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The May 22, 2025, NYT Mini Crossword blends pop culture, literature, slang, and baby names for a fast and fun challenge.
Each clue offers a quick “aha!” moment—from Gollum’s riddle to modern texting terms.
The Mini is perfect for solvers seeking a smart brain teaser that fits into a coffee break.
The New York Times Mini Crossword is back today with a fresh, cutting-edge brain teaser. With only a handful of clues, it challenges wit, memory, and reflexes. Unlike the longer daily crossword, the Mini requires speed and accuracy. Each puzzle contains clever turns based on pop culture, language, and life.
A fresh grid, a new day, and another opportunity to crack a bite-sized puzzle. The May 22, 2025 puzzle weaves literary allusions, contemporary slang, card game terminology, and popular baby names together. Speedsters can zip through it, but every answer conceals its instant of "aha!"
Let’s crack today’s clues and know the answer with a short Explanation.
1A. Clue: Part of a fleet
Answer: SHIP
Used in space and oceans, a unit of a fleet of ships.
5A. Clue: Answer to Gollum’s riddle in The Hobbit, which starts “This thing all things devours – birds, beasts, trees, flowers”
Answer: TIME
J.R.R. Tolkien's well-known riddle refers to the only thing that devours everything—Time.
6A. Clue: “See ya!”
Answer: LATER
An informal goodbye, sometimes used in texting or brief conversations.
7A. Clue: Second-most popular girl’s name of the 2020s, after Olivia
Answer: EMMA
A top baby name in recent years, timeless and consistently loved.
8A. Clue: Not keeping secrets
Answer: OPEN
Describes honesty, transparency, or something not concealed.
1D. Clue: Sticker on an envelope
Answer: STAMP
A small adhesive used to send letters, postal, and practical.
2D. Clue: “I’d like another card,” in blackjack
Answer: HITME
A word used when asking for another card during play.
3D. Clue: “Uhh, that is to say …”
Answer: IMEAN
Used to explain a prior thought or to rephrase politely.
4D. Clue: The “p” of m.p.h.
Answer: PER
An important word in units of speed—miles per hour.
6D. Clue: Name taken by the new pope
Answer: LEO
A popular papal name adopted over centuries by numerous Popes.
Today’s Mini Crossword plays with concepts old and new. Time pulls in readers of Tolkien. Emma echoes modern birth trends. From cards to clues, this edition covers a lot in very little space. Solvers who enjoy riddles or name trivia likely breezed through with satisfaction.
The balance between general knowledge and specific detail gives the Mini its edge. Whether a puzzle rookie or a daily solver, today’s grid rewards quick thinkers and careful readers.
For anyone craving more, the New York Times offers other puzzles too, like Wordle, Connections, and Strands. But the Mini remains the quickest thrill of the bunch.
May 22's Mini Crossword provides a quick shot of joy and challenge. The answers taste new, the clues bite. From Gollum's sinister riddles to papal titles and blackjack slang, today’s mix stands strong.
As always, tomorrow brings a brand-new grid. One puzzle, a handful of clues, and a rush of satisfaction—The Mini keeps the brain sharp and the spirit curious.
Also Read - Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for May 21, 2025
