Today's NYT Mini Crossword September 28, 2025 - Complete Solutions with Smart Hints | 5-Minute Solve
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: March 27 2021 NYT Clues Solutions | March 09 2022 NYT Clues Solutions | November 03 2023 NYT Clues Solutions |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | September 28, 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 | 63. ___Guessr, hit online game whose players deduce locations from Google Street View images |
| 2 Across | 71. Mammal with long whiskers |
| 3 Across | 46. Man's name that's 49-Across plus a letter |
| 4 Across | 74. They stand for art |
| 5 Across | 119. Like slow filers and fast drivers, at times |
| 6 Across | 86. Outback baby |
| 7 Across | 58. Witch |
| 8 Across | 75. Called |
| 9 Across | 80. X |
| 10 Across | 49. Woman's name that's the first three letters of 46-Across |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:
- February 27 2024 NYT Clues Solutions
- March 02 2023 NYT Clues Solutions
- November 07 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Across: "63. ___Guessr, hit online game whose players deduce locations from Google Street View images"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'G' and ends with 'O'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
GEO
2 Across: "71. Mammal with long whiskers"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'W' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: W____S
Answer: Click to reveal
WALRUS
3 Across: "46. Man's name that's 49-Across plus a letter"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: E__N
Answer: Click to reveal
EVAN
4 Across: "74. They stand for art"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: E____S
Answer: Click to reveal
EASELS
5 Across: "119. Like slow filers and fast drivers, at times"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'F' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: F___D
Answer: Click to reveal
FINED
6 Across: "86. Outback baby"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'J' and ends with 'Y'
- Word pattern: J__Y
Answer: Click to reveal
JOEY
7 Across: "58. Witch"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'H' and ends with 'G'
- Another word like this: beldam
Answer: Click to reveal
HAG
8 Across: "75. Called"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: T____D
Answer: Click to reveal
TERMED
9 Across: "80. X"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'N'
- Another word like this: 10
Answer: Click to reveal
TEN
10 Across: "49. Woman's name that's the first three letters of 46-Across"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'A'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
EVA
Down Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 108. AA or JJ, e.g. |
| 2 Down | 2. Dough |
| 3 Down | 45. Skier's conveyance |
| 4 Down | 114. "For sure" |
| 5 Down | 4. Driveway goo |
| 6 Down | 83. Targeted (to) |
| 7 Down | 31. Contribute (to), as one's reputation |
| 8 Down | 55. Reaches a shared opinion about |
| 9 Down | 104. "To ___ own self be true" |
| 10 Down | 85. Key for a quick exit |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
- March 02 2023 NYT Clues Solutions
- November 03 2023 NYT Clues Solutions
- April 27 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Down: "108. AA or JJ, e.g."
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: P__R
Answer: Click to reveal
PAIR
2 Down: "2. Dough"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'M' and ends with 'H'
- Word pattern: M____H
Answer: Click to reveal
MOOLAH
3 Down: "45. Skier's conveyance"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: T__R
Answer: Click to reveal
TBAR
4 Down: "114. "For sure""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'Y' and ends with 'S'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
YES
5 Down: "4. Driveway goo"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'R'
- Another word like this: gob
Answer: Click to reveal
TAR
6 Down: "83. Targeted (to)"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'G' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: G____D
Answer: Click to reveal
GEARED
7 Down: "31. Contribute (to), as one's reputation"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: R_____D
Answer: Click to reveal
REDOUND
8 Down: "55. Reaches a shared opinion about"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 8 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: A______N
Answer: Click to reveal
AGREESON
9 Down: "104. "To ___ own self be true""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: T___E
Answer: Click to reveal
THINE
10 Down: "85. Key for a quick exit"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'C'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer: Click to reveal
ESC
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: | Easy |
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.
