NYT Mini Crossword Answers for October 18, 2024

The New York Times Mini Crossword, a compact and succinct version of the traditional crossword puzzle, continues to entice puzzle enthusiasts with its brain-teasing clues and swift completion time. On Friday, October 18, 2024, several tricky clues had participants reaching for help.

Among the most challenging clues was the reference to basketball legend Wilt Chamberlain having achieved “100 in a single N.B.A. game,” which was abbreviated as “PTS” for points—a monumental achievement in the world of sports. Poet Robert Frost also made an appearance with his famous line “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I — I took the one less traveled by,” with ‘FROST’ being the correct answer.

The crossword puzzle featured a five by five grid with clues in both the across and down directions. Some across clues included “Packers make picks in it, for short,” which the answer was “NFL,” and “The ‘S’ of NYSE,” which translates to “STOCK.” Participants also encountered “Slow ___ (South Asian primate)” and “Like twilight,” referring to “LORIS” and “DUSKY,” respectively.

In the down direction, clues like “Still sleeping” (“NOT UP”) and “Dog kisses” (“LICKS”) presented their own challenges. The puzzle also included “Trippy drug” with the answer “LSD” and “The air up there” leads to “SKY.”

Commenting on the experience, Kris Holt, a video games and word games writer, noted that while some clues were straightforward, others required more time and effort to piece together the correct responses. Holt shared, “NFL, for instance, is one that I should have gotten right away. It was on the tip of my fingers, and then it wasn’t.”

The NYT Mini Crossword is part of a series of games offered by The New York Times, which also includes Wordle, Connections, and Strands. Unlike the larger traditional crossword, the Mini version is free to play online or via the NYT Games app. However, to delve into past puzzles, a subscription is required.