Mini Crossword – puzzle for 21 October 2026

Mini Crossword is a tiny daily crossword: three or four words cross each other in a grid of at most 7×7, with one clue each. It takes a minute or two, perfect for a short break.

Every puzzle is checked before it goes live: spelling, fair clues, and a grid where every word fits cleanly.

How to play

1. Tap a cell to see its clue above the grid; the word's cells light up.
2. Type the letters with the on-screen keyboard or your own. Tap the same cell again to switch between across and down.
3. Check marks wrong letters in red. Reveal shows the whole puzzle (this counts as giving up).
4. The puzzle is done when every cell is right. Your time is recorded, and you can share it.

Tips

• Start with the clue you're surest of: every letter helps the crossing word.
• Use Check before Reveal when you're stuck.
• Watch tense, plurals and parts of speech in the clue.

Strategy

• In a mini every word crosses at least one other, so a single confident answer hands you letters in several places. If your first entry crosses two words, the rest of the grid often falls in under a minute.
• An across and a down entry that share a clue number start in the same cell, so they share their first letter. Knowing one gives you the opening letter of the other, which in a three- or four-letter word is frequently enough.
• Read clues for grammar as much as meaning. A plural clue points to a plural answer, a past-tense clue to a past-tense answer, and a clue ending in '(to)' or '(with)' usually wants an adjective or verb that takes that word.
• Check scans the whole grid at once and marks only wrong letters in red, without confirming the right ones. It is most useful when most cells are filled: one check then tells you the most, and your result shows fewer checks.

A worked example

Here is an example grid with four words. 1-Across is 'Purple stone fruit', and PLUM is a safe start. 1-Down, 'Fruit that is narrow at the top', begins on the same P, so PEAR goes in quickly. 2-Down, 'Tropical fruit with a large flat stone', starts on the M at the end of PLUM: MANGO.

That leaves 3-Across, 'Related (to)', which runs along the third row. You already have its first letter from PEAR and its last from MANGO, so the pattern is A _ _ N. AKIN fits the clue and the crossings, the last cell fills, and the timer stops.

History of the game

The first crossword was published by Liverpool-born journalist Arthur Wynne on 21 December 1913 in the New York World, under the name 'Word-Cross' and in a diamond-shaped grid. A craze followed in the 1920s: the very first book from publisher Simon & Schuster, in 1924, was a crossword collection, and The New York Times began running a regular puzzle in 1942.

The mini crossword as a quick daily format of its own was popularised by The New York Times in 2014, with puzzles by Joel Fagliano. PlayWord's Mini Crossword follows that tradition: a handful of words, a small grid and a solve that fits into a coffee break.

Frequently asked questions

How many words are there?

Three or four, each 3-7 letters long.

Does Check count against me?

You still solve the puzzle, but your result shows how many times you checked. Reveal counts as giving up.

Can I play earlier crosswords?

Yes, past days are available from the archive.

Does the timer keep running if I switch tabs?

No. Time only counts while the puzzle is open and visible. If you switch tabs or lock your phone the clock pauses and picks up again when you come back.

Why do I have to press Reveal twice?

The first tap asks for confirmation so you do not give up by accident. The second tap reveals the full solution, which counts as giving up.