NYT Crossword Answers — August 25, 2026
The NYT-style Mini for August 25, 2026 packs a full puzzle into a tiny grid, and today's solution set spans everyday vocabulary from GENX, FEDEX, INDEX, ARID. Today's mini crossword mixes generations, shipping, comedy, and tic-tac-toe with straightforward definitions. 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, TEE, is the kind of gimme that gives you crossing letters for the trickier fill, while the longest entry, FEDEX, 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
Today's mini crossword mixes generations, shipping, comedy, and tic-tac-toe with straightforward definitions.
Across
| Clue | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Cohort born between 1965 and 1980, for short | GENX | GENX is the standard abbreviation for Generation X, born 1965-1980. |
| 5. Shipping giant with a purple-and-orange logo | FEDEX | FEDEX's logo features purple and orange, identifying the shipping company. |
| 6. Section at the end of a textbook | INDEX | An INDEX is the alphabetical listing at the end of a textbook. |
| 7. Dry, as the desert | ARID | ARID means extremely dry, like a desert. |
| 8. "___ it high and let it fly" (golfer's mantra) | TEE | TEE is the golf term in the mantra 'Tee it high and let it fly.' |
Down
| Clue | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Pop, rock or jazz | GENRE | GENRE is a category like pop, rock, or jazz. |
| 2. Comedian Murphy | EDDIE | EDDIE is the first name of comedian Eddie Murphy. |
| 3. Requirement | NEED | NEED means a requirement or necessity. |
| 4. Winning line in tic-tac-toe | XXX | XXX is a winning line in tic-tac-toe when three X's align. |
| 5. Italy's largest automaker | FIAT | FIAT is Italy's largest automaker. |
Every answer explained
GENX
Clue: Cohort born between 1965 and 1980, for short
GENX is the standard abbreviation for Generation X, born 1965-1980. As a 4-letter word with 1 vowel, GENX interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
FEDEX
Clue: Shipping giant with a purple-and-orange logo
FEDEX's logo features purple and orange, identifying the shipping company. With 2 vowels across 5 letters, FEDEX is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
INDEX
Clue: Section at the end of a textbook
An INDEX is the alphabetical listing at the end of a textbook. INDEX is a tidy 5-letter fill (2 vowels); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
ARID
Clue: Dry, as the desert
ARID means extremely dry, like a desert. ARID is a tidy 4-letter fill (2 vowels); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
TEE
Clue: "___ it high and let it fly" (golfer's mantra)
TEE is the golf term in the mantra 'Tee it high and let it fly.' With 2 vowels across 3 letters, TEE is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
GENRE
Clue: Pop, rock or jazz
GENRE is a category like pop, rock, or jazz. As a 5-letter word with 2 vowels, GENRE interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
EDDIE
Clue: Comedian Murphy
EDDIE is the first name of comedian Eddie Murphy. As a 5-letter word with 3 vowels, EDDIE interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
NEED
Clue: Requirement
NEED means a requirement or necessity. As a 4-letter word with 2 vowels, NEED interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
XXX
Clue: Winning line in tic-tac-toe
XXX is a winning line in tic-tac-toe when three X's align. XXX is a tidy 3-letter fill (0 vowels); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
FIAT
Clue: Italy's largest automaker
FIAT is Italy's largest automaker. With 2 vowels across 4 letters, FIAT is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
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.