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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Here are the answers to the NYT Mini Crossword for Sunday, December 14, 2025. Because the date in the original title has no year—and a separate December 14, 2014 puzzle is also archived—these answers are for the 2025 edition.
December 14, 2025 Mini Crossword answers
Across
- 1-Across: VIOLA — Stringed instrument that becomes an exclamation if you switch its second and third letters
- 6-Across: INBOX — Place for unread emails
- 7-Across: BSIDE — Back of a 45 record
- 8-Across: EPEE — Olympic fencing event
- 9-Across: SOS — Emergency call in Morse code
Down
- 1-Down: VIBES — Good ___ only
- 2-Down: INSPO — Bit of creative motivation, for short
- 3-Down: OBIES — Theater awards since 1956
- 4-Down: LODE — Ore deposit
- 5-Down: AXE — Tool for a firefighter or lumberjack
The answer list is reported by Forbes and independently corroborated by Try Hard Guides.
Which December 14 puzzle is this?
The year matters: the answer key above is for Sunday, December 14, 2025, the likely intended edition given the date and contemporaneous answer guides. The Word Finder also lists a distinct December 14, 2014 Mini, so use the 2025 key only if that is the puzzle you are solving.
When the December 14, 2025 Mini became available
The New York Times Help Center says Sunday Minis become available at 6 p.m. Eastern Time on Saturday. Under that schedule, the December 14, 2025 puzzle became available Saturday, December 13, at 6 p.m. EST. The Help Center says weekday and Saturday puzzles instead appear at 10 p.m. EST the preceding day. See the official Mini Crossword help page for the schedule and game details.
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How to play or revisit the Mini
The Mini is a compact version of the NYT Crossword: fill the white squares using the Across and Down clues, checking that letters work in both intersecting entries. The game includes Check and Reveal tools, pencil mode, keyboard shortcuts, and a timer. The Times says All Access, Home Delivery, and Games subscribers can play; subscribers can also solve past Minis in the archive on the web or in the Games app. Availability and access details are listed in the NYT Help Center.
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