How to Solve Mini Crosswords: Tips for a Faster Finish

How a mini crossword works

A mini crossword is a small grid, usually 5×5, with about ten short answers of three to five letters. Black squares separate the words. Numbers mark the first square of each answer; a number can start an across answer, a down answer, or both. Because the grid is so small, nearly every letter is checked: it belongs to one across word and one down word.

In this tiny example, 1-Across is “Place for a facial” (SPA), 4-Across is “Body part you hear with” (EAR) and 5-Across is “Pub pour” (ALE). Read down and you get SEA, PAL and ARE. Every letter is doing two jobs.

Where to start

1. Fill-in-the-blank clues first. “Once ___ a time” or “Rock ___ roll” have one obvious answer. They are the safest entry points.
2. Then the shortest answers. Three-letter words have few possibilities once you know one letter.
3. Work the crossings. After each answer, read the down words that run through it. A first letter is a big hint.
4. Skip and come back. If a clue does not click in a few seconds, move on. The crossings will fill it in for you.

How to read the clues

• Tense and number match. A past-tense clue (“Showed up”) has a past-tense answer (CAME). A plural clue has a plural answer.
• “For one” or “say” means an example. “Pacific, for one” is OCEAN, not PACIFIC.
• A question mark means wordplay. The answer may be a pun or a second meaning.
• “Briefly” or “informally” changes the form. Expect a short form, an abbreviation or a casual word.
• Quoted clues are spoken phrases. “See you later!” is BYE.

Short answers worth knowing

Small grids lean on short words with friendly letters. You will see these often in minis, including ours:

• ERA (period of history), ORE (mine find), EGO (sense of self)
• TEE (golf ball holder), SPA (place for a facial), AWE (wonder)
• AGO (in the past), NOR (neither’s partner), AYE and YEA (yes votes)
• OWL (night bird), EYE (needle hole), OWE (be in debt)

Learning these turns a blank corner into a quick fill.

Using check and reveal

In our daily mini crossword, Check crosses out letters that are wrong and Reveal letter fills in the selected square. Revealed letters show up as yellow squares if you share your result, so try Check first: it tells you where the problem is without giving the answer away.

A routine for a fast finish

1. Read all the across clues once and fill anything you are sure of.
2. Read all the down clues, using the letters you now have.
3. Go back to the across clues. The second pass is usually much faster.
4. When the grid is full but not solved, use Check and fix the crossed-out squares.

Practice: today’s daily mini crossword · past grids · more mini crosswords