Although the NYT Games section is synonymous with being the homeplace of Wordle, it also contains other popular word games such as The Mini Crossword, loved by word game players all over the world. However its big brother the NYT Crossword, the most famous of all US widely circulated crosswords, was first published in 1942 and is currently reproduced in at least 300 different publications and online (for NYT subscribers only).
How to play NYT Crossword & The Mini
The Crossword & The Mini feature exactly the same style of gameplay with the only key difference being that The Mini uses a smaller grid size. To play each crossword, players must use the clues given for each word to work out what the solution for all white horizontal and vertical squares will be.
1. Upon opening the game, NYT Crossword players will see a 15 x 15 grid (21 x 21 on Sundays) but those who play The Mini Crossword will see a much smaller grid. Each grid contains white blanks for filling in answers and black squares which act as separators between words. Players will also notice that the grids for both games are almost always arranged using a carefully designed symmetrical pattern.
2. For both games, clicking on each individual square will cause it to be highlighted in yellow, while the rest of the word will be colored blue. Double clicking on a square will toggle between playing the horizontal or vertical word it is part of. The crossword clue for the word selected will be displayed above each puzzle. Letters can only be input into yellow squares and once a letter is entered, the yellow box will toggle to the word’s next letter.
3. After a word is input, the letters will be displayed in black and the player will not know whether it is correct or not. To correct squares that you no longer think are correct, simply highlight these again and type new letters to replace them. Players can click on any playable square again to replace a letter, as long as the square has not been checked and found to be correct.
4. To check whether or not an answer is correct, players can select the “check” option above the game and choose between “autocheck”, “square”, “word” or “puzzle”. Enabling either of these will display letters in blue if they are correct, or cross them out with a red line if they are incorrect. Crossed out words can be corrected afterwards by the player.
Note: Enabling any check will prevent the puzzle from being counted as part of a streak.
5. If you become stuck, you can use the “reveal” dropdown to see the answer to a “square”, “word” or “puzzle”. Letters that have been revealed to the player will be displayed with a red triangle and white dot in the upper-right hand corner. As before, the letters themselves will also turn blue to indicate that they are correct.
6. Continue to answer horizontal and vertical clues, filling up the grid with as many accurate words as possible. The Crossword will notify you of your progress at the halfway and three-quarters milestones but this is not present in The Mini. If you find multiple words that could potentially be a solution, try using the pencil button to allow you to enter words in a gray color, signifying that it is just a placeholder. However if required by a special puzzle, you can use the “rebus” button to enter more than one letter into a square.
7. Once complete with all correct answers, the game will present a message to congratulate the player on solving the puzzle and will also display the total time it took to complete. For those who want to impress friends, family or colleagues, the NYT even allows players to share their score.
NYT Crosswords are designed to get progressively more difficult throughout from Monday through to Saturday and the special edition Sunday puzzle is intended to be as difficult as the Thursday puzzle, although it has a larger grid size. Only the Friday and Saturday puzzles are usually unthemed.
So there you have it, now you should know how to complete one of the NYT’s crossword puzzles. Remember, each puzzle is available for as long as you need, so you can keep coming back to it as much as you need to fill in those blank squares!
NYT Crossword & The Mini tips and tricks
Those who enjoy playing The Crossword or The Mini Crossword should be aware of some specific clues that apply to both NYT games. Knowing these additional guidelines can help improve your answers and give you a winning edge!
- Answer words are never present in the clue.
- Answers will match their given clue by speech type, tense and language.
- Each time a clue ends in a question mark symbol, the solution will be a play on words.
- If a clue contains the tag “Abbr.”, the solution will be an abbreviation.
- When themes are present, they are found in symmetrical places on the grid.
- Profane, disturbing or explicit topics should not be expected to be included.
How to get better at crosswords
Despite their popularity, many players struggle to answer crosswords as hints can often be undescriptive or unclear. Luckily, WordsRated has gathered together some of the most useful tips to turn you from novice to expert!
Regular practice – Frequent engagement in any activity that requires a level of knowledge and skill is a surefire way to help you rapidly improve. Crosswords are no exception to this rule, so make sure to always have one at the ready to engage yourself in when you have a little down time. What’s more, crosswords are a great activity to come back to over the course of a day, as the game state stays the same from the last moment you interacted with it.
Learn vocabulary for crosswords – Unlike other types of word games, crosswords tend to include many words or phrases that are used less frequently in everyday language. Try to expose yourself to previous crossword solutions and over time, you should start to build up a solid knowledge foundation of solutions to the given hints.
Understand letter placement – Each time you decide to enter a word into a crossword, be aware of the letters it contains and also their letter position. As you are trying to solve the grid as a whole, one incorrect letter can have a huge impact on the other words you decide to play. By taking into consideration the specifics of each word you may be able to spot incorrectly entered words, which allows you to rectify them and carry on progressing.
Don’t rush – When playing crosswords it can be easy to get ahead of yourself and rush to fill in answers without exploring all possibilities. However, many crosswords are released daily like Wordle and many do not even have a time limit, so it is wise to take your time over each option before entering a word. Remember, even if you enter a wrong word, you can still correct it later on.
Use a solver – Although it shouldn’t be used every time, the answer to many crossword hints can be found using a solver such as WordsRated’s Word Finder. For this to be most effective, try using it for words where you are already certain of a couple of letters. Simply enter the letter length of the word you are looking to solve, add your known letters into the “contains” field and hit “search” to find a list of solutions.
Note: Solvers will only work for dictionary words and will not work for any solutions that contain multiple words.
Where to play NYT Crosswords
One of the greatest appeals of NYT Crosswords is their availability across different formats, enabling players of all ages and backgrounds to challenge themselves each day.
- NYT Crossword: Available in The New York Times (print), online (subscription only) and through the NYT Games app (subscription only).
- NYT Mini Crossword: Available online and through the NYT Games app (no subscription needed).
Can you play archived NYT crosswords?
Yes, it is possible to play archived NYT crosswords (including bonus puzzles) through the official website or through the official games app. Players can choose any puzzle they like from as far back as 1993 for The Crossword or to 2014 for The Mini.
What is rebus in crossword?
A rebus in a crossword is a specific square in which multiple letters should be input to form part of the solution. For example a player may see squares for 5-letters to be input, but the final square could contain a word or multiple letters instead of just one letter.
Typically, the community of crossword players tend to have mixed feelings towards their use as they represent a change in the way the game is played. Many long-time crossword players feel that the traditional format should remain untouched, while those newer to crosswords may find it adds an enjoyable level of complexity.
What do circles mean in crossword?
- Although not present in all crossword types, circles are typically placed around letter squares in crosswords to refer to squares that will form part of a theme.
- After solving the crossword, the circled letters can be combined together to spell a word associated with the theme, or name the theme itself.
- It is important to note that only certain crossword puzzles will contain circled letters and puzzle creators can use different methods to highlight themes or hidden messages to solvers.
NYT Crossword puzzle settings
For those who like to customize their word gaming experience to match their preferences, both NYT Crosswords allow players to select from a range of puzzle settings. Settings are included for the following categories:
- Changing directions with arrow keys (desktop/laptop only).
- Spacebar functionality (desktop/laptop only).
- Word behaviors.
- Color themes (mobile/tablet only).
- Other settings (audio, timer, game messages etc.).
