How to Play the Mini Crossword

✏️What is a mini crossword?

The mini crossword is the classic crossword, shrunk to a friendly 5×5 grid. Instead of a 15×15 Sunday marathon, you get a handful of short Across and Down answers with quick clues — a complete, satisfying solve in about the time it takes your coffee to cool. Every letter sits in both an Across and a Down answer, so the grid constantly checks your work.

📜The rules

1. Read the clue, type the answer into its numbered row (Across) or column (Down).
2. Every white square belongs to one Across and one Down answer — the letters must agree where they cross.
3. Black squares separate answers. Answer lengths run 3–5 letters in the DailyGrid 5×5.
4. Fill every square correctly to solve. Wrong letters aren't locked in — overwrite them anytime.

🎯Strategy

Getting started

• Fill-in-the-blanks first. Clues like "___ and cheese" hand you the answer with zero crossword skill required, and every letter you place helps its crossings.
• Grab the gimmes. Short common answers — ERA, ALE, ORE, ALOE, ELSE, AREA — recur constantly in minis because their letters are so flexible.
• Trust the crossings. Unsure of a Down answer? Solve the Acrosses that cross it; two confirmed letters usually give the word away.

Level up

• Question mark = wordplay. A clue ending in "?" is punning: "Nice catch?" is more likely NET than a compliment about fishing.
• Tense and number match. The answer always agrees with the clue: a clue phrased in past tense ("Walked") needs a past-tense answer (STRODE, not STRIDE); plural clues ending in S need plural answers.
• Abbreviations signal abbreviations. "Ave. or Blvd." or clues containing "Abbr." mean the answer is shortened too.
• Last letters: a surprising number of 4–5 letter answers end in S, E, or D — when you have the first letters and a plural clue, test an S ending.

Pro tips

• For speed, solve in one direction only (all Across, then let Downs nearly fill themselves), correcting as crossings confirm or deny.
• Stuck on a word? Say the partial pattern out loud ("A _ O _ E") — your vocabulary autocomplete is faster by ear than by eye.
• DailyGrid clues lean friendly rather than tricky: the obvious reading is usually right. Save your paranoia for Saturday puzzles elsewhere.

⚠️Common mistakes

• Forcing a wrong answer and bending crossings to fit it. If three crossings look impossible, the original answer is the problem.
• Missing the wordplay flag — read every clue's punctuation before answering.
• Leaving a guess unexamined: in a 5×5 every letter is double-checked by a crossing, so a "full but wrong" grid always contains its own contradiction.

❓FAQ

What is a mini crossword?

A small crossword — 5×5 on DailyGrid — with short answers and quick clues. A full solve takes most people one to five minutes.

How do you solve one fast?

Fill-in-the-blanks and gimmes first, then let crossing letters do the work. See the strategy section above.

Is the DailyGrid Mini Crossword free?

Yes — a new 5×5 every day at midnight ET, no account needed — the daily puzzles are free. Always. One of ten daily puzzles on DailyGrid.

Where can I learn the other games?

See all ten DailyGrid guides.