NYT Mini Crossword Answers & Hints – August 22, 2025

Main Takeaway: The completed grid spells DOMINOES in its circled boxes—a nod to the new NYT game Pips—and features a clever domino shape on the grid.

Across

1A. Places to store shovels and leaf blowers → SHEDS
5A. Coating for Babybel cheese → WAX
6A. “___ vs. Predator” (2004 sci-fi film) → ALIEN
8A. Streaming glitch → LAG
9A. Docking spots → PIERS
10A. Feature of a Southern accent → TWANG
14A. Sweet potato lookalike → YAM
15A. Top-notch, informally → PRIMO
17A. Greenskeeper’s roll of grass → SOD
18A. Campfire remnants → ASHES

Down

1D. Nickname for the Florida Gators football stadium, with “the” → SWAMP
2D. “2001: A Space Odyssey” villain → HAL
3D. Cast out from a country → EXILE
4D. “Uptown Funk” and “Downtown,” for two → SONGS
7D. “Can I bend your ___ for a second?” → EAR
10D. Like an ambitious, competitive personality → TYPEA
11D. Simple-to-play card game for two → WAR
12D. Simple-living sect → AMISH
13D. Shop owner’s stock → GOODS
16D. Barkeep on “The Simpsons” → MOE

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This Mini felt more challenging than a typical Friday puzzle but offered a satisfying “aha” moment when SHEDS, ALIEN, and SONGS unlocked the rest of the grid. Look for the domino silhouette and the circled letters spelling DOMINOES!