Crossword Online (NYT)
Solve the New York Times Crossword and Mini Crossword online. The gold standard of crossword puzzles, now with streaks, stats, and social sharing.
About This Game
The New York Times Crossword is the most prestigious crossword puzzle in the world, and its digital version has made it more accessible than ever. A new puzzle is published every day, with difficulty increasing from easy Monday to fiendishly hard Saturday, and a larger Sunday puzzle. The Mini Crossword — a quick 5x5 grid — provides a daily appetizer for those short on time.
The digital experience adds features the printed page never could: automatic error checking, reveal options for when you are stuck, streak tracking for consecutive days completed, and detailed solving statistics. The social element — sharing your solving time with friends and competing for the fastest Monday completion — has turned crossword solving into a community activity.
The NYT Crossword requires a Games subscription ($5/month or $40/year), but the Mini Crossword is free. The subscription also includes access to Wordle, Spelling Bee, Connections, and the full puzzle archive. For word puzzle enthusiasts, the subscription represents exceptional value given the daily content across multiple games.
How to Play
Open the daily puzzle
Visit the NYT Games section and select the Crossword or Mini Crossword.
Read the clues
Clues are listed by Across and Down. Tap or click a clue to highlight the corresponding squares.
Fill in answers
Type your answers into the grid. The puzzle auto-advances to the next clue when you complete a word.
Complete the grid
Fill in all squares correctly to complete the puzzle. Check your time against friends.
Tips & Strategy
- Start with Monday puzzles to build confidence — difficulty increases throughout the week.
- Fill in the answers you are sure about first, then use crossing letters to solve harder clues.
- Crossword constructors love wordplay — look for puns, double meanings, and misdirection in clues.
- The Mini Crossword is a perfect daily warm-up that takes just 1-3 minutes.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- The highest quality crossword puzzles available
- Daily fresh content with increasing difficulty
- Streak tracking and social sharing add motivation
- Free Mini Crossword available to everyone
Cons
- Full crossword requires a paid subscription
- Saturday puzzles can be frustratingly difficult
- No multiplayer or competitive mode for the main crossword
- Cultural knowledge bias — clues often reference American culture
Game Details
- Players
- 1 player(recommended: 1)
- Duration
- 5-60 minutes
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Price
- Freemium
- Platforms
- WebiOSAndroid
Screenshots
