NYT Mini Crossword Hints and Answers for Tuesday, August 12, 2025

For many puzzle enthusiasts, the day does not feel complete without a visit to The New York Times’ suite of free games. While Connections, Wordle, and Strands have carved out loyal followings, the NYT Mini Crossword remains a staple for quick yet satisfying mental exercise. On Tuesday, August 12, 2025, the Mini once again delivered its familiar mix of brevity and challenge, and for players stuck on today’s clues, we have compiled the hints and solutions to help you complete your grid.

NYT Mini: A Daily Ritual for Puzzle Fans

If you’re anything like many daily players, working through the NYT’s free offerings has become a ritual: Connections for association skills, Wordle for precision guessing, Strands for thematic discovery — and The Mini Crossword for a burst of wordplay. Unlike the full New York Times Crossword, which is longer and restricted to subscribers, the Mini is short, snappy, and accessible to all.

One quirk sets it apart from most other NYT games: the Mini resets at 10 p.m. Eastern Time, offering early access to the next day’s puzzle for those who like to solve before bedtime.

Hints for NYT’s The Mini Crossword — August 12, 2025

The following are the additional hints for each clue in today’s puzzle, as per a report by Parade magazine. These have been divided into “Across” and “Down” to make it easier for players who want to solve without immediately seeing the answers.

NYT Mini Across Hints

1 Across: Workplace for scientists — Hint: Ends with the letter “B”

4 Across: Grub — Hint: Starts with the letter “C”

6 Across: Maliciously reveals one’s private identity, informally — Hint: Starts with the letter “D”

8 Across: Spanish “but” — Hint: Ends with the letter “O”

9 Across: Gasoline type: Abbreviation — Hint: Starts with the letter “R”

NYT Mini Down Hints

1 Down: TV screen option, for short — Hint: Starts with the letter “L”

2 Down: ___, a skip and a jump — Hint: Ends with the letter “P”

3 Down: Someone who’s always taking jabs at you? — Hint: Starts with the letter “B”

5 Down: Used to be — Hint: Starts with the letter “W”

7 Down: ___ days (time of summer suggested by the answers to the starred clues) — Hint: Ends with the letter “G”

Answers for NYT Mini Crossword — August 12, 2025

If you are ready to check your work — or if the final blank squares just won’t fill in — here are the complete answers for today’s puzzle.

NYT Mini Across Answers

1 Across: LAB — A workplace for scientists, often filled with equipment, experiments, and research projects.

4 Across: CHOW — Informal term for food or grub.

6 Across: DOXED — Slang for maliciously revealing someone’s private identity online.

8 Across: PERO — The Spanish word for “but,” commonly used in everyday speech.

9 Across: REG — Abbreviation for “regular,” referring to a common grade of gasoline.

NYT Mini Down Answers

1 Down: LCD — Stands for liquid crystal display, a common type of TV or monitor screen.

2 Down: AHOP — Part of the phrase “a hop, a skip, and a jump.”

3 Down: BOXER — A clever clue playing on both the sport and the idea of someone who’s “taking jabs” at you.

5 Down: WERE — Past tense of “are,” meaning “used to be.”

7 Down: DOG — As in “dog days,” referring to the hottest period of summer.

Today’s Theme and Construction

One of today’s notable features is the subtle link between certain starred clues — “LAB,” “CHOW,” and “BOXER” — which collectively point towards the summer reference in 7 Down (DOG days). This layered wordplay is typical of the Mini’s construction style: simple on the surface, but with small thematic threads for attentive solvers.

The difficulty level for August 12 leaned towards moderate, with short but slightly tricky fill like DOXED and PERO that may have slowed down casual players.

FAQs

What is the NYT Mini Crossword?

The NYT Mini Crossword is a short, fast-paced version of The New York Times Crossword that offers a quick daily word challenge. Unlike the full crossword, it’s free and accessible to all players.

When does the NYT Mini reset?

The puzzle resets at 10 p.m. Eastern Time, giving early access to the next day’s puzzle.