Mini Crossword

How to play the daily Mini Crossword

Every day there’s a new 5×5 crossword with everyday clues. Tap a square to pick an answer (tap it again to switch between across and down), then type. The clue for the highlighted answer shows under the grid, and ‹ › jump between clues.

• The clock starts with your first letter and pauses if you leave the page.
• Stuck? Check marks wrong squares and Reveal fills one in. Each helped square adds 15 seconds to your score.
• When the grid is right, you’re done. Send your time and your friend gets the same puzzle to beat it.

Solve a crossword together with a friend

Tap Play a friend, type both names and you get a fresh mini for the two of you (never today’s daily, so it can’t spoil it):

• Fill in an answer and tap Submit. You get up to two answers a turn, then send the grid by text.
• Your friend sees your answers glowing in your colour and adds two of their own.
• A wrong answer ends your turn, and your friend sees what you tried.
• Answers that crossings have already filled in count automatically. When the grid is full, you both see who solved what.

Tips for a faster mini

• Start with the clues you know cold, then use the crossing letters to crack the rest.
• Fill-in-the-blank clues are usually the easiest place to start.
• Short three-letter answers come up a lot. Once you have one or two letters, guess boldly.

Questions

When is the new puzzle? At midnight, your local time. Your progress saves as you go.

Is it good for kids? Yes. The answers are everyday words and the clues are family-friendly.

More word games: Hive (the daily spelling bee), Linkup (four groups of four), TagTeam and all word games.