NYT Mini Crossword Answers Today (December 28, 2025)

The NYT Mini Crossword is a quick but clever daily puzzle that’s perfect for warming up your brain in just a few minutes. While it’s smaller than the full New York Times Crossword, it still packs sharp clues, smart wordplay, and that satisfying aha moment when everything clicks into place.

If you were stuck on today’s puzzle—or just want to double-check your grid—here are the complete NYT Mini Crossword answers for Sunday, December 28, 2025.

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers (December 28, 2025)

Across Clues & Answers

1 Across: Nighttime outfit, for short — PJS
4 Across: Country that was once known as the “Land of a Million Elephants” — LAOS
6 Across: Country led by a sultan — OMAN
7 Across: Headwear that helps promote waves — DURAG
9 Across: Country that celebrates National Ceviche Day — PERU
10 Across: TV room — DEN

Down Clues & Answers

1 Down: Walk slowly and heavily — PLOD
2 Down: Become stuck, as a printer — JAMUP
3 Down: Flew across the country … three of them, actually! — SOARED
5 Down: Drum kit component — SNARE
8 Down: “The Naked ____” — GUN

Puzzle Breakdown & Difficulty

Today’s Mini Crossword had a smooth, well-balanced flow. None of the clues felt unfair, but a few required careful reading—especially the longer entries that relied on clean crossings. The mix of geography, pop culture, and everyday vocabulary kept the solve lively without slowing things down.

Overall, this was a fun and efficient puzzle, ideal for a quick mental refresh.

How to Play the NYT Mini Crossword

If you’re new to the Mini Crossword, here’s a quick rundown:

Goal: Fill in the grid using Across and Down clues
Grid size: Small and fast (usually 5×5)
Across clues: Fill words horizontally
Down clues: Fill words vertically
Crossing letters: Help confirm or unlock tougher answers
Daily reset: A brand-new puzzle drops every 24 hours

You can play the NYT Mini Crossword for free on the New York Times Games website or through the NYT Crossword app.

Final Thoughts

The December 28, 2025 NYT Mini Crossword delivered a pleasant, no-friction solve with just enough cleverness to keep things interesting. Whether you breezed through it or needed a hint or two, it was a solid daily puzzle that respected your time.

Check back tomorrow for the latest NYT Mini Crossword answers, hints, and breakdowns.

NYT Mini Crossword Answers, Hints For Nov 17, 2025

The New York Times Mini Crossword is a delightful daily mental stretch, offering a bite-sized challenge that’s perfect for a coffee break or a quick commute. While usually a breeze, some days, the clues just hit differently, making you pause and think a little longer than expected. If you found yourself scratching your head over a few of the entries in today’s puzzle, you are certainly not alone.

For Thursday, November 13th, the grid presented a few clever wordplays and common crossword staples that might have tripped up even seasoned solvers. Whether you’re aiming to keep your streak alive or just want to see the completed grid, we’ve got the full breakdown of the clues and their solutions right here.

And if you’re a fan of the full suite of NYT games, don’t forget to check out our daily guides for Wordle, Connections, and Strands to keep your puzzle-solving momentum going strong.

NYT Mini Crossword Answers – Across and Down

Stuck on today’s NYT Mini Crossword? Here’s a quick, easy breakdown of all the Across and Down clues with their answers, plus a bit of context to help them stick in your memory.

Mini Across Clues and Answers

The Across clues generally flowed well, but one or two required a second look to lock in the correct word.

1A. Taylor Swift's ___ Tour

Answer: ERAS
This refers to Taylor Swift’s massively popular Eras Tour, celebrating different phases (or “eras”) of her music career.

5A. Counterpart of "found"

Answer: LOST
A simple opposite pair: if something isn’t found, it’s lost.

6A. Difficult thing to achieve in a noisy office

Answer: FOCUS
In a loud, distracting environment, focus is exactly what’s hard to maintain.

8A. India's prime minister since 2014

Answer: MODI
This points to Narendra Modi, who has served as India’s prime minister since 2014.

9A. River of the underworld, in Greek myth

Answer: STYX
In Greek mythology, the River Styx separates the world of the living from the underworld.

Mini Down Clues and Answers

The Down clues offered a mix of body parts, game components, and common verbs. The intersecting letters from the Across answers should have provided enough help to fill these in.

1D. Will Ferrell holiday movie

Answer: ELF
This is the beloved Christmas movie “Elf,” starring Will Ferrell as Buddy.

2D. Buckingham Palace has 775 of these

Answer: ROOMS
London’s Buckingham Palace is famously huge, with a staggering 775 rooms.

3D. Fancy necktie

Answer: ASCOT
An ascot is a formal, often decorative necktie, typically worn with dressy attire.

4D. What's found next to the Hall and Library on a Clue board

Answer: STUDY
On the classic Clue board game, the Study is one of the rooms on the map, located near the Hall and Library.

5D. Carbon's atomic number

Answer: SIX
In the periodic table, carbon has the atomic number 6.