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The clues use wordplay and misdirection, implying the need for thinking out of the box.
This puzzle is one in which trivia, pop culture, and general knowledge are seamlessly combined.
A quick exercise for logic, memory, and problem-solving skills.
Think of the traditional New York Times crossword scaled down into miniature form. Ideal for crossword enthusiasts with a bit of time on their hands, this puzzle is a small daily exercise the NYT Mini Crossword offers: small, engaging, and fixable in minutes. The NYT Minis are free to play on the NYT Games website or app, but past puzzles require an NYT Games subscription.
Today (August 26, 2025) featured a day filled with fun yet tricky clues that tested both pop culture knowledge and trivia in general. In this post, we will take an in-depth look at some clues and answers for the NYT Mini Crossword together with additional clues to help you should you get stuck.
Smaller than the regular crossword, the NYT Mini Crossword usually features a five-by-five grid with three to five clues across and three to five clues down. The idea is to fill the crossword with words that fit the clues. Sometimes, smaller can even mean trickier. Clues will often be filled with puns, pop culture references, or general knowledge to keep solvers on their toes.
1 Across: A British bar, for the most part – PUB
4 Across: Country that will celebrate its 250th anniversary in 2026 – USA
5 Across: Tiger Woods would have swung just one of these for his first hole-in-one – CLUBS
7 Across: Former Biden spokesperson Jen – PSAKI
8 Across: Big hit for Frankie Goes To Hollywood – RELAX
1 Down: A quick blast of a blender’s blades – PULSE
2 Down: Nothing out of the ordinary – USUAL
3 Down: Coffee cake with a hole in the center – BABKA
5 Down: Resuscitation technique – CPR
6 Down: The first, second, and third element of the number of the beast – SIX
In some clues, solvers might be intentionally misled into thinking literally. Take 5 Across: Being a "Black suit" might initially steer solvers toward clothes. It, however, is a suit in a deck of cards: CLUBS.
The 4 Across can also harm solvers. It references the host of the 2028 Olympics, but the answer is the country rather than the city, the USA. One can save ample time by heeding subtle wording in the clues.
Tiger Woods is reported to have bagged his first-ever hole-in-one at the age of six, which might be quite a shock. 6 Down appears to be a puzzle piece, thus mixing pop culture, history, and trivia.
Solving the NYT Mini Crossword is gratifying, particularly while guessing clues through logic or outside knowledge. This one puts an even, well-balanced set of straightforward solutions, such as RELAX, against challenging ones, such as PSAKI, that many would find tricky through spelling or accepting an alternate context for some of the words in question.
The NYT Mini Crossword is ideal for light mental exercise during a coffee break or as a warm-up for a bigger puzzle session. The small grid ensures these puzzles move fast, but the clever clues ensure they are never too easy.
If you ever found today’s one a little challenging, never mind. The NYT Mini Crossword is meant to amuse and inform simultaneously. Reviewing clues and answers like the ones above can help strengthen your strategies for solving future puzzles.
For a solver who loves the city blend of trivia, wordplay, and pop culture references, the NYT Mini Crossword is a daily highlight. Bookmark the puzzle, practice with past editions, and enjoy amassing the skills to solve more complex ones.
Stay tuned for more NYT Mini Crossword Answers Today, extra hints, and insights into the clever clues of the puzzle world.
