It’s the weekend at last, and we have the hardest of the week’s NYT Mini Crossword puzzles to solve. The Saturday Mini is always the biggest, and while it’s not always super challenging, it’s the most likely to have you stumped. If you need some extra hints or just want the answers to those trickier words, read on!
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:
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.
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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. Uber alternative — C
- 4A. Red-headed character in the “Scooby-Doo” franchise — D
- 7A. Not arrive on time — R
- 8A. Label on a green U.S.D.A. sticker — O
- 9A. Prestigious engineering school in Pasadena — C
- 10A. Prepares to be knighted — K
- 11A. Parts of a city grid: Abbr. — S
Down
- 1D. Fashion brand with an interlocking “C” logo — C
- 2D. Silly behaviors — A
- 3D. Tree with smooth gray bark — B
- 4D. Kevin ___, 15-time N.B.A. All-Star — D
- 5D. They’re measured in degrees — A
- 6D. Division of the earth’s crust — P
- 7D. Ice, in bartending lingo — R
Today’s Mini Crossword Answers
Okay, onto the answers! Remember, spoilers ahead!
Across
- 1A. Uber alternative — CAB
- 4A. Red-headed character in the “Scooby-Doo” franchise — DAPHNE
- 7A. Not arrive on time — RUN LATE
- 8A. Label on a green U.S.D.A. sticker — ORGANIC
- 9A. Prestigious engineering school in Pasadena — CALTECH
- 10A. Prepares to be knighted — KNEELS
- 11A. Parts of a city grid: Abbr. — STS
Down
- 1D. Fashion brand with an interlocking “C” logo — CHANEL
- 2D. Silly behaviors — ANTICS
- 3D. Tree with smooth gray bark — BEECH
- 4D. Kevin ___, 15-time N.B.A. All-Star — DURANT
- 5D. They’re measured in degrees — ANGLES
- 6D. Division of the earth’s crust — PLATE
- 7D. Ice, in bartending lingo — ROCKS
Here are the filled in answers:
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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!
