Need help with the Wednesday, January 7, 2026, NYT Mini? Start with the gentle hints below, then reveal the full Across and Down answer key when you’re ready. The answers are reported by Parade; the clue list is also shown by Try Hard Guides.
Progressive hints for the January 7 Mini
Try each clue before moving to the next hint. The first points toward the answer; the second narrows it further.
Across
- 1A, “Planning to, informally”
Hint 1: A casual contraction for “going to.”
Hint 2: It has five letters and starts with G. - 6A, “___ tolls (GPS setting)”
Hint 1: A route option for drivers avoiding a particular kind of road charge.
Hint 2: It begins with A and has five letters. - 7A, “Pulsed quickly, as the heart”
Hint 1: A verb for beating fast.
Hint 2: It has five letters and rhymes with “aced.” - 8A, “Draw an outline of”
Hint 1: A verb meaning to follow the edge of a shape.
Hint 2: It has five letters and starts with T. - 9A, “Prefix with loop for theoretical high-speed transport”
Hint 1: The prefix suggests something beyond or above the ordinary.
Hint 2: It has five letters and begins with H.
Down
- 1D, “Wayne’s sidekick in ‘Wayne’s World’”
Hint 1: The character is Wayne’s best friend.
Hint 2: His name has five letters and begins with G. - 2D, “Egg-producing organ”
Hint 1: A reproductive organ.
Hint 2: It has five letters and begins with O. - 3D, “‘I’m serious!,’ in slang”
Hint 1: A two-word expression used to emphasize that a statement is genuine.
Hint 2: It has five letters and starts with N. - 4D, “Sister’s daughter”
Hint 1: A family relationship.
Hint 2: It has five letters and begins with N. - 5D, “Snake that sounds like it would be good at math?”
Hint 1: The clue relies on a word that also names a mathematical operation.
Hint 2: It has five letters and starts with A.
Full answer key
Spoilers below: stop here if you still want to solve the puzzle yourself.
Across
| Clue | Answer |
|---|---|
| 1A. Planning to, informally | GONNA |
| 6A. ___ tolls (GPS setting) | AVOID |
| 7A. Pulsed quickly, as the heart | RACED |
| 8A. Draw an outline of | TRACE |
| 9A. Prefix with loop for theoretical high-speed transport | HYPER |
Down
| Clue | Answer |
|---|---|
| 1D. Wayne’s sidekick in “Wayne’s World” | GARTH |
| 2D. Egg-producing organ | OVARY |
| 3D. “I’m serious!” in slang | NOCAP |
| 4D. Sister’s daughter | NIECE |
| 5D. Snake that sounds like it would be good at math? | ADDER |
The answer pairings are reported in Parade’s dated January 6, 2026 guide. Try Hard Guides independently displays the clue list, but its opened page text does not expose the solutions.
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Where to play the NYT Mini
The New York Times Help Center describes the Mini as a smaller version of the NYT Crossword. It says the puzzle is available to anyone with a New York Times account through nytimes.com/games, the NYT Games app, and the Play tab in the NYT News app. The Help Center’s schedule says weekday and Saturday Minis become available at 10 p.m. EST the evening before the stated puzzle date. That timing matches the January 6, 2026, 10:15 p.m. EST publication time of Parade’s guide for the Wednesday, January 7 puzzle.
For older Minis, the Help Center says Games and All Access subscribers can solve puzzles in the archive.
Quick Recap
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