NYT Mini Crossword Answers Today December 07, 2025 - All 20 Clues Solved & Expert 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: June 12 2021 NYT Clues Solutions | December 07 2022 NYT Clues Solutions | Xwordhint Crossword Answers October 28 |
About Today's Puzzle
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | December 07, 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 | 122. Weirdly spooky |
| 2 Across | 62. Cattle calls |
| 3 Across | 86. Basic tenet of improv |
| 4 Across | 74. Like the Red Sea after a visit from Moses |
| 5 Across | 36. Emmy-winning actor Ray |
| 6 Across | 83. Hint |
| 7 Across | 123. Church staple |
| 8 Across | 124. "Vous ___ ici" (French map phrase) |
| 9 Across | 91. A urinal, according to Duchamp |
| 10 Across | 108. Bit of letter-shaped hardware |
Hints and Answers for Across Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:
- December 24 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
- February 11 2023 NYT Clues Solutions
- Xwordhint Crossword Answers November 25
1 Across: "122. Weirdly spooky"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: E___E
Answer: Click to reveal
EERIE
2 Across: "62. Cattle calls"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: L__S
Answer: Click to reveal
LOWS
3 Across: "86. Basic tenet of improv"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'Y' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: Y____D
Answer: Click to reveal
YESAND
4 Across: "74. Like the Red Sea after a visit from Moses"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: P____D
Answer: Click to reveal
PARTED
5 Across: "36. Emmy-winning actor Ray"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: L____A
Answer: Click to reveal
LIOTTA
6 Across: "83. Hint"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: T___E
Answer: Click to reveal
TRACE
7 Across: "123. Church staple"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: O___N
Answer: Click to reveal
ORGAN
8 Across: "124. "Vous ___ ici" (French map phrase)"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: E__S
Answer: Click to reveal
ETES
9 Across: "91. A urinal, according to Duchamp"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 3 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'T'
- Another word like this: prowess
Answer: Click to reveal
ART
10 Across: "108. Bit of letter-shaped hardware"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'G'
- Word pattern: O___G
Answer: Click to reveal
ORING
Down Clues - 10 Total
These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 29. Starter, perhaps |
| 2 Down | 42. "Jeepers creepers!" |
| 3 Down | 52. Nullify |
| 4 Down | 92. Something for canines to sink their canines into |
| 5 Down | 13. One chain x one furlong |
| 6 Down | 9. Arabic greeting and farewell |
| 7 Down | 93. Toil |
| 8 Down | 90. McFlurry flavor |
| 9 Down | 8. Jelly you wouldn't pair with peanut butter |
| 10 Down | 114. Taxpayer IDs |
Hints and Answers for Down Clues
Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:
- December 24 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
- July 23 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
- February 04 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
1 Down: "29. Starter, perhaps"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'P'
- Word pattern: S__P
Answer: Click to reveal
SOUP
2 Down: "42. "Jeepers creepers!""
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'Y' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: Y___S
Answer: Click to reveal
YIPES
3 Down: "52. Nullify"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'N' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: N____E
Answer: Click to reveal
NEGATE
4 Down: "92. Something for canines to sink their canines into"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 7 letters
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'Y'
- Word pattern: C_____Y
Answer: Click to reveal
CHEWTOY
5 Down: "13. One chain x one furlong"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: A__E
Answer: Click to reveal
ACRE
6 Down: "9. Arabic greeting and farewell"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'M'
- Word pattern: S____M
Answer: Click to reveal
SALAAM
7 Down: "93. Toil"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 6 letters
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: D____E
Answer: Click to reveal
DRUDGE
8 Down: "90. McFlurry flavor"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'O'
- Word pattern: O__O
Answer: Click to reveal
OREO
9 Down: "8. Jelly you wouldn't pair with peanut butter"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 5 letters
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'C'
- Word pattern: A___C
Answer: Click to reveal
ASPIC
10 Down: "114. Taxpayer IDs"
Helpful hints:
- This word has 4 letters
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: S__S
Answer: Click to reveal
SSNS
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: | A bit tricky |
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.
