The NYT Mini Crossword is a daily puzzle designed for fun. It’s a smaller version of the NYT Crossword, accessible to anyone with a New York Times account. The daily crossword, edited by Joel Fagliano, usually has a 5×5 grid, but sometimes it’s larger, like 7×7 on Saturdays. The Mini is generally easier than the standard daily puzzle.

Unlike the full NYT Crossword, the Mini is free to play on the New York Times website or the NYT Games app. However, access to older puzzle archives requires a subscription to NYT Games. Spoilers are below, so scroll down slowly if you wish to see the answers.

Tips for solving the Mini include starting with simple clues to build a foundation, observing intersecting letters, guessing if unsure (and changing it later if needed), rearranging letters, recognizing common crossword themes like history and pop culture, and attempting the puzzle before checking the answers.

Here are the NYT Mini Crossword answers for August 22, 2025:

ACROSS:
1A: Places to store shovels and leaf blowers – SHEDS
5A: Coating for Babybel cheese – WAX
6A: “___ vs. Predator” (2004 sci-fi film) – ALIEN
8A: Streaming glitch – LAG
9A: Docking spots – PIERS
10A: Feature of a Southern accent – TWANG
14A: Sweet potato lookalike – YAM
15A: Top-notch, informally – PRIMO
17A: Greenskeeper’s roll of grass – SOD
18A: Campfire remnants – ASHES

DOWN:
1D: Nickname for the Florida Gators football stadium, with “the” – SWAMP
2D: “2001: A Space Odyssey” villain – HAL
3D: Cast out from a country – EXILE
4D: “Uptown Funk” and “Downtown,” for two – SONGS
7D: “Can I bend your ___ for a second?” – EAR
10D: Like an ambitious, competitive personality – TYPEA
11D: Simple-to-play card game for two – WAR
12D: Simple-living sect – AMISH
13D: Shop owner’s stock – GOODS
16D: Barkeep on “The Simpsons” – MOE

The NYT introduced the Mini Crossword on August 24, 2014, as a quicker, more accessible daily challenge. It was created to reach a broader audience, particularly those who found the full-size puzzle too complex. The Mini is available daily for free on the NYT website and mobile app. Joel Fagliano has been editing the Mini Crossword since 2014.

**Wordle Hints for Today, August 22, 2025**

Here are some hints for today’s Wordle:

* **HINT 1:** The answer contains one vowel.
* **HINT 2:** The answer has repeating letters.
* **HINT 3:** It describes something in poor condition, shabby, or bad-tempered.

**First Letter of Today’s Wordle**

Need help with the first letter? Today’s Wordle begins with the letter ‘R’.

**Wordle Answer for Today, August 22, 2025**

The Wordle #1525 answer for August 22, 2025, is: RATTY.

Check out other games such as NYT Strands for additional word puzzles. Wordle, a game from The New York Times, challenges players to guess a five-letter word in six attempts. Correct letters in the correct position appear green, while correct letters in the wrong position appear yellow. To improve your chances, consider these tips.

**Easy Wordle Tips & Tricks**

* **Choose a strong opening word:** Select a word that contains several common letters to narrow down possibilities.
* **Letter repetition:** Don’t rule out words with repeated letters. Many Wordle answers include them.
* **Use Wordlebot:** This tool analyzes your guesses to help you improve your strategy and learn from mistakes.