Skip to content
ZWordFinderZ

NYT Mini Crossword · The New York Times

Mini Crossword Clues & Answers for December 22, 2024

Sunday, December 22, 2024

By Last updated How we make hints

This archive page covers the Mini Crossword from Sunday, December 22, 2024. The Mini is a small daily crossword, usually 5×5, that most people finish in a minute or two, so it fits easily into a short break. Hints come first and the solution stays hidden until you ask for it.

10 clues · jump to Across or Down. Tap a tile for one letter, or Answer for the whole word.

Across clues & answers

  1. 1

    Longtime first name in the House of Representatives

  2. 6

    Word that aptly fills in these blanks: S_ _rano's p_ _form_nce

  3. 7

    Bad thing to go up without a paddle

  4. 8

    Assistant

  5. 9

    Toilet paper layer

Down clues & answers

  1. 1

    "For real!," in popular slang

  2. 2

    When Tax Day is

  3. 3

    Requiring a lot of attention

  4. 4

    Indigenous people of Canada

  5. 5

    Beast also known as a "grunting ox"

Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.

WhatsAppXReddit

Previous Mini Crossword answer

Saturday, December 21, 2024

across

  • 1. Zap with a beam of light: LASE
  • 5. ___ solstice, the shortest day of the year: WINTER
  • 7. 100 years: CENTURY
  • 8. 100 years, for Jimmy Carter: AGE
  • 9. Roll with it!: DIE
  • 10. Sports newbies: ROOKIES
  • 12. Like each day relative to the day before it, for the next six months: LONGER
  • 13. Eugene V. ___, five-time presidential candidate for the Socialist Party of America: DEBS

down

  • 1. First blank on a form, maybe: LINEONE
  • 2. Unwanted crawler on a kitchen counter: ANT
  • 3. Prepares for a test: STUDIES
  • 4. More spooky: EERIER
  • 5. "Everything cool between us?": WEGOOD
  • 6. Some loaves of bread … or a homophone for what they do in the oven: RYES
  • 7. Astronomer Sagan whose papers are archived in the Library of Congress: CARL
  • 11. Spy org. in "Bridge of Spies": KGB
Hints and full breakdown for Dec 21

More daily puzzle hints

What makes the Mini different

The Mini packs a full crossword into a tiny grid, so every square matters: each letter belongs to both an Across and a Down answer. Clues tend to be breezy and modern (pop culture, everyday phrases, a little wordplay), and the timer makes it a favourite for friendly competition.

Grids are usually 5×5, and larger on some days. A new Mini is published the evening before its date (Eastern Time), so night owls can play tomorrow's puzzle early.

Solving faster

  • Sweep the Across clues first, filling only what you are sure of, then switch to Down. The crossings will confirm or correct your guesses.
  • Start with fill-in-the-blanks. Clues like "___ and cheese" are the quickest wins.
  • Trust the grammar. A plural clue means a plural answer; a past-tense clue usually means an answer ending in -ED.
  • Use partial reveals. On this page you can flip one letter of one answer, which is often enough to open up the whole corner.

For a specific clue in any crossword, try our crossword solver with the letters you already have.

Mini Crossword FAQ

When is the new Mini released?

The Mini usually goes live the evening before its date, US Eastern Time.

How big is the Mini?

Most days it is 5×5, occasionally a little larger. That still means every letter is checked by two clues.

Where can I find yesterday's Mini answers?

See our yesterday's Mini page, or browse every date in the Mini archive.