How to play the mini crossword

The goal

Fill every white square with a letter so that each row and column spells the answer to its clue. Words read left to right (Across) and top to bottom (Down), and every letter belongs to one Across word and one Down word. The black squares are not used. When all the letters are right, you have solved the puzzle.

Play in five steps

1. Pick a square. Tap or click any white square. The word it belongs to lights up and its clue shows above the grid. Tap the same square again to switch between the Across word and the Down word.
2. Type your answer. Type letters with the on-screen keyboard on a phone, or your own keyboard on a computer. The cursor moves to the next empty square in the word on its own.
3. Move to the next clue. When a word is full, go to the next clue with the arrows beside the clue, or press Enter or Tab on a computer. You can also tap any clue in the list to jump to it.
4. Use a hint if you are stuck. Open Hints to check a letter, a word or the whole grid, or to reveal a letter or a word. Wrong letters get a red line, revealed squares get a yellow corner.
5. Fill every square to solve it. When every square is filled with the right letter, the puzzle is solved. You see your time, the hints you used and your streak, and you can share your result without giving the answers away.

Play today's puzzle

How the clues work

Each word starts in a square with a small number. The clue with that number in the Across list is for the word going right, and the clue in the Down list is for the word going down. A square can start both an Across and a Down word, so it has one number for both.

Crossword clues follow a few habits that make them easier once you know them:

• The answer matches the clue's form. A plural clue ("Farm animals") has a plural answer, and a clue in the past tense has a past-tense answer.
• A blank means fill it in. "___ and eggs" asks for the missing word. These are often the easiest clues, so they are a good place to start.
• Short forms ask for short forms. If the clue has an abbreviation, such as "Dr." or "Sept.", the answer is usually shortened too.
• A question mark means wordplay. A clue ending in "?" has a pun or a twist, so the plain meaning may not be the answer.
• Themes help. Many puzzles have a theme from the week, like a holiday or the season. The title above the grid is a hint about it.

Controls

On a phone or tablet, use the keyboard under the grid. The key with the arrow deletes a letter. On a computer, type with your own keyboard:

Key	What it does
A to Z	Type a letter and move to the next square
Backspace or Delete	Erase a letter and move back
Arrow keys	Move one square up, down, left or right
Space	Switch between Across and Down
Enter or Tab	Go to the next clue
Shift and Tab	Go back to the previous clue
Escape	Close the hints menu or the results card

Hints

The puzzle never marks your letters by itself. When you want help, open Hints next to the clock and pick one:

Hint	What happens
Check letter, word or puzzle	Wrong letters get a red line through them. Right letters in a checked word get a green line.
Reveal letter	Fills in the square you are on with the right letter.
Reveal word	Fills in the whole word you are on.
Reveal puzzle	Shows every answer and ends the game. It does not count as solved.

Revealed squares keep a yellow corner, and your result shows how many hints you used. Hints never break your streak.

Your time, streak and stats

The clock starts when you first tap the grid or type, and pauses while you are away from the page. Your streak is the number of days in a row you solved the puzzle on its own day. Puzzles from the archive count in your stats but not in your streak. Times, streaks and progress are saved in your own browser, with no account, so they stay on that device.

A new puzzle every day

A new mini crossword comes out every day at midnight in your own time zone. Missed one? Every past puzzle is free in the archive, and each one has its own page, so you can play them in any order.

Sharing your result

When you solve the puzzle, tap Share to send your time, hints and streak to friends. The result never shows the answers, so it is safe to post anywhere.

Tips for beginners

• Start with the clues you are sure of, then use their letters to guess the words that cross them.
• Fill-in-the-blank clues and short three-letter words are often the quickest wins.
• If a word will not come, switch direction and try the crossing word instead.
• Say the clue out loud. A clue that sounds odd often hides a second meaning.
• Use Check letter on a square you are unsure of before you reveal anything.

Dark mode and playing like an app

Tap the moon at the top of the page for dark mode. To keep Morning Crossword one tap away, add it to your home screen from your browser's share or menu button. It opens like an app.