NYT Crossword Answers — July 25, 2026
The NYT-style Mini for July 25, 2026 packs a full puzzle into a tiny grid, and today's solution set spans everyday vocabulary from GOGETEM, AIRDROP, GLUEING, NBA. Because the Mini is so compact, every square does double duty — each letter belongs to both an across answer and a down answer — so a single confident entry can unlock the whole board. Today the shortest answer, NBA, is the kind of gimme that gives you crossing letters for the trickier fill, while the longest entry, GOGETEM, anchors the grid and often takes a crossing or two to confirm. If you're checking your work or you got stuck on one stubborn square, the complete answer key below lists every across and down clue with its solution and a short explanation. We publish these Mini answers every day, so bookmark the archive and come back whenever a clue has you second-guessing. And if reading the answers gives you the itch to solve one yourself, our free Mini Crossword plays the same way — no subscription and no account required.
NYT Mini Crossword Answers
Across
| Clue | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. "Good luck out there!" | GOGETEM | — |
| 8. File-sharing method between two Apple devices | AIRDROP | — |
| 9. Sticking together with paste | GLUEING | — |
| 10. Org. with a draft lottery | NBA | — |
| 11. Unable to relax | UPTIGHT | — |
| 15. Surround sound systems | STEREOS | — |
| 16. "I wouldn't do that if I were you" | BADIDEA | — |
Down
| Clue | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Running joke | GAG | — |
| 2. Commodity whose price has risen sharply in 2026 | OIL | — |
| 3. Made a sound of exertion | GRUNTED | — |
| 4. Ayo of "The Bear" | EDEBIRI | — |
| 5. Assessed for priority, as in the E.R. | TRIAGED | — |
| 6. Extremely long time | EON | — |
| 7. Fuel economy meas. | MPG | — |
| 11. Alternative to a lightning cable | USB | — |
| 12. Book fair group, for short | PTA | — |
| 13. Soil-loosening tool | HOE | — |
| 14. Org. that issues Known Traveler Numbers | TSA | — |
Every answer explained
GOGETEM
Clue: "Good luck out there!"
GOGETEM is a tidy 7-letter fill (3 vowels); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
AIRDROP
Clue: File-sharing method between two Apple devices
As a 7-letter word with 3 vowels, AIRDROP interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
GLUEING
Clue: Sticking together with paste
With 3 vowels across 7 letters, GLUEING is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
NBA
Clue: Org. with a draft lottery
NBA is a tidy 3-letter fill (1 vowel); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
UPTIGHT
Clue: Unable to relax
UPTIGHT is a tidy 7-letter fill (2 vowels); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
STEREOS
Clue: Surround sound systems
With 3 vowels across 7 letters, STEREOS is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
BADIDEA
Clue: "I wouldn't do that if I were you"
BADIDEA is a tidy 7-letter fill (4 vowels); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
GAG
Clue: Running joke
With 1 vowel across 3 letters, GAG is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
OIL
Clue: Commodity whose price has risen sharply in 2026
With 2 vowels across 3 letters, OIL is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
GRUNTED
Clue: Made a sound of exertion
As a 7-letter word with 2 vowels, GRUNTED interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
Tips for solving
- 1Start with the fill-in-the-blank and short (3-letter) clues — they're usually the fastest points and hand you crossing letters for everything else.
- 2Work outward from your most confident answer instead of top-to-bottom; in a Mini, one solid entry unlocks four or five neighbors.
- 3If a clue ends in a question mark, expect wordplay or a pun rather than a literal definition.
- 4Plural clues almost always mean the answer ends in S — pencil that last letter in early.
- 5When two answers seem possible, let the crossing clue break the tie rather than guessing.