If you’re part of the daily word-game ritual — Wordle, Connections, Strands and, of course, the New York Times Mini Crossword — you know how satisfying...
NYT Mini Crossword Answers & Hints — December 25, 2025
NYT Mini Crossword Answers & Hints — December 25, 2025: Today's Mini Solutions
If you’re part of the daily word-game ritual — Wordle, Connections, Strands and, of course, the New York Times Mini Crossword — you know how satisfying it is to finish the puzzle. The NYT Mini is a favorite for many players because it’s quick, free and refreshes at 10 p.m. ET (not midnight like some other NYT games). If you’re solving the Mini for Thursday, December 25, 2025 and want help, below are spoiler warnings, hints and the full answers for both Across and Down clues.
Spoiler warning
Don’t scroll past the next heading if you want to avoid spoilers.
Hints for NYT Mini Crossword — Thursday, December 25, 2025
Below are gentle hints for each entry in today’s Mini. Use these if you’re stuck but want a nudge instead of the full answer.
Across hints
- 1 Across: ___ King Cole, singer with the album “The Magic of Christmas” — HINT: Starts with the letter “N”
- 4 Across: Body drawings, informally — HINT: Ends with the letter “S”
- 5 Across: Letters to ___ (what this Mini was made with) — HINT: Starts with the letter “S”
- 6 Across: Huge fan, in slang — HINT: Ends with the letter “N”
- 7 Across: “Illmatic” rapper — HINT: Ends with the letter “S”
Down hints
- 1 Down: Grandmothers, by another name — HINT: Ends with the letter “S”
- 2 Down: Abbr. before a name on a memo — HINT: Starts with the letter “A”
- 3 Down: Org. with long lines around the holidays — HINT: Ends with the letter “A”
- 4 Down: “See ya later!” — HINT: Ends with the letter “A”
- 5 Down: Govt.-issued ID — HINT: Starts with the letter “S”
Full answers — SPOILERS
If you’re ready for the full solutions to today’s Mini, here they are. Scroll only if you want to see the exact words.
Across answers
- 1 Across: NAT — (___ King Cole, singer with the album “The Magic of Christmas”)
- 4 Across: TATS — (Body drawings, informally)
- 5 Across: SANTA — (Letters to ___ — what this Mini was made with)
- 6 Across: STAN — (Huge fan, in slang)
- 7 Across: NAS — (“Illmatic” rapper)
Down answers
- 1 Down: NANAS — (Grandmothers, by another name)
- 2 Down: ATTN — (Abbr. before a name on a memo)
- 3 Down: TSA — (Org. with long lines around the holidays)
- 4 Down: TATA — (“See ya later!”)
- 5 Down: SSN — (Govt.-issued ID)
Why the Mini is worth your nightly ritual
The NYT Mini Crossword is designed to be quick and satisfying — perfect for a lunch break or a short brain boost before bed. Its compact grid encourages lateral thinking and often includes timely cultural or seasonal references — as seen in today’s holiday-themed clues.
Tips for solving the Mini
- Fill in the short, obvious answers first to generate crossing letters.
- Use any theme or title to guide guesses.
- If you’re stuck, try substituting the hinted starting or ending letters shown above.
Enjoy the puzzle, and if you like this kind of coverage, sign up for a daily newsletter for more puzzle updates and pop-culture reads. Happy solving — and Merry Christmas to those celebrating today!