Thursday’s New York Times Mini Crossword delivered another set of sharp, fast-paced clues that challenged solvers worldwide. The December 11, 2025 edition featured a compact but cleverly constructed grid anchored by familiar cultural references and classic crossword vocabulary. For solvers stuck on today’s puzzle, the complete set of answers is now available.
The Mini Crossword continues its reputation as one of the NYT Games platform’s most popular features thanks to its bite-sized challenge, accessible format, and daily difficulty progression.
Today’s Complete Mini Crossword Answers
The December 11 puzzle featured five primary clues, each requiring a mix of quick recall and light wordplay. The across clues highlighted a painter’s classic garment and a major animation studio, while the down clues brought travel and slang into the mix.
Today’s puzzle answers:
| Clue | Answer | Direction |
|---|---|---|
| Painter’s protective garment | SMOCK | Across |
| “Toy Story 5” studio | PIXAR | Across |
| Defeat soundly, in slang | SMACK | Down |
| Italian city with a fashion week | MILAN | Down |
| Italian city known for leaning tower | PISA | Down |
These answers form a clean, tightly interlocked grid—typical of Thursday Minis, which often introduce a moderate challenge ahead of the more difficult weekend puzzles.
Where to Access NYT Mini Crossword Answers Daily
The New York Times posts fresh Mini Crossword puzzles every day at midnight Eastern Time through the NYT Games platform. Players can solve directly on nytimes.com, the dedicated NYT Games app, or other puzzle aggregator platforms. An active NYT Games subscription unlocks unlimited puzzle access, streak tracking, and competitive timing features.
For players seeking quick help, multiple outlets—including Parade, CNET, Mashable, Forbes, and puzzle-forum communities—publish daily hints and complete answer keys within hours of release.
Hints Versus Full Solutions: Which Should You Use?
Puzzlers are often split between relying on hints and checking full solutions.
Hints provide partial clues or letter placements, helping maintain the challenge while keeping solvers from getting stuck indefinitely.
Direct answers allow solvers to finish quickly—ideal for those aiming to maintain streaks or compare solving times with friends.
Beginners often benefit from hint tools that teach crossword structure and letter pattern recognition, while experts may skip straight to answers when pressed for time.
Why the NYT Mini Crossword Remains a Daily Favorite
Unlike the standard 15×15 NYT crossword, the Mini is designed for rapid solving—often in under 30 seconds for seasoned players. Yet despite its small size, the puzzle still delivers clever wordplay and satisfying “aha” moments. Difficulty builds through the week, offering a gentle progression from Monday’s simplicity to Thursday’s more intricate challenge.
The Mini Crossword’s format fits perfectly into everyday routines, from morning commutes to coffee breaks. It also serves as an excellent training tool for players preparing to tackle larger NYT puzzles or the iconic Sunday crossword.
Want to Boost Your Skills for Future Minis?
Solvers who practice daily quickly learn recurring answer patterns, common clue structures, and wordplay techniques. Many dedicated puzzlers keep notebooks of frequently used crossword answers—like SMOCK or PISA—that appear across multiple NYT puzzles each year.
With consistent practice, solving future Minis without hints becomes second nature, transforming even Thursday puzzles into a quick, enjoyable brain warm-up.
