The New York Times Mini Crossword is a short but challenging version of the classic NYT crossword, introduced in 2014 as a daily online puzzle. It’s designed for people who enjoy a quick mental exercise — usually a 5×5 grid with simple clues that can be solved in just a few minutes.
The difficulty level changes through the week: Monday puzzles are the easiest, while Saturday puzzles — like today’s — are the toughest, often featuring clever wordplay and unexpected clue patterns.
Today’s Mini is especially interesting because it’s larger than usual, with more clues and several long answers (seven- and eight-letter words), making it feel more like a full-sized puzzle than a traditional Mini.
Puzzle Release Schedule
The Mini Crossword updates at 10 p.m. EST on weekdays and Saturdays.
Sunday puzzles become available earlier — at 6 p.m. EST on Saturdays.
You can play it through the New York Times website, the NYT Games app, or in the Play tab of the main News app.
Across Clues and Answers
| Clue | Hint | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Across: Ethically sourced, as some eggs | Starts with ‘C’ | CAGEFREE |
| 9 Across: Residents of Tehran | Ends with ‘S’ | IRANIANS |
| 10 Across: Air sign? | Starts with ‘S’ | SKYWRITE |
| 11 Across: ____ Faire (medieval-themed festival, informally) | Ends with ‘N’ | REN |
| 12 Across: Athlete from Cleveland or the University of Virginia | Ends with ‘R’ | CAVALIER |
| 17 Across: Kind of bathing suit | Starts with ‘O’ | ONE PIECE |
| 18 Across: Musical whizzes | Ends with ‘S’ | MAESTROS |
Down Clues and Answers
| Clue | Hint | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Down: Certain gender identity | Starts with ‘C’ | CIS |
| 2 Down: Holy object sought in the first ‘Indiana Jones’ movie | Ends with ‘K’ | ARK |
| 3 Down: ___ pride | Starts with ‘G’ | GAY |
| 4 Down: Completely surrounds | Ends with ‘S’ | ENWRAPS |
| 5 Down: Like a cozy campsite on a cool autumn night, say | Ends with ‘T’ | FIRELIT |
| 6 Down: Washington’s Mount ____, the highest peak in the Cascades | Starts with ‘R’ | RAINIER |
| 7 Down: Sinus-treating doctor, for short | Ends with ‘T’ | ENT |
| 8 Down: Opposite of WNW | Ends with ‘E’ | ESE |
| 12 Down: ___mon URL ending | Starts with ‘C’ | COM |
| 13 Down: De Armas who starred in 2025’s ‘Ballerina’ | Ends with ‘A’ | ANA |
| 14 Down: Shape of flying geese | Starts with ‘V’ | VEE |
| 15 Down: Prefix with friendly | Ends with ‘O’ | ECO |
| 16 Down: Restaurant booking, informally | Starts with ‘R’ | RES |
Puzzle Characteristics
This Saturday’s Mini is an unusually large version with 16 down answers — something rarely seen in standard Mini puzzles. It features a mix of short and long entries, including six eight-letter words and three seven-letter words, giving it a more advanced structure.
The trickiest clues include SKYWRITE and ENWRAPS, while simpler ones like ANA (referring to actress Ana de Armas) offer some breathing space for solvers.
Difficulty Rating
Being a Saturday edition, this Mini is on the harder side. It tests both vocabulary and general knowledge, along with an understanding of cultural references and wordplay.
The expanded grid and the larger set of clues make this a satisfying mental workout — perfect for solvers who enjoy a short but challenging weekend puzzle.
