NYT Mini Crossword Answers & Hints for Dec 14, 2025

If you’re like many puzzle enthusiasts, the day isn’t complete without tackling the daily free word games from the New York Times. For countless people, working on the daily Connections, Wordle, and Strands has become a routine. The Mini Crossword, another beloved game from the NYT, is also part of this ritual.

While the NYT is most famous for “The Crossword,” which is a more complex puzzle reserved for paid subscribers, The Mini Crossword has its own loyal following. One unique feature of The Mini is that it resets at 10 p.m., unlike some other puzzles that start over at midnight.

So, if you’re working on today’s Mini Crossword on Sunday, December 14, 2025, and need some help (a situation many of us have found ourselves in), you’re in the right place. Below, we’ve provided the clues and solutions for each line. We’ve separated them into hints first for both “Across” and “Down” words, followed by the actual answers. Be careful if you want to avoid spoilers as you scroll!

Hints for NYT’s The Mini Crossword on Sunday, December 14, 2025

Here are additional clues for each of the words in today’s Mini Crossword.

NYT Mini Across Hints

1 Across: Stringed instrument that becomes an exclamation if you switch its second and third letters —

HINT: Starts with the letter “V”
6 Across: Place for unread emails —

HINT: Ends with the letter “X”
7 Across: Back of a 45 record —

HINT: Starts with the letter “B”
8 Across: Olympic fencing event —

HINT: Starts with the letter “E”
9 Across: Emergency call in Morse code —

HINT: Ends with the letter “S”

NYT Mini Down Hints

1 Down: Good ____ only —

HINT: Ends with the letter “S”
2 Down: Bit of creative motivation, for short —

HINT: Ends with the letter “S”
3 Down: Theater awards since 1956 —

HINT: Ends with the letter “S”
4 Down: Ore deposit —

HINT: Ends with the letter “S”
5 Down: Tool for firefighter or lumberjack —

HINT: Ends with the letter “S”

Answers to NYT’s The Mini Crossword for Sunday, December 14, 2025

Don’t go any further unless you want to know exactly what the correct words are in today’s Mini Crossword.

NYT Mini Across Answers

1 Across: Stringed instrument that becomes an exclamation if you switch its second and third letters —

VIOLA
6 Across: Place for unread emails —

INBOX
7 Across: Back of a 45 record —

BSIDE
8 Across: Olympic fencing event —

EPEE
9 Across: Emergency call in Morse code —

SOS

NYT Mini Down Answers

1 Down: Good ____ only —

VIBES
2 Down: Bit of creative motivation, for short —

INSPO
3 Down: Theater awards since 1956 —

OBIES
4 Down: Ore deposit —

LODE
5 Down: Tool for firefighter or lumberjack —

AXE