Table of Contents
Today’s Grid at a Glance
Theme: None apparent (standard Saturday difficulty).
Grid: 5×5.
Release: Saturday edition, playable now in the NYT Games app and on the web.
Across — Clues & Answers (8/23/2025)
1A. Hairstyle made popular by the Beatles — MOPTOP.
7A. Doin’ amazingly, in slang — KILLINIT.
9A. Director’s words at the end of a take — ANDSCENE.
10A. “___ the season!” — TIS.
11A. Serious wrongdoing — SIN.
12A. Camera attachment — ZOOMLENS.
15A. Spice in a Pumpkin Spice Latte — NUTMEG.
16A. Come down to earth — LAND.
Down — Clues & Answers (8/23/2025)
1D. Yellow creature in “Despicable Me” — MINION.
2D. Teen who exclusively listens to music from the ’70s, say — OLDSOUL.
3D. Opposite of “thx,” in texting — PLS.
4D. Behavioral quirk — TIC.
5D. Tournament favorite — ONESEED.
6D. Longing (for) — PINING.
7D. Eponym of the New York City deli featured in “When Harry Met Sally …” — KATZ.
8D. Hamilton bills — TENS.
13D. N.Y.C. commuting org. — MTA.
14D. Letters after “JK” — LMN.
Sources cross-checked from reputable daily “Mini” roundups to ensure accuracy for the August 23, 2025 puzzle.
How to Use This (and Avoid Spoilers)
Stuck on a single entry? Cover the rest of the list with your palm and reveal just the clue you need.
Double-check letter counts: the Mini’s 5×5 grid often forces tidy, lively entries (e.g., MOPTOP fits 6, TIS fits 3).
Cross-check with crossings: if KATZ (7D) feels uncertain, verify with 10A TIS and 8D TENS.
Quick Solve Tips for Saturday Minis
Start with the freebies: proper nouns like KATZ and short commons like TIC, SIN, MTA tend to lock corners quickly.
Leverage modern slang: entries like KILLINIT and PLS are contemporary—think texting, memes, and casual speech.
Watch for stacked nouns: ZOOMLENS, ONESEED—Saturday often leans slightly trickier on compound forms.
FAQ
Q1. What time did today’s NYT Mini go live?
Weekdays & Saturdays typically go up around 10 p.m. ET the night before; Sundays earlier. (Exact drop times can vary slightly.)
Q2. Is there a theme today?
No overt theme—just a crisp Saturday set with a mix of pop culture (MINION, KATZ), slang (KILLINIT, PLS), and everyday vocabulary (NUTMEG, LAND).
Q3. Where can I play or check my grid?
In the NYT Games app or on the NYT website’s Crosswords section. (Subscription required for archives.)
Q4. Can I share these answers?
Absolutely—just credit that these are the NYT Mini Crossword answers for August 23, 2025.
