Today’s puzzle leaned heavily on factual clues instead of tricky wordplay or misleading phrasing.
Ross Edgley’s Britain swim clue became the standout entry across today’s compact five-by-five crossword grid.
IWISH and CAM provided the only slightly deceptive answers in an otherwise straightforward puzzle experience.
The NYT Mini Crossword is a five-by-five grid available on the New York Times website and app every day. Players can log in and play for free. It takes most people under two minutes to crack the puzzle. This is part of the appeal as you can quickly solve it during a coffee break.
Clues are usually knowledge-heavy. If you're chasing a streak or just hit a wall on today's May 20 puzzle, you can check the answers and hints below.
The Mini is a five-by-five grid with clues split into Across and Down. Each answer fills a row or column, one letter per square. Black squares break up the grid and mark where answers end.
Tap or click a square to select it. The corresponding clue highlights at the bottom of the screen. Type your answer letter by letter. Tap the same square again to switch between Across and Down. If you want a nudge, hit Reveal for a single letter or the full word, though it ends your streak.
The puzzle resets at midnight and a new one goes up. Your solve time is tracked, so most regulars try to beat their personal best. There's no penalty for wrong letters, so guessing is always worth it.
Today's Mini Crossword opens with Ross Edgley swimming 1,780 miles around Britain and ends with a webcam hidden in plain sight. In between: a kiwi, a cynic, some apes, and a defunct video call app.
The grid is a five-by-five, the clues lean factual over tricky, and the toughest entry is probably IWISH, two words jammed into one. If you got stuck, the answers and a line on each clue are below.
Also Read: Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for May 19, 2026
1A Clue: Ross Edgley's 1,700+-mile journey around Great Britain, for example Answer: SWIM
Ross Edgley swam the entire British coastline in 2018, 1,780 miles in 157 days. The "for example" in the clue points to the activity, not the man.
5A Clue: Fuzzy fruit Answer: KIWI
The clue is about texture. The kiwifruit's rough brown skin gives it away.
6A Clue: Someone who assumes the worst intentions in everything Answer: CYNIC
The word traces back to ancient Greek philosophy but has long since settled into everyday use as someone who expects the worst from people.
7A Clue: Orangutans, e.g. Answer: APES
Orangutans are great apes, the clue wants the broader category, not the species.
8A Clue: Work well together Answer: MESH
Works literally (interlocking fabric) and figuratively.
1D Clue: Former competitor of Google Hangouts Answer: SKYPE
Both dominated video calling in the 2010s. Both have since been replaced.
2D Clue: Signature products of Napa Valley Answer: WINES
Napa's reputation is built on Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.
3D Clue: "Yeah, in my dreams!" Answer: IWISH
Two spoken words as one grid entry. The quotes signal it's a phrase.
4D Clue: Open ___ night Answer: MIC
Straightforward fill-in-the-blank.
6D Clue: Something found on a Mac (that anagrams to MAC) Answer: CAM
The webcam above the screen. CAM rearranged is MAC.
Today's Mini is on the easier side, most answers come from general knowledge rather than wordplay. SWIM is the standout clue, built around a genuinely remarkable athletic feat. IWISH is the only one likely to trip people up, purely as two words written as one looks wrong until it doesn't. The CAM anagram is a small, well-constructed trick. Solid puzzle overall.