TheNew York TimesMinicrossword can be a quick solve thanks to its size, but today’s contains a few potential ways to trip up solvers. From a reference to a specific actor to sports trivia, good vocabulary alone may not get you to the finish line. All the same, a little thought and strategy — along with maybe a hint or two — might just be enough.
UnlikeWordle or Connections, there’s no specific way to “lose” the Mini beyond failing to complete it, so there’s no shame in taking your time if you need it. Speaking from experience, though, the moreNYTMinis you do, the more the race for a quick finish starts to take over. If one fill is stumping you, switching direction to see if you can get any letters through crossings is usually the best move.
Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Hints
August 10, 2025
Today’sNYTMini features more proper nouns in the Down fills, so you may want to focus yourNYTMini strategyon the Acrosses if anything is stumping you. I bounced between both for a reasonably efficient fill, but if any are still causing problems, hints for each answer can be a big help.
Across Clues
Down Clues
This puzzle in particular is likely to be easier if you’re American, with several cultural references that are most relevant to the United States. If you’re still stuck after the above clues or just want to get a specific answer as quickly as possible, you might want to go ahead and move on to the solutions.
Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers
Spoilers for theNYTMini crossword are ahead, so turn back if you still want to solve every step of the puzzle. Otherwise, these answers and explanations can help make sense of anything that’s giving you pause.
While this wasn’t the hardest that theNew York Timeshas ever put forward, it did take me a bit longer than average, mostly due to figuring out the answer for 6 across. If thisNYTMini crosswordstumped you, there’s always tomorrow, and you might not need to know Nick Nolte to do better on it.
