Trivia Week 3 April 18, 2026 NYT Mini Crossword Hints
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: July 14 2022 NYT Clues Solutions | January 11 2020 NYT Clues Solutions | September 02 2021 NYT Clues Solutions |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | April 18, 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 | 23. Unite |
| 2 Across | 18. New outfit or accessory for a character, in video game-speak |
| 3 Across | 40. Mathematics writer Gardner |
| 4 Across | 27. "Wait just a sec" |
| 5 Across | 21. Term in the bedroom, maybe |
| 6 Across | 29. Cowboy's friend, informally |
| 7 Across | 34. "You've got nothing to worry about" |
| 8 Across | 47. Daredevil's calculation |
| 9 Across | 31. Finalized |
| 10 Across | 16. Thawing |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:
- August 27 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
- July 14 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- August 14 2019 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Across: "23. Unite"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'W' and ends with 'D'
- Another word like this: espouse
Answer:
Click to reveal
WED2 Across: "18. New outfit or accessory for a character, in video game-speak"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'M' and ends with 'D'
- Another word like this: modern
Answer:
Click to reveal
MOD3 Across: "40. Mathematics writer Gardner"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'M' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: M____N
Answer:
Click to reveal
MARTIN4 Across: "27. "Wait just a sec""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 9 letters
- It starts with 'H' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: H_______T
Answer:
Click to reveal
HANGTIGHT5 Across: "21. Term in the bedroom, maybe"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 8 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: S______D
Answer:
Click to reveal
SAFEWORD6 Across: "29. Cowboy's friend, informally"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: P__D
Answer:
Click to reveal
PARD7 Across: "34. "You've got nothing to worry about""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 8 letters
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'Y'
- Word pattern: R______Y
Answer:
Click to reveal
RESTEASY8 Across: "47. Daredevil's calculation"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: O__S
Answer:
Click to reveal
ODDS9 Across: "31. Finalized"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'T'
- Another word like this: jell
Answer:
Click to reveal
SET10 Across: "16. Thawing"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: D_____E
Answer:
Click to reveal
DETENTEDown Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 21. Start to give |
| 2 Down | 37. Brings about, as havoc |
| 3 Down | 22. "Hey, no backing out now!" |
| 4 Down | 32. Cuts a line? |
| 5 Down | 2. Blowgun projectile |
| 6 Down | 1. Did business with, in a way |
| 7 Down | 27. Relatives of ottomans |
| 8 Down | 33. It takes two hands to show |
| 9 Down | 17. Texas air hub, for short |
| 10 Down | 6. Into |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
- October 30 2019 NYT Clues Solutions
- April 22 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- August 27 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Down: "21. Start to give"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'G'
- Another word like this: swag
Answer:
Click to reveal
SAG2 Down: "37. Brings about, as havoc"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'W' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: W____S
Answer:
Click to reveal
WREAKS3 Down: "22. "Hey, no backing out now!""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 10 letters
- It starts with 'W' and ends with 'L'
- Word pattern: W________L
Answer:
Click to reveal
WEHADADEAL4 Down: "32. Cuts a line?"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: E___S
Answer:
Click to reveal
EDITS5 Down: "2. Blowgun projectile"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 10 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: P________T
Answer:
Click to reveal
POISONDART6 Down: "1. Did business with, in a way"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'O'
- Word pattern: S____O
Answer:
Click to reveal
SOLDTO7 Down: "27. Relatives of ottomans"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 8 letters
- It starts with 'H' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: H______S
Answer:
Click to reveal
HASSOCKS8 Down: "33. It takes two hands to show"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'N'
- Another word like this: decade
Answer:
Click to reveal
TEN9 Down: "17. Texas air hub, for short"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'W'
- This is a short form or acronym
Answer:
Click to reveal
DFW10 Down: "6. Into"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'F' and ends with 'F'
- Word pattern: F____F
Answer:
Click to reveal
FONDOFHow 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 45 seconds |
| Difficulty: | Normal |
Common Questions About Trivia Week 3
When can I play the Trivia Week 3 Mini?
The Trivia Week 3 puzzle is available at 10 PM Eastern Time the night before.
How fast should I be able to solve Trivia Week 3?
Most people solve the Trivia Week 3 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 3?
No! The Trivia Week 3 NYT Mini is completely free. You don't need a subscription like the big crossword.
What makes a good Trivia Week 3 solver?
Good Trivia Week 3 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 3?
Trivia Week 3 puzzles can vary in difficulty. Saturdays are often the hardest, while Mondays are the easiest.
