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NYT Mini Crossword today: puzzle answers for Thursday, December 12

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The Mini open in the NYT Games app on iOS.
Sam Hill / Digital Trends

Love crossword puzzles but don’t have all day to sit and solve a full-sized puzzle in your daily newspaper? That’s what The Mini is for!

A bite-sized version of the New York Times’ well-known crossword puzzle, The Mini is a quick and easy way to test your crossword skills daily in a lot less time (the average puzzle takes most players just over a minute to solve). While The Mini is smaller and simpler than a normal crossword, it isn’t always easy. Tripping up on one clue can be the difference between a personal best completion time and an embarrassing solve attempt.

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Just like our Wordle hints and Connections hints, we’re here to help with The Mini today if you’re stuck and need a little help.

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Below are the answers for the NYT Mini crossword today.

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NYT Mini Crossword answers today

NYT The Mini Crossword logo.
New York Times

Across

  • Exchange – SWAP
  • Intense passion – ARDOR
  • Ingredient in a mudslide or Moscow mule – VODKA
  • Bottom-left key in Wordle – ENTER
  • Horror movie staple – GORE

Down

  • Stat for a ninth-inning relief pitcher – SAVE
  • [BZZT!] – WRONG
  • Expand, as a collection – ADDTO
  • No-limit Texas hold ’em, e.g. – POKER
  • Like a bloody steak – RARE

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Sam Hill
Gaming Guides Editor
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If you logged onto Twitter exactly one year ago, you can probably recall the moment you began to see your feed fill up with gray, yellow, and green boxes. Though it launched in 2021 and gained mainstream popularity in December of that year, Wordle became a sudden cultural phenomenon in early 2022 that was inescapable outside of a muted words list. It was a rare gaming success story, one that could reach a broad audience thanks to its elegant simplicity.

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Someone playing Wordle on an iphone

The New York Times appeared at CES 2023 alongside Delta to confirm that the publication's game lineup is part of the upcoming Delta Exclusives Hub. Delta Air Lines passengers will soon be able to play Wordle, Spelling Bee, and more during flights via the airline's free Wi-Fi.
Currently, those flying on a Delta flight only get free access to iMessage, Facebook Messenger, and WhatsApp. Starting on February 1, though, Delta Air Lines plans to offer free Wi-Fi on its flights to Delta SkyMiles members, and lots of content will be accessible from a new landing page called the Delta Exclusives Hub.
When Delta Exclusives Hub launches sometime in spring 2023, its hub will give passengers access to games like Wordle, Spelling Bee, and The Crossword on domestic U.S. flights free-of-charge, whether they are New York Times subscribers or not. 
This announcement comes almost a year after The New York Times acquired Wordle at the height of its status as a social media phenomenon. While it's not as trendy as it was a year ago, Wordle still attracts a lot of players and is a major part of The New York Times Games' offerings. In particular, The New York Times seems keen to expand the places people can play Wordle, as they integrated it into their Crossword app in December 2022.
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A person plays 'Wordle' on an iPhone.

The New York Times announced that Wordle is now playable within The New York Times Crossword app on Android and iOS. Players can access the popular word guessing game in the same app as three other games: The Crossword (the app's namesake), The Mini Crossword, and Spelling Bee.

https://twitter.com/NYTGames/status/1562470378483888130

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