If you’re looking for the Tuesday, August 5, 2025, New York Times Mini Crossword, this page has the extra hints first and the full spoiler answer key below.
If you’re looking for the Tuesday, August 5, 2025, New York Times Mini Crossword, you’ve found the correct puzzle. August 5, 2026, was a Wednesday, so the year matters here.
Try the hints first if you want to preserve the solve. The complete Across and Down answers appear below the spoiler warning.
Extra hints for the August 5, 2025 NYT Mini
Across
- 1-Across: Think of the movement a bunny makes. The answer pairs with 4-Across to create a beverage name.
- 4-Across: The second word in that beverage phrase; it is also a very common liquid.
- 6-Across: A Houston Major League Baseball player or team-related term.
- 7-Across: Your sibling’s daughter.
- 8-Across: Complete the dinner-table encouragement: “Just ___ a bite.”
Down
- 1-Down: A two-word expression for possessing an appealing quality that is difficult to define.
- 2-Down: A sleek aquatic mammal—and the mascot associated with California State University, Monterey Bay.
- 3-Down: Thomas the Tank Engine’s railway friend.
- 4-Down: Pale, weak, or unhealthy-looking.
- 5-Down: The small fish eggs commonly served with sushi.
Spoilers: August 5, 2025 Mini Crossword answers
Across answers
| Clue | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1-Across | HOP | A bunny’s movement. It combines with 4-Across to form “hop water.” |
| 4-Across | WATER | The liquid in the phrase “hop water.” |
| 6-Across | ASTRO | A Houston Astros player or a team-associated term. |
| 7-Across | NIECE | The daughter of your brother or sister. |
| 8-Across | TRY | As in, “Just try a bite.” |
Down answers
| Clue | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1-Down | HAS IT | Means possessing an elusive quality, charm, or appeal. |
| 2-Down | OTTER | A sleek riverbank predator and the mascot of California State University, Monterey Bay. |
| 3-Down | PERCY | Thomas the Tank Engine’s close railway companion. |
| 4-Down | WAN | Meaning pale, weak, or sickly in appearance. |
| 5-Down | ROE | Fish eggs, including the small spheres served with sushi. |
The trickiest answer: HOP WATER
The unusual entry in this Mini is HOP WATER, formed by 1-Across and 4-Across. Hop water is a non-alcoholic drink flavored with hops and made to evoke some of the flavor of beer. That makes the two answers easier to recognize once they are considered together rather than as separate entries.
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One answer has also been reported inconsistently elsewhere. The correct 1-Down entry is HAS IT, the two-word phrase meaning that someone possesses an appealing but hard-to-describe quality. “HAIST,” which appeared in one published answer list, is a transcription error and should not be entered.
Want more Mini Crosswords?
If you prefer solving on paper, The New York Times Mini Crosswords, Volume 1 is a print collection containing 150 Mini puzzles. It is a collection of puzzles rather than access to this particular archived digital edition, so it is best viewed as an offline alternative for readers who want more Minis.
The New York Times describes The Mini as a smaller version of its Crossword. Availability and access rules for archived or digital Games content can change; consult the NYT Help Center’s Mini Crossword information for current details.
Answer list at a glance
Across: HOP, WATER, ASTRO, NIECE, TRY
Down: HAS IT, OTTER, PERCY, WAN, ROE
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the 1-Down answer HAS IT or HAIST?
The correct 1-Down answer is HAS IT. It means possessing an appealing or special quality that is difficult to define. “HAIST,” found in one published list, is a transcription error.
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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →What is the answer to the HOP WATER clue?
The answers are HOP and WATER, which combine to make HOP WATER, a non-alcoholic, hop-flavored beverage intended to evoke beer.
Which year is this August 5 NYT Mini Crossword?
This answer key is for Tuesday, August 5, 2025. August 5, 2026, fell on a Wednesday.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.The Bottom Line
The August 5, 2025 NYT Mini answers are HOP, WATER, ASTRO, NIECE, TRY Across and HAS IT, OTTER, PERCY, WAN, ROE Down. The key combined entry is HOP WATER, and 1-Down is correctly written as HAS IT.
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