For the Wednesday, December 31, 2025 NYT Mini Crossword, the answers are KID, FINI, PENNY, HUGS, IDS across and KINGS, INNS, DIY, FEUD, PHI down. The year matters: December 31 refers to a different puzzle in each year, so these answers apply only to the 2025 Mini.
December 31, 2025 NYT Mini answers
Across
- 1A: KID — Many a participant in the 2025 “6-7” trend
- 4A: FINI — Like 2025, to the French?
- 5A: PENNY — The last one was minted in 2025
- 6A: HUGS — The O’s in XOXO
- 7A: IDS — “Real” ones became required in 2025
Down
- 1D: KINGS — No ___ (2025 protest)
- 2D: INNS — Travelers’ lodgings
- 3D: DIY — Home project inits.
- 4D: FEUD — Drake and Kendrick Lamar had a high-profile one
- 5D: PHI — The 2025 Super Bowl champion Eagles, on scoreboards
Why the year matters
The clue set includes references specific to 2025, including the year’s “6-7” trend, the final penny minted that year, and the Eagles’ Super Bowl win. Use this key only for the December 31, 2025 puzzle; the December 31, 2026 puzzle has not yet taken place as of October 8, 2026.
How to find or check a past Mini
The New York Times Mini is a compact crossword solved by filling entries from Across and Down clues. NYT says subscribers with Games access can play through the Games app, nytimes.com/crosswords, and the News app. Its Help Center says Games and All Access subscribers can access the archive, while nonsubscribers have limited access. In the archive, switch to the Mini and navigate by month and year to find the right date.
If you want a hint before seeing the complete solution, the game’s help menu can check or reveal a square, an answer, or the entire puzzle. According to NYT Help, the daily Mini becomes available the evening before its publish date: weekdays and Saturdays at 10 p.m. EST, and Sundays at 6 p.m. EST on Saturday.
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