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One Quick Try

Mini Crossword

A quick 5 × 5 crossword with original clues, every square crossed both ways.

Type
Word
Takes
about 2-5 min
Result in
time

Mini Crossword

~2-5 min

  1. A 5 × 5 crossword: every white square is in one word across and one down.
  2. Tap a square to pick it, and again to switch between across and down. Then type.
  3. Check marks wrong letters; Reveal fills the square you picked. Your result is your time.

Keyboard: letters, arrows, Backspace, Tab for the next clue.

Your result: —

How it's measured

Try another challenge

  • Word Guess

    Find the hidden five-letter word in six tries.~3 min

  • Cryptogram

    Crack a letter-swap code to read a sentence.~3-8 min

  • Word Groups

    Sort sixteen words into four hidden groups of four.~3-5 min

  • Word Ladder

    Change one letter at a time to reach the end word.~3-6 min

  • Hangman

    Guess the hidden word one letter at a time.~2 min

  • Word Search

    Find the eight hidden words.~2-3 min

How do you play the Mini Crossword?

The Mini Crossword is a 5 × 5 grid with a few black squares. Every white square belongs to one word across and one word down, and each word has a clue. Tap a square to pick it; tap it again to switch between across and down. Type the letters with your keyboard or the letters under the grid, and the cursor moves along the word for you.

The clue for the word you are in shows above the letters; the arrows beside it, or Tab on a keyboard, move to the next clue. Every clue is also listed under the grid, and tapping one takes you to it.

How do you solve a mini crossword quickly?

  • Start with the clues you are sure of. A fill-in-the-blank clue (“miles ___ hour”) is usually the quickest.
  • Let the crossings help. In a grid this small every letter is in two words, so each answer gives you a letter in several others.
  • Match the clue's form. A clue in the plural wants a plural answer, and a clue in the past tense wants one too.
  • Don't stall. Skip a clue that won't come and go back to it with more letters.

How is your Mini Crossword time calculated?

Your result is the time from Start until every letter is right. Beside it are the times you used Check, which crosses out wrong letters, and the squares you revealed. A revealed letter is filled in for you and shows in color. There is no rating, because no published typical time exists for puzzles built like these.

Where do the Mini Crossword puzzles come from?

There are 15 grids and 150 clues, all written for this site. The grids were filled by a program that uses only common English words (the smallest lists of SCOWL, a word list made for spell checkers) and checks that every across and down entry is a real word, with no word twice in a grid. The clues were written by hand, one for each answer, and the site's tests check that every word has exactly one.

Who invented the crossword?

Arthur Wynne published the first crossword, which he called a “word-cross”, in the New York World on 21 December 1913. The New York Times started its daily 5 × 5 Mini in 2014. For another short word puzzle, try Word Groups or the Cryptogram.

Questions

How do I switch between across and down?
Tap the square you are on again, or tap the clue above the letters. On a keyboard, the arrow keys move and turn too.
What does Check do?
It crosses out any letter that is wrong, without showing the right one. It counts as a check in your result.
What does Reveal do?
It fills in the right letter in the square you have picked. Revealed letters show in color and are counted beside your time.
Is this the New York Times Mini?
No. It is the same size of puzzle, but the grids and clues are this site's own.
Can I play on a phone?
Yes. Tap the squares and use the letters under the grid; the page never needs your phone's own keyboard.