Looking for help with today’s NYT Mini Crossword puzzle? Here are some hints and answers for the puzzle.
Credit: NYT
I have been jogging a lot lately and my body is still very much adjusting to this. It has made me quite sore and tired, if we’re being honest. Getting in shape sounds great in theory, and I’m sure that once you’ve reached that peak it’s quite nice. But the process . . . that’s another matter altogether.
To be fair, I actually enjoy it a lot. I’m just especially wiped out today and it’s making me grouchy. My apologies. We have a Mini Crossword to solve, so let’s solve it!
Looking for yesterday’s NYT Mini Crossword? Check out our hints and answers right here.
The NYT Mini is a smaller, quicker, more digestible, bite-sized version of the larger and more challenging NYT Crossword, and unlike its larger sibling, it’s free-to-play without a subscription to The New York Times. You can play it on the web or the app, though you’ll need the app to tackle the archive.
Spoilers ahead!
How To Solve Today’s Mini Crossword
Hints and Clues
We’ll start with some extra hints and clues for today’s Mini Crossword, then move on to the first letter of each word and finally the answers below that. Buckle up!
Across
1A. Creature that carries its house on its back
6A. Language of Bollywood hits
7A. King of Rock and Roll
8A. Author who wrote under a male pseudonym
9A. Lines here might reveal your fate
Down
1D. Farm animals known for following the flock
2D. Vanilla-flavored cookie brand
3D. Smith’s tool that drops in Looney Tunes
4D. A saying
5D. You make these, often to organize or remember things
Before we get to the answers, here’s the first letter for each word in today’s Mini.
Across
1A. Animal that falls in love with a tape dispenser, in a classic New Yorker cartoon — S
6A. Language written in Devanagari script — H
7A. Singer Presley or Costello — E
8A. George ___, “Middlemarch” author — E
9A. Things “read” by fortune tellers — P
Down
1D. Blind followers — S
2D. ___ wafers (Nabisco treat) — N
3D. Heavy item falling from the sky in some classic cartoons — A
4D. “In a pickle” or “in a jam” — D
5D. They might end with “etc.” — L
Okay, onto the answers! Remember, spoilers ahead!
Across
1A. Animal that falls in love with a tape dispenser, in a classic New Yorker cartoon — SNAIL
6A. Language written in Devanagari script — HINDI
7A. Singer Presley or Costello — ELVIS
8A. George ___, “Middlemarch” author — ELIOT
9A. Things “read” by fortune tellers — PALMS
Down
1D. Blind followers — SHEEP
2D. ___ wafers (Nabisco treat) — NILLA
3D. Heavy item falling from the sky in some classic cartoons — ANVIL
4D. “In a pickle” or “in a jam” — IDIOM
5D. They might end with “etc.” — LISTS
Today’s Mini Crossword
Screenshot: Erik Kain
A 5×5 grid with no black boxes presents its own unique challenges, especially if you have a bit of trouble that leaves a couple words blank. My first hit today was ELVIS, followed by ELIOT and PALMS. Then ANVIL and LISTS appeared. I kept working backwards to SHEEP and finally, IDIOM. I summarize all that rather quickly, but I was stumped on a few of these. All told, this took me 1:43.
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/2025/08/18/todays-nyt-mini-crossword-clues-and-answers-for-tuesday-august-19th/