You’ve been there. It’s 10:15 PM, you’re scrolling in bed, and you think, "I'll just knock out the Mini real quick." Then you hit a wall. Suddenly, a five-letter word for "Abruptly stop texting" feels like the hardest riddle on earth. It’s GHOST, by the way. But that’s the beauty of it.
The NYT the mini answers for Wednesday, January 14, 2026, actually pack a punch despite the tiny 5x5 grid. People tend to underestimate Joel Fagliano—the mastermind who’s been crafting these since 2014—but he knows exactly how to mess with your head in under sixty seconds.
Today's NYT the mini answers (January 14, 2026)
If you're stuck on a specific corner of the grid, here is the breakdown. Honestly, some of these clues today were a bit "outside the box," specifically the one about ancient tea leaves.
Across Clues
- 1A: Abruptly stop texting — The answer is GHOST. If you've been on a dating app lately, you didn't need a hint for this one.
- 6A: Shaving kit item — The answer is RAZOR.
- 7A: 2024 film role for which Mikey Madison won Best Actress — The answer is ANORA. This is a classic NYT move, pulling from relatively recent prestige cinema.
- 8A: The ancient Chinese used compressed blocks of tea leaves as this — The answer is MONEY. This is the kind of trivia that usually trips people up because it feels like it should be more complicated.
- 9A: Shape of a round chart — The answer is PIE.
Down Clues
- 1D: Dad's dad, informally — The answer is GRAMP.
- 2D: Capital of Vietnam — The answer is HANOI.
- 3D: ___ layer, part of Earth's atmosphere — The answer is OZONE.
- 4D: How you might wake up after sleeping funny — The answer is SORE.
- 5D: Cafeteria food carrier — The answer is TRAY.
Why the Mini feels different from the big Crossword
Most people assume the Mini is just a "lite" version of the main New York Times Crossword. It’s not. It’s a different beast. In the big puzzle, the difficulty scales through the week. Mondays are breezy; Saturdays are a nightmare.
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The Mini doesn't strictly follow that rule, though it does get slightly bigger (7x7) on Saturdays, often called a "Midi."
Joel Fagliano once mentioned in an interview that he treats the Mini almost like a personal diary. If he’s been hanging out with friends or seeing a specific movie, those references leak into the clues. That’s why you’ll see stuff like "ANORA" or niche sports references. It’s topical. It’s fast. It’s designed for the digital age where our attention spans are basically non-existent.
The psychology of the "Fast Solve"
There is a specific rush that comes with seeing a 14-second solve time. I’ve seen people on Reddit claiming 9-second finishes. How? They solve on desktop.
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If you’re trying to beat your friends on the leaderboard, ditch the phone. Using a physical keyboard allows you to type and navigate the grid way faster than your thumb ever could on a glass screen. Also, a pro tip: if you know the first across word instantly, jump straight to the downs. Usually, that first letter is enough to trigger the rest of the grid in your brain.
Common pitfalls with NYT the mini answers
The biggest mistake? Overthinking.
Because the grid is so small, there’s no room for complex themes or long, winding puns. If the clue is "Shape of a round chart," the answer is PIE. It’s not "CIRCLE" or "SPHERE."
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Another thing that gets people is "crosswordese." These are words that appear constantly in crosswords but almost never in real life. Think of words like ERIE, ALOE, or AREA. If you’re staring at a three-letter bird that starts with E, it’s almost always an EMU.
Dealing with the "Sore" wake-up call
Take today's 4-Down: "How you might wake up after sleeping funny." The answer is SORE. Simple, right? But if you had "ACHY" in your head, you’d be stuck for a minute. That’s where the "Check Square" feature becomes your best friend, though some purists think it's cheating. Personally? If it’s 11:00 PM and I just want to go to sleep, I’m checking that square.
Getting better at the Mini
You don't need a PhD to get good at this. You just need pattern recognition.
- Read the clues in order, but don't dwell. If you don't know 1-Across in two seconds, move to 6-Across. The goal is to get "anchors" in the grid.
- Watch for the question marks. As Fagliano often reminds solvers, a question mark at the end of a clue means a pun is coming. It’s a warning.
- Use the archive. If you really want to get fast, go back and do the puzzles from 2022 or 2023. You’ll start to see the same "seed" words popping up.
The Mini is basically a daily ritual at this point. It’s a small win to start your day or a quiet moment before bed. Whether you’re a 20-second speedster or a "five-minute and a cup of coffee" kind of person, the goal is just to keep the streak alive.
To improve your speed for tomorrow, try opening the puzzle on a laptop and using the arrow keys to jump between clues. It’s a total game-changer for your personal best. Also, keep a mental note of common short words like ETUI, OLIO, and OREO—they are the bread and butter of the NYT puzzle world.