Skip to main content

Finish off, as a tube of toothpaste — NYT Mini Crossword Clue (October 19, 2025)

Word Tips labels this clue a total-depletion moment. The Mini locks in USEUP, a five-letter workhorse that tells you to squeeze every last bit out. Apostrophes appear as ' and quotation marks as " so the markup stays compression proof.

4 Across

Finish off, as a tube of toothpaste

USEUP

The clue speaks in plain English. You twist the tube, roll it, and literally use it up. Word Tips gives the hint "Totally deplete," which mirrors the phrasing. The answer plays clean with the rest of the grid, sharing the U with GUTS and the P with UGLY, so your crosses lock it down fast.

Crossing Helpers

  • 1-Across GAG confirms tricky letters instantly so the five-letter entry stays airtight.
  • 1-Down GUTS confirms tricky letters instantly so the five-letter entry stays airtight.
  • 2-Down ASAP confirms tricky letters instantly so the five-letter entry stays airtight.
  • 5-Down UGLY confirms tricky letters instantly so the five-letter entry stays airtight.

Faster Fill Notes

Meaning Check

Word Tips literally says "Totally deplete." When the clue chunks two ideas together (finish + toothpaste), it begs for the phrasal verb USEUP.

Synonym Sweep

Ignore options like EMPTY or ENDIT. Those repeat letters do not fit the crossing pattern and do not match the clue's cozy, domestic tone.

Alternate Clue

Treat it as "Get the last drop out of a bottle." The Mini loves to swap toothpaste for ketchup or lotion, so remember this rhythm for future puzzles.

Solve Smart

Write in USEUP once you confirm the U from GUTS. That one cross answers the only potential ambiguity between USEUP and EXHAUST.