Answers December 21, 2025 - Quick 5×5 Grid Solutions & Tips
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 29 2019 NYT Clues Solutions | All NYT Down Clues September 26 2025 35 | October 27 2020 NYT Clues Solutions |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | December 21, 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 | 30. Rap's Run-___ |
| 2 Across | 27. Wrangler alternative |
| 3 Across | 46. Fraudulently make seem like |
| 4 Across | 89. Sci-fi miniaturizer |
| 5 Across | 118. Few and far between |
| 6 Across | 58. A bit off, say |
| 7 Across | 20. Game piece made of four squares |
| 8 Across | 123. "What's done is done!" |
| 9 Across | 82. Wrap seller |
| 10 Across | 64. Dark side |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:
- Thursdays NYT Mini Nov 06 All 10 Across
- July 19 2019 NYT Clues Solutions
- October 27 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Across: "30. Rap's Run-___"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'C'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
DMC
2 Across: "27. Wrangler alternative"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'E'
- Another word like this: leeward
Answer: Click to reveal
LEE
3 Across: "46. Fraudulently make seem like"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 9 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: P_______S
Answer: Click to reveal
PALMOFFAS
4 Across: "89. Sci-fi miniaturizer"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 9 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'Y'
- Word pattern: S_______Y
Answer: Click to reveal
SHRINKRAY
5 Across: "118. Few and far between"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: R__E
Answer: Click to reveal
RARE
6 Across: "58. A bit off, say"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: O____E
Answer: Click to reveal
ONSALE
7 Across: "20. Game piece made of four squares"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 9 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'O'
- Word pattern: T_______O
Answer: Click to reveal
TETROMINO
8 Across: "123. "What's done is done!""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 9 letters
- It starts with 'G' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: G_______T
Answer: Click to reveal
GETOVERIT
9 Across: "82. Wrap seller"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'I'
- Word pattern: D__I
Answer: Click to reveal
DELI
10 Across: "64. Dark side"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'Y' and ends with 'N'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
YIN
Down Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 1. Make furious |
| 2 Down | 50. Woman's nickname that sounds like two letters |
| 3 Down | 73. Just getting started with |
| 4 Down | 13. Iced-tea-and-lemonade refreshments |
| 5 Down | 86. Calmed deceptively |
| 6 Down | 41. Shoe company with an iconic checkerboard design |
| 7 Down | 39. 2015 chart-topping hit for the Weeknd |
| 8 Down | 103. "Ta-ta!" |
| 9 Down | 104. Tricky pool shot |
| 10 Down | 106. Someone enjoying a walk in the park |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
- Saturday NYT Down Solutions October 18
- October 27 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
- December 25 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Down: "1. Make furious"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'M'
- Word pattern: S___M
Answer: Click to reveal
STEAM
2 Down: "50. Woman's nickname that sounds like two letters"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: E__E
Answer: Click to reveal
EVIE
3 Down: "73. Just getting started with"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'N' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: N___T
Answer: Click to reveal
NEWAT
4 Down: "13. Iced-tea-and-lemonade refreshments"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 13 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: A___________S
Answer: Click to reveal
ARNOLDPALMERS
5 Down: "86. Calmed deceptively"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: L____D
Answer: Click to reveal
LULLED
6 Down: "41. Shoe company with an iconic checkerboard design"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'V' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: V__S
Answer: Click to reveal
VANS
7 Down: "39. 2015 chart-topping hit for the Weeknd"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 14 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: C____________E
Answer: Click to reveal
CANTFEELMYFACE
8 Down: "103. "Ta-ta!""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: S___A
Answer: Click to reveal
SEEYA
9 Down: "104. Tricky pool shot"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'M' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: M___E
Answer: Click to reveal
MASSE
10 Down: "106. Someone enjoying a walk in the park"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'H' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: H___R
Answer: Click to reveal
HIKER
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: | 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.
