How to solve today’s Mini crossword.
Credit: NYT
Another day, another NYT Mini Crossword to solve. This week has been relatively challenging as far as Mini Crosswords go, with a couple that have stopped me in my tracks. So much depends on context, especially when it comes to sports and pop culture clues. If you know that album or that movie or that sports team mascot, you’re golden. If not, you’re stuck or have to work ahead and fill in some blanks. Read on for some extra help with today’s Mini Crossword clues!
Looking for Tuesday’s NYT Mini Crossword? Here are some hints and answers.
How To Play The NYT Mini Crossword
The NYT Mini is a smaller, quicker, more digestible, bite-sized version of the larger and more challenging NYT Crossword. While it used to be free, in August the Mini was placed behind the NYT Games App paywall. This has led to a noticeable decline in people playing the game, unfortunately. You can check out all of the NYT Games, free and paid, right here.
A Mini Crossword is typically just 10 to 20 clues, with only Saturday’s puzzle on the upper end of that spread. Here’s what a basic NYT Mini looks like:
The NYT Mini Crossword
Screenshot: Erik Kain
Follow the clues and come up with as many words as possible, and then use the letters from those words to fill in the remaining words you were unsure about. A good rule of thumb is to skip ahead whenever you don’t know something and come back to the clue later. Of course, if you still need help at that point, read on below for hints and answers.
The best way to play the NYT Mini Crossword is to try to beat your previous speed or play competitively with a friend and see who can fill out their Mini the fastest. This is not a long, laborious task like the normal NYT Crossword. It’s a game of speed and agile thinking.
Spoilers ahead!
How To Solve Today’s NYT Mini Crossword
Before we get to the answers, here’s the first letter for each word in today’s Mini.
Across
1A. Roomful of students — C
6A. Something to bring in a brown paper bag — L
7A. ___ Harbor, sightseeing area of Baltimore — I
8A. Where many Stephen King novels are set — M
9A. Beagle or bulldog — B
Down
1D. Go bouldering, e.g. — C
2D. ___ New Year — L
3D. Redhead of musical/movie fame — A
4D. Something an actor might steal — S
5D. Tear to pieces — S
Today’s Mini Crossword Answers
Okay, onto the answers! Remember, spoilers ahead!
Across
1A. Roomful of students — CLASS
6A. Something to bring in a brown paper bag — LUNCH
7A. ___ Harbor, sightseeing area of Baltimore — INNER
8A. Where many Stephen King novels are set — MAINE
9A. Beagle or bulldog — BREED
Down
1D. Go bouldering, e.g. — CLIMB
2D. ___ New Year — LUNAR
3D. Redhead of musical/movie fame — ANNIE
4D. Something an actor might steal — SCENE
5D. Tear to pieces — SHRED
Here are the filled in answers:
Today’s Mini Crossword
Screenshot: Erik Kain
This was a pretty straightforward Mini Crossword—a pure 5×5 grid with no black boxes. That can make it a lot easier to fill in the blanks. I was sure about CLASS and then skipped ahead to MAINE (I’ve actually been to Stephen King’s grand mansion in Maine, though only to look at from outside) and then switched to the DOWN words. CLIMB and ANNIE were simple enough, and SCENE and SHRED and from here I worked backwards and filled in the rest. It took me 1 minute and 22 seconds, mostly because I got a little distracted part way through.
How did you do? Let me know on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
If you also play Wordle, I write guides about that as well. You can find those and all my TV guides, reviews and much more here on my blog. Thanks for reading!
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2025/10/21/nyt-mini-crossword-clues-and-answers-for-wednesday-october-22/
