March 30, 2026 NYT Mini Crossword Hints and Answers

The NYT Mini Crossword for Monday, March 30, 2026 is live. If one of the clues has you stuck, scroll down for hints and full answers for every across and down entry.

What Is the NYT Mini Crossword?

The mini is a compact 5×5 grid version of the classic New York Times crossword puzzle. Unlike the full daily crossword — which can take anywhere from minutes to well over an hour depending on difficulty — the Mini is built for speed. Most solvers finish in under two minutes, which makes it a popular daily warm-up. It features five across clues and five down clues, and new NERO**

Down Clues and Answers

1 Down: “The ___ is up!”

Complete the classic phrase meaning the game has been discovered or the deception is over.

Answer: JIG

2 Down: Like lotus root and wax apples

Think of a broad geographic or cultural descriptor that applies to both of these foods, which are native to warm climates in the same part of the world.

Answer: ASIAN

3 Down: Drive dangerously in traffic

A verb describing erratic movement from lane to lane, often done at speed.

Answer: WEAVE

4 Down: Spanish title

A single-word honorific used in Spanish to address or refer to a man, equivalent to “Mr.” or “Sir.”

Answer: SENOR

5 Down: Scrabble value of D or G

Both of these letters are worth the same number of points in the classic board game.

Answer: TWO

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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.