You're staring at those blank squares again. It happens to the best of us, especially when the New York Times decides to throw a curveball into what should be a two-minute brain exercise. Today’s puzzle—Wednesday, January 14, 2026—is a mix of modern slang and some surprisingly deep history. If you're stuck on why the ancient Chinese used tea as currency or can't remember that specific 2024 film role, don't sweat it.
The Mini is supposed to be quick, but "quick" is relative when your brain hasn't had enough caffeine yet.
Honestly, the ny mini answers today are pretty straightforward once you see them, but the clues for "GHOST" and "MONEY" might trip you up if you're overthinking the wordplay. Let's just get into the solve.
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NY Mini Answers Today (Across)
Sometimes the across clues are the only way to break into the grid. Today, the 1-Across starts with a digital etiquette (or lack thereof) term that everyone under 40 knows all too well.
- 1A: Abruptly stop texting — The answer is GHOST. It’s that classic modern move where you just vanish from a conversation without a word.
- 6A: Shaving kit item — This one is RAZOR. Nothing fancy here, just a literal tool for your morning routine.
- 7A: 2024 film role for which Mikey Madison won Best Actress — The answer is ANORA. This refers to the titular role in the Sean Baker film that made huge waves a couple of years back.
- 8A: The ancient Chinese used compressed blocks of tea leaves as this — The answer is MONEY. This is a cool bit of trivia. Tea bricks were actually used as a form of currency because they were portable and held intrinsic value.
- 9A: Shape of a round chart — This is PIE. Think "pie chart." Simple as that.
NY Mini Answers Today (Down)
If the across clues didn't give you enough letters to work with, the down clues for January 14 should clear things up.
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- 1D: Dad's dad, informally — The answer is GRAMP. Not "Gramps," just GRAMP. That missing "S" is usually what catches people off guard.
- 2D: Capital of Vietnam — The answer is HANOI. A classic five-letter crossword staple.
- 3D: ___ layer, part of Earth's atmosphere — The answer is OZONE. We're talking about the layer that protects us from UV rays.
- 4D: How you might wake up after sleeping funny — The answer is SORE. We've all been there—wake up and suddenly your neck won't turn to the left.
- 5D: Cafeteria food carrier — The answer is TRAY.
Why Today's Puzzle Feels Different
The NYT Mini usually avoids heavy trivia, but including ANORA at 7A shows how the editors are leaning into more recent pop culture. Mikey Madison’s performance was a breakout moment, and seeing it show up in a 2026 puzzle makes sense—it’s stayed in the cultural conversation.
The inclusion of MONEY for tea leaves is the "aha!" moment of the day. Most people think of gold, silver, or shells when they think of ancient currency. Using a commodity like tea—which you could literally eat or drink if the economy collapsed—is a fascinatng historical nugget that makes the Mini feel smarter than your average word search.
Speed Solving Strategy
If you're trying to land on the leaderboard with a sub-30 second time, you've gotta skip the clues you don't know instantly. For today, if you didn't know the Vietnam capital or the Mikey Madison role, the 1-Across (GHOST) and 9-Across (PIE) were the easiest anchors.
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Once you have the "G" from Ghost and the "P" from Pie, the 1-Down (GRAMP) becomes much more obvious. A lot of people lose seconds by trying to force an answer that doesn't fit the letter count. If "Grandpa" is too long, try "Gramps." If that's too long, "Gramp" is your winner.
Actionable Next Steps for Solvers
- Check your 1-Down: If you put "Gramps" with an 'S', your 9-Across won't work. Make sure it's just GRAMP.
- Memorize Crossword Staples: Words like HANOI and OZONE appear frequently because of their vowel-heavy structure. They are "grid fillers" that help constructors link more difficult words together.
- Watch Anora: If you haven't seen the film Mikey Madison won for, it's worth the watch. Not just for the crossword cred, but because it's genuinely great cinema.
By keeping these patterns in mind, you'll find that the ny mini answers today aren't just a one-off win, but a way to train your brain for tomorrow's grid.