You’re staring at the grid. The coffee is getting cold, and that one tiny corner of the New York Times Mini Crossword is mocking you. The clue says: "In what place?" It’s five letters. Your brain immediately starts cycling through high-concept philosophical answers or perhaps obscure geographical locations in upstate New York.
Stop. It’s simpler than that.
The answer to the in what place NYT crossword clue is almost always WHERE.
Honestly, it’s one of those clues that feels like a trick because it’s so literal. We’re used to the NYT being clever, right? We expect puns, "crosswordese," or some weird trivia about 17th-century poets. But sometimes, the constructor just wants to know if you remember basic English interrogatives.
Why "In What Place" is a Classic NYT Move
The New York Times crossword—especially the Mini—loves to use definitions as clues. It’s a technique called "straight cluing." While the Friday and Saturday puzzles are famous for their devious wordplay and "aha!" moments, the early-week puzzles and the daily Mini often lean on these dictionary-style definitions to help you find a foothold.
Basically, "In what place?" is the literal definition of the word "where."
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If you look at the May 15, 2025, puzzle, this exact clue appeared. It sat right there at 5-Across, acting as a bridge for the rest of the grid. If you got "WHERE," you suddenly had the starting letters for "WEEDS" and the "W" for "WWE" (a frequent flyer in crossword grids thanks to those helpful consonants).
The Psychology of the "Where" Clue
Why do we struggle with this? Humans are overthinkers. When we see "In what place," we don't think of the most common word in the language. We think of:
- Situs (too Latin)
- There (wrong direction)
- Ubi (if you’re feeling particularly Roman today)
The NYT crossword editors, like Will Shortz or Joel Fagliano, know this. They know that by the time you’ve reached a certain level of crossword proficiency, you are trained to look for the "hidden" meaning. Sometimes the "hidden" meaning is just the most obvious one staring you in the face. It’s a bit of a psychological head game.
Common Variations of the "Place" Clue
"In what place" isn't the only way the NYT asks for this. The grid is a living thing, and it evolves. You might see:
- "At which place" – Still WHERE.
- "To what place" – Usually WHITHER (if they're feeling fancy/old-fashioned).
- "From what place" – WHENCE (the classic "from whence you came" vibe).
You’ve gotta be careful with the tense and the direction. If the clue is "In what place?", it’s a location. If the clue is "Put in a place," you're looking for a verb like STOW or LAY. The nuance matters.
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Cracking the NYT Mini Strategy
If you're playing the Mini, speed is the goal. Most people aren't just trying to solve it; they’re trying to beat their friends in the group chat. When you see a clue like in what place NYT, don't hesitate. Type in WHERE.
If it doesn't fit, check the crosses immediately. Does the "W" work with the down clue? If the down clue is "Org. for Hulk Hogan," and you put a "W" there, you're on the right track because the answer is almost certainly WWE.
Crosswords are about momentum. The moment you stop to ponder the deeper meaning of "place," you’ve lost ten seconds. In the world of the NYT Mini, ten seconds is an eternity.
Expert Tips for "Place" Related Clues
I've spent way too many hours analyzing these grids. Here is what I've noticed about how "place" shows up in the NYT:
The "Specific" Place: If the clue mentions a specific type of place, like "Place for a soak," think SPA or TUB. If it’s "Place for a coin," it’s probably SLOT.
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The "Hidden" Place: Sometimes "place" is part of a larger theme. If the puzzle has circles or shaded squares, "place" might be a hint that you need to "place" a certain word inside another.
The Foreign Place: If the clue is "In what place: Sp." or "In what place: Fr.", they want the translation. For Spanish, that's DONDE. For French, it's OU. Notice the lack of the accent mark in crosswords—they don't care about your diacritics.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Solve
Next time you open the NYT Games app and see a clue asking for a location or a "place," follow this mental checklist:
- Check the letter count first. Five letters? Start with WHERE.
- Look for qualifiers. Is there a "briefly" or an abbreviation in the clue? If it said "In what place, briefly," you might be looking for a shorthand, though that's rare for this specific word.
- Verify the "Crosses." Never commit to a word in ink (or digital ink) until at least one cross-stitch confirms it.
- Don't ignore the obvious. The NYT is brilliant, but it isn't always trying to outsmart you. Sometimes it just wants to know if you know where you are.
The more you play, the more these patterns become muscle memory. You'll stop seeing "In what place" as a question and start seeing it as a five-letter block that starts with W. That's when you know you've officially become a crossword person.
Keep your grid clean, watch your timer, and remember that sometimes a place is just a "where."