The player stays unloaded until you press play. Published 2019-05-15 · 1 source: YouTube metadata, checked 2026-11-04.
What you can do on this page
The grid above is today's puzzle. Type a letter, press Check to mark disagreements, or press Reveal all if you want the whole grid filled. The clock starts on the first letter. Nothing is sent to an account, because there is no account.
Hints and the answer table live on the date page, not in this first screen. If you are stuck, open today's archive entry and read the first hint before you reveal a word.
A mini crossword is a small American-style grid, usually five squares on a side, with black squares, numbered clues, and words that cross. The New York Times launched that daily habit on 21 August 2014 as a 5×5 edited by Joel Fagliano. Their own help center now says a subscription is required to play it. This page is a different puzzle, written here.
Fresh on the board
The newest puzzle on this site is 4 November 2026. The archive currently holds original puzzles from 22 October 2026 through that date. October has ten of them, so the October index is open. November has four, so there is no November index yet.
I do not reuse a newspaper's clues. Each answer was checked so that every across word and every down word is a real entry in the grid, and each clue was written for this site.
Questions
Is this the New York Times mini crossword?
No. The Times puzzle needs a subscription and is not embedded here. This is a separate 5×5 with its own clues.
Do I need to sign up?
No. The grid, the timer, Check, and Reveal all run in the page. Times you finish can stay in this browser.
Where are today's answers?
On the 4 November 2026 archive page, under hints first and then the answer table.
What time does a new puzzle appear?
A new original puzzle is dated each calendar day. The Times uses a different clock, described on the reset-time page.
Sources
Public-source check: 2026-11-04. Pages from the same publisher count as one source.