r/NYTCrossword

I started doing the crosswords last December after spending the last few years assuming, mostly incorrectly, that they were inaccessible to me.

For reference, I’m totally blind and use screen-reading software that lets me navigate with keyboard commands and have everything read aloud.

Part of what slows me down is naturally just lack of knowledge in certain categories. I do the mini and midi every day, but I usually only do the regular crossword Monday–Wednesday because the later days still melt my brain.

The other issue, though, is that I can’t actually see the board. My experience of the puzzle is entirely letter-by-letter, so I have to memorize a lot or constantly double-check myself.

I navigate the grid with the arrow keys (which I think you probably do too?), but if I want to know what letter I already entered in a square, I have to hit Escape to move to the edit field, check the letter there, then return to the puzzle. It gets...tedious. Especially with longer answers.

Each square gets read aloud like:

“2D: Signature products of Napa Valley. Answer: 5 letters. Letter: 1.”

But it doesn’t automatically read the letter I already typed into that square unless I manually check the edit field.

The worst part is when I finish the puzzle but have one incorrect square somewhere. I have to individually check EVERY SINGLE SQUARE to find the error. On the mini it’s manageable because there are so few squares, but it still eats up valuable seconds if I’m trying to beat a certain time.

I’ve actually contacted NYT about this already a few months ago. If the screen reader announced the entered letter whenever I arrowed onto a square, it would help so much.

Anyway, today I finally managed a 54 second mini (and an 8:47 midi), and I’m proud of it 😂

Also, if there are any other blind players here who’ve figured out a better method, please let me know!

I started doing the NYT Mini on my phone on the train to stop doomscrolling during my commute. I live in a busy city and it had started bothering me how everyone, myself included, can disappear into our own little bubbles even when something weird is happening in the same subway car.

So I built a tiny routine: open the Mini, do it once, then put my phone away for a couple stops. The surprising thing is that it actually makes me look up more and do small, real things. Not trying to be a hero, just little gestures. If someone is wrestling with a stroller I hold the door. If someone looks lost I ask if they need directions. Once I even asked the guy next to me if he wanted to race the Mini, and we ended up chatting about how we each approach a blank grid.

It feels a little silly to credit a 5x5, but the Mini gives me a quick win and kills the urge to keep scrolling. When I am not glued to my screen I notice more, and that matters because I have been trying to be more intentional about basic bystander stuff and being a better neighbor.

Anyone else have a crossword or games app ritual tied to your day? Does it change how you show up in public spaces?

Both in App and on Website

Hi all-

Just finished the saturday from this weekend and it was delightful and DIFFICULT! I have been waiting for a harder saturday recently.

Wondering if someone could explain to me some of the weirder ones that I still don’t really get.

Matches with forensics - DEBATECONTESTS

Trigger hair - MANE

I kinda think the trigger hair one is a oldtimey phrase? But the internet just says it has connotations with anger?

I loved this puzzle and want to remember these difficult answers ! ZARF got me good

Has there ever been a NYT daily crossword with no black squares? Basically, where every answer is a 15 letter spanner, as I can’t imagine trying to make this work on a Sunday. I have been a regular solver for about 6 years, and have worked back through the archives to 2017, and don’t recall ever seeing one.

Was anyone else surprised by the “interesting” shape when you opened it up?

I like doing the NYT crossword when I'm bored in class, but I'm almost never able to fully fill it in. I'm not American, and almost every puzzle has at least a few clues that I either have to guess or look up. Common answers is struggle with are city codes ( '[sports team] on the scoreboard' , or airport codes), American football/baseball athletes, names of sports teams, brand names of brands that don't exist here, and abbreviated names of universities.

Do other people just look these up? Or do they memorize common clues/answers? Or do they just have more general knowledge of the US?

I’m looking to start up my streak but i’m wondering what rules you guys follow for yourselves. For example no auto correct but do you search online for clues or just ask people you know? Looking to make it challenging but doable.

Don't ever do this. But I have everything, went through everything, even compared it square to square to the answer key in the article.

I don't get it. What am I missing?

“Speedometer measurement in the UK”? (The easy clue for Friday’s 54-across)

Pretty sure this is wrong. The “regular clue” (pertaining to F1) may be correct (I don’t follow the sport), but “Speedometer measurement in the UK” is not a good clue.

Is there a nuance I’m missing?

I used to see the next day's crossword starting around 6 PM ish New York time but now it seems like they don't drop until midnight. I liked doing them a day in advance to keep my streak safe.

Subscriber (press and games) in sunny Australia. Have been trying for months to get to play the Midi, but doesn’t show up in the app or website. Even if I find a link to it, the end result is ‘this page no longer exists”.

Interested on whether others (particularly Aus and other countries) are having this issue?

IOS26, app reinstalled, logged in and out, etc. NYT not responding to bug reports and every other means of contacting them.