NYT Mini October 12, 2025: 5D - Sudden shock

Answer: JOLT

4 letters

Synonym Spotlight

JOLT captures both the physical and emotional dimensions of a sudden shock. Crossword editors love this punchy four-letter word because it fits a wide range of contexts—from caffeine hits to unexpected twists. The brevity and consonant cluster make it a regular in Minis and weekday puzzles alike.

Crossing Details

Shares J with JOKER, cementing the opening consonant.
O and L align with LOTUS and COLOR, underscoring vowel consistency.
T meets DRESS, sealing the plural-friendly ending in the downs.

Solving Tip

Build a mental roster of compact impact words—JOLT, JAR, STUN, SHOCK—since they rotate through Minis regularly. When a clue mentions a sudden sensation, test each option against the letter count and crossings.

Extend Your Mastery

In larger grids, JOLT can appear in idioms like JOLT OF ENERGY or ELECTRIC JOLT. Recognizing how constructors reuse core vocabulary across clue difficulty levels saves valuable solving time.

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NYT Mini October 12, 2025: 5D - Sudden shock

Answer: JOLT

Synonym Spotlight

Crossing Details

Solving Tip

Extend Your Mastery

NYT Mini Puzzle Crossword

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