Mini Crossword Today: Clues, Hints and Answers for November 12
One stubborn square should not cost you the whole grid. Every clue here carries its own extra nudge, so you can open the entry you are stuck on and leave the rest alone.
Mini Crossword hints, one rung at a time
Five rungs, from grid facts to a per-clue nudge. This page remembers which ones you opened while this grid is current.
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Hint 1: Grid facts
Counted off the grid, not guessed.
- Grid
- 5 × 5
- Clues
- 5 across, 5 down
- Answer lengths
- 4–5 letters
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Hint 2: Across clues, with an extra nudge each
Open only the one you are stuck on.
1 Across — Eye color of white tigers (4)
Common color associated with certain rare animals
5 Across — Home to the largest urban zoo in the United States, with "the" (5)
New York City borough with a famous zoo
6 Across — Mayonnaise-like condiment (5)
Condiment often used in Mediterranean cuisine
7 Across — Not suited for leadership (5)
Description of someone lacking leadership qualities
8 Across — What Chik'n Nuggets and Beyond Burgers lack (4)
Key ingredient missing from some plant-based foods
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Hint 3: Down clues, with an extra nudge each
Same treatment, the other way.
1 Down — Pickle juice (5)
Liquid used for preserving or soaking pickles
2 Down — Shower scrubber (5)
Tool used for cleaning hard-to-reach shower areas
3 Down — Dark, as a room (5)
Description of a room without light
4 Down — Door to the outside (4)
Way to leave a building
5 Down — L. Frank ___, author of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" (4)
Author known for classic children's fantasy novels
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Hint 4: First letter of every answer
One letter each — the crossings do the rest.
- 1 Across
- B… (4 letters)
- 5 Across
- B… (5 letters)
- 6 Across
- A… (5 letters)
- 7 Across
- U… (5 letters)
- 8 Across
- M… (4 letters)
- 1 Down
- B… (5 letters)
- 2 Down
- L… (5 letters)
- 3 Down
- U… (5 letters)
- 4 Down
- E… (4 letters)
- 5 Down
- B… (4 letters)
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Hint 5: Where to start
Last rung before the filled grid.
Take 1 Across first: at 4 letters it is the shortest entry on the board, and every crossing it makes hands you a free letter somewhere else.
Today's Mini Crossword answers, clue by clue
Each clue opens on its own: the nudge first, the answer folded one level deeper.
Across
1Eye color of white tigers4
Common color associated with certain rare animals
Show answer
BLUE
5Home to the largest urban zoo in the United States, with "the"5
New York City borough with a famous zoo
Show answer
BRONX
6Mayonnaise-like condiment5
Condiment often used in Mediterranean cuisine
Show answer
AIOLI
7Not suited for leadership5
Description of someone lacking leadership qualities
Show answer
UNFIT
8What Chik'n Nuggets and Beyond Burgers lack4
Key ingredient missing from some plant-based foods
Show answer
MEAT
Down
1Pickle juice5
Liquid used for preserving or soaking pickles
Show answer
BRINE
2Shower scrubber5
Tool used for cleaning hard-to-reach shower areas
Show answer
LOOFA
3Dark, as a room5
Description of a room without light
Show answer
UNLIT
4Door to the outside4
Way to leave a building
Show answer
EXIT
5L. Frank ___, author of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz"4
Author known for classic children's fantasy novels
Show answer
BAUM
This grid by the numbers
Constructed by Joel Fagliano.
- Date
- Thursday, November 12, 2026
- Grid
- 5 × 5
- Clues
- 10 — 5 across, 5 down
- Answer lengths
- 4–5 letters
- Difficulty
- medium
The last board we archived
The newest archived page is Mini Crossword answers for Wednesday, November 11, 2026, created once its date stopped being current everywhere on Earth.
More puzzles today
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Today's NYT Strands hints, spangram and answers
Theme words, the spangram, and a board that traces each answer.
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Today's NYT Connections hints and answers
Sixteen tiles, four groups. Nudges first, full groupings last.
How the Mini works, in short
A five-by-five grid most solvers finish inside a minute. Fill what you are sure of first: every crossing hands you a letter the other way, so one confident across answer usually unlocks three down ones. Our full Mini Crossword guide covers the abbreviation and wordplay conventions that trip newcomers.
NYT Mini Crossword questions we get asked
When does a new NYT Mini Crossword appear?
Weekdays at 10pm Eastern for the following day, and 6pm Eastern on Saturday for Sunday. This page follows your own time zone once the puzzle is live.
Can I get one Mini clue hinted without seeing the grid solved?
Yes — that is what this page is for. Each clue carries its own nudge on its own rung, so you can open exactly the square you are stuck on and leave the rest alone.
How big is the Mini Crossword grid on November 12?
5 by 5, with 5 across clues and 5 down clues — 10 entries in all.
What are the Mini Crossword answers for November 12?
1 Across: BLUE, 5 Across: BRONX, 6 Across: AIOLI, 7 Across: UNFIT, 8 Across: MEAT, 1 Down: BRINE, 2 Down: LOOFA, 3 Down: UNLIT, 4 Down: EXIT, 5 Down: BAUM.
Is TodayHint affiliated with The New York Times?
No — TodayHint is independent. The Mini Crossword and NYT are trademarks of The New York Times Company. Clue text is reported as printed; the nudges around it are written for this site.