It’s Monday again—your alarm clock betrayed you, the coffee machine needed an attitude adjustment, and finals are looming for students across the land. Meanwhile, you just want to flex your brain for sixty seconds with something manageable before the chaos sets in. Enter: the NYT Mini Crossword, your bite-sized daily puzzle fix.
As always, if you’re struggling with any of today’s entries, we’ve got your back with both clues and answers — and a little commentary to spice things up. Spoiler alert: the full solution is listed below, so don’t scroll too fast if you’re still puzzling things out!
Today’s Mini Crossword Puzzle — Clues and Answers
ACROSS
1A. Thinnest U.S. coins at around 1/20th of an inch — DIMES
Obvious once you think about it, right? Thinner than a slice of provolone. Bonus: DIMES are metaphorically valuable in multiple contexts, especially on Twitter.
6A. “Sorry, already have plans” — ICANT
Your go-to response when someone asks you to move apartments over the weekend or attend a 4-hour Zoom meeting. Classic Monday mood.
7A. Silent but deadly sort — NINJA
Oh, you thought it was something else, didn’t you? Admit it. We all did. But yes, it’s the stealthy assassin type, not the gastrointestinal kind.
8A. George ____, pen name of the Victorian writer Mary Ann Evans — ELIOT
A nod to classic lit in a tiny crossword? Always welcome. Mary Ann Evans used this pen name to be taken seriously in a male-dominated literary world. Legends only.
9A. “That’s great news!” — YAY
Short, sweet, and used unironically by your aunt on Facebook every time you post a mildly positive life update.
Also read : Wordle Today: Answer, Hints for May 5, 2025 (#1415)
DOWN
1D. Wine pairing? — DINE
Okay, let’s talk. This one’s a bit of a stretch. “Wine pairing” typically makes you think cheese or steak, not the act of eating. But hey, wine and dine rhymes. It passes.
2D. In a chilly manner — ICILY
How your barista looked at you this morning when you asked for oat milk after you’d already ordered almond.
3D. Ending with kepto or ego — MANIAC
Sociolinguistics nerds rejoice! Also, “ego-maniac” is a solid hint at how you feel solving the Mini in under a minute.
4D. Waiter’s “Hope you like the food!” — ENJOY
Standard restaurant-speak. A timeless classic. Bonus points if they say it with the exact same cadence every time.
5D. Batting average, e.g. — STAT
Whether it’s baseball or business metrics, STATs don’t lie — unless you’re cherry-picking them for your quarterly review.
Related:
Final Thoughts
This was one of the lighter Minis in recent memory — short solve times, mostly straightforward clues, and only a couple of eyebrow-raisers (looking at you, DINE). But that’s okay. Sometimes we need a little easy win to get the week rolling.
The food theme was faint but present — between DINE, ENJOY, and ICANT (because we’re clearly too busy eating). And the pop culture nod with NINJA keeps things lively. Toss in a literary reference and you’ve got a well-rounded little puzzle.
Also read : Quordle Hints and Answers for Monday, May 5 (Game #1197)
