Here are the answers to the New York Times Mini Crossword for Saturday, June 21, 2025. This is the June 21 puzzle—not the neighboring Sunday, June 22 grid.
Across answers
- 1A: JOYFUL
- 7A: AROUSE
- 8A: BIGRED
- 9A: GAB
- 10A: ANIMAL
- 13A: FINALE
- 14A: CASTLE
Down answers
- 1D: JAB
- 2D: ORIGINS
- 3D: YOGAMAT
- 4D: FURBALL
- 5D: USE
- 6D: LED
- 10D: AFC
- 11D: NIA
- 12D: LEE
Clues and answers
The clue wording below follows the exact-date answer guide; some other guides phrase several clues as hints or paraphrases.
Across
- 1A — Overwhelmed with happiness: JOYFUL
- 7A — Emerge from sleep or become alert: AROUSE
- 8A — Popular cinnamon gum brand: BIGRED
- 9A — Go on and on in conversation: GAB
- 10A — Bengal or Colt, for example: ANIMAL
- 13A — Final episode of a television series: FINALE
- 14A — Chess piece often mistaken for a fortress: CASTLE
Down
- 1D — Fast and sharp boxing move: JAB
- 2D — Fresh starts or first stages: ORIGINS
- 3D — Place where stretching meets stillness: YOGAMAT
- 4D — Cuddly nickname for a fluffy feline: FURBALL
- 5D — One of several purposes for white vinegar: USE
- 6D — Was ahead in a race or game: LED
- 10D — Pro football division for teams like the Bengals and Colts (abbreviation): AFC
- 11D — First name of the director of The Marvels (2023): NIA
- 12D — Last name of the author behind To Kill a Mockingbird: LEE
How to access the June 21 puzzle
Forbes reported in June 2025 that the Mini was free to play on the NYT website or NYT Games app, while accessing previous puzzles in the archives required an NYT Games subscription. That is a dated report, not confirmation of current access terms. Check the Forbes report and verify current terms with the New York Times before subscribing.
The answer list is corroborated by dated guides from Moneycontrol and FreeJobAlert; the official NYT grid was not independently confirmed.
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