Saturday, January 03, 2026
By Joel Fagliano
Tap a square to reveal a letter.
Or reveal one clue at a time with the Hint and Answer buttons below.
NYT Mini Crossword Clues
Across
- 1Tapioca pearls
- 5Disappear into thin air
- 7"C'mon, we expect more from you"
- 9Dangerous, as a winter sidewalk
- 10Social media ___ (what we're in now)
- 11Feeling down
- 12Director Howard
- 13Nightlife for which Miami is famous
- 16Cause of early aging
- 17The sun in "sunnyside up"
Down
- 1New parent's reason for canceling plans
- 24/4
- 3Fraction of a byte
- 4Symbol next to a tainted record
- 5Singer's contribution to a song
- 6Long-necked birds
- 7___ golf
- 8Sounded, as a doorbell
- 14"Dude!"
- 15___ Air (neighborhood in L.A.)
Crossword clues, hints, and answers
Across
- 1. Tapioca pearls — Answer: BOBA
- 5. Disappear into thin air — Answer: VANISH
- 7. "C'mon, we expect more from you" — Answer: DOBETTER
- 9. Dangerous, as a winter sidewalk — Answer: ICY
- 10. Social media ___ (what we're in now) — Answer: ERA
- 11. Feeling down — Answer: SAD
- 12. Director Howard — Answer: RON
- 13. Nightlife for which Miami is famous — Answer: CLUBBING
- 16. Cause of early aging — Answer: STRESS
- 17. The sun in "sunnyside up" — Answer: YOLK
Down
- 1. New parent's reason for canceling plans — Answer: BABYDUTY
- 2. 4/4 — Answer: ONE
- 3. Fraction of a byte — Answer: BIT
- 4. Symbol next to a tainted record — Answer: ASTERISK
- 5. Singer's contribution to a song — Answer: VOCALS
- 6. Long-necked birds — Answer: HERONS
- 7. ___ golf — Answer: DISC
- 8. Sounded, as a doorbell — Answer: RANG
- 14. "Dude!" — Answer: BRO
- 15. ___ Air (neighborhood in L.A.) — Answer: BEL
Here are the NYT Mini Crossword answers for Saturday, January 3, 2026 — every across and down solution for that day's 5×5 puzzle, listed at the top of this page. Whether you're catching up on a Mini you missed, settling a “what was the answer on January 3?” question, or checking a grid you finished that day, the complete clue-by-clue solution is right here. If you're after today's puzzle instead, head to our live NYT Mini answers page.
NYT Mini answers for January 3, 2026
The full solution for the January 3 Mini is shown above, laid out clue by clue — every Across answer followed by every Down answer, exactly as that day's grid read. Because the Mini is a compact 5×5, one missing letter tends to block several crossing answers at once, so each answer is listed separately: you can check just the one you were stuck on and leave the rest. This is the confirmed grid as published on Saturday, January 3.
Hints for the January 3 Mini
Not ready for the full answer? Here are lighter, spoiler-free nudges for that day's puzzle before the solutions above. The January 3 Mini fell on a Saturday, and while the Mini keeps a fairly even difficulty all week, its clues lean on quick general knowledge and current culture — so a single unfamiliar name is usually the one square that trips solvers up. Use the hints for that day's trickiest clues, then reveal the answers above only if you need them.
Looking for a different day?
- ← NYT Mini answers for January 2
- → NYT Mini answers for January 4
- Today's NYT Mini answers — the live puzzle
- Browse the full archive of past NYT Mini answers from the today page, or step through the dates above.
Prefer to solve rather than peek? The play button opens the puzzle so you can try that day's grid yourself, then come back to check your answers. Stuck on a single clue from any puzzle, our crossword solver reveals just that answer from your known letters.
Frequently asked questions
What were the NYT Mini Crossword answers on January 3, 2026?
Every across and down answer for the Saturday, January 3, 2026 Mini is listed at the top of this page — the confirmed grid as published that day.
Where can I find today's NYT Mini answers?
Today's live puzzle is on our NYT Mini answers today page, updated the moment each new Mini goes live.
How do I look up a different date?
Use the previous/next links above to step day by day, or open the today page to browse the full dated archive.