NYT Mini Crossword • Today
Bite-sized crossword, full-sized strategy
Review the official grid, study clue wording, and reveal individual entries as needed. Whether you are chasing a personal speed record or building crossword fundamentals, this breakdown keeps spoilers under control.
Across
1.Bullet ___ (insect known for its painful sting)
4.Setting for the children's book "Good Night, Gorilla"
5.Mixed-breed dogs
7.Language that gave us the words "democracy" and "philosophy"
8.Untidy
Down
1.Brilliant shade of blue
2.Classroom jottings
3."100%," in slang
5.Longtime movie studio now owned by Amazon
6.Chicago W.N.B.A. team
Speed solve checklist
- Scan for fill-in-the-blank clues first—they anchor letters for multiple entries.
- Note short synonyms and common crossword abbreviations; the Mini leans on them heavily.
- After finishing, read clue/answer pairs aloud to reinforce pattern recognition for tomorrow.