April 5, 2026 NYT Mini Crossword Hints and Answers

Today’s mini crossword carries a festive Easter theme, with several clues tied directly to the holiday. Whether you breezed through it or got stuck on a tricky entry, all the clues and answers for April 5, 2026 are below.

What Is the NYT Mini Crossword?

The NYT Mini Crossword is a compact 5×5 version of the classic New York Times crossword puzzle. It publishes daily and is designed to be solved in just a few minutes, making it a popular warm-up for crossword fans or a quick brain exercise for casual players. Unlike the full crossword, the Mini typically features shorter, snappier clues — but that doesn’t always mean easy. Themed puzzles like today’s Easter edition add an extra layer of wordplay that can catch solvers off guard.

Across Clues and Answers

1 Across: Contents of an Easter basket

Answer: EGGS

A classic Easter basket filler. Hard-boiled, chocolate, or plastic — EGGS are the quintessential symbol of the holiday and the perfect opener for today’s seasonal Mini.

5 Across: Check out the contents of someone else’s medicine cabinet, say

Answer: SNOOP

A fun, slightly guilty-pleasure clue. To SNOOP is to pry or investigate where you arguably shouldn’t. The clue paints a vivid picture of nosy houseguest behavior.

6 Across: Menzel of Broadway

Answer: IDINA

Idina Menzel is the Tony Award-winning Broadway actress best known for originating the role of Elphaba in Wicked and later voicing Elsa in Frozen. Her first name is a reliable crossword entry.

7 Across: Carrier of an Easter basket

Answer: BUNNY

The Easter BUNNY pairs perfectly with 1 Across. Today’s constructor leaned fully into the holiday theme with this symmetrical pairing — EGGS in the basket, BUNNY carrying it.

8 Across: Org. for Rory McIlroy

Answer: PGA

Rory McIlroy is one of professional golf’s biggest names, and the PGA (Professional Golfers’ Association) is the governing body for his sport. A clean, three-letter fill for the bottom row.

Down Clues and Answers

1 Down: Turn out to be

Answer: ENDUP

“Turn out to be” — as in “it will END UP being fine.” A two-word phrasal verb compressed into a single crossword entry. The E from EGGS kicks this one off.

2 Down: “Where do you think you’re ___?”

Answer: GOING

A familiar scolding phrase: “Where do you think you’re GOING?” The G is shared with EGGS, giving this down entry a natural anchor at the top.

3 Down: About to, slangily

Answer: GONNA

Slang for “going to,” as in “I’m GONNA solve this puzzle.” Casual and conversational — a nice contrast to the more formal across clues.

4 Down: Sterilize, as a cat

Answer: SPAY

A veterinary term. To SPAY a female cat is to surgically remove her reproductive organs to prevent pregnancy. Straightforward once you know it, but the clue can trip up solvers who aren’t familiar with the term.

5 Down: Brother or sister, for short

Answer: SIB

Short for sibling, SIB is a common crossword abbreviation. Clued simply and cleanly — a good way to wrap up the Down section.

More Daily Puzzle Help

Looking for more puzzle solutions? Check out these recent Mini Crossword posts:

Also solving other NYT puzzles today? These might help:

Shahid Maqsood

Shahid Maqsood is a digital entrepreneur and SEO specialist focused on building engaging web experiences. He is the creator of DotWordle, combining creativity with smart, user-friendly design.