MailWord Small (Daily Mail)

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A smaller American-style crossword with British clues, new every day.

on dailymail.com

The MailWord Small crossword for 3 October 2026: an empty 11 by 11 grid with a help tip over it, across and down clues starting with Jamaican sectarian (5) and Arrest (3,2), an on-screen keyboard, and

MailWord Small is the Daily Mail's shorter daily crossword in the American style: an 11 by 11 grid where nearly every square is part of two answers, clued with short, plain definitions. One dated grid a day, free in the browser.

About MailWord Small (Daily Mail)

MailWord Small is the compact sister of MailWord Large on the Daily Mail games page; both carry the card line a US favourite with a British twist. The grid is 11 squares by 11 with only a few black squares, so answers interlock in both directions as in an American crossword, while the clues are short British-style definitions: Pig pen (3), Sail supports (5), Breakfast food (6), with a few film and celebrity fill-ins such as ___ Redmayne, actor.

The puzzle opens on a dated start screen. The grid is on the left, the across and down clues on the right with the current clue above them, and an on-screen keyboard below. Tapping the highlighted square switches direction. Options can highlight errors, show the solution or reset the puzzle, and Hint reveals an extra letter. A clock times you.

A new grid comes at midnight UK time for the UK edition; readers in the US get MailWord Small US, which follows New York time. It is free to play, with ads on the main site, and suits someone who wants a full crossword feel in a coffee break.

How to play MailWord Small (Daily Mail)

Open MailWord Small on the Daily Mail games page and press Start game.
Choose a clue from the list or tap a square in the grid.
Type the answer; tap the highlighted square to switch between across and down.
Use crossing letters for the harder clues, and Hint for an extra letter if you are stuck.
Complete the grid; Options can highlight errors or show the solution.

Screenshots

MailWord Small (Daily Mail) start screen: a two by two tile icon with the letters W and M, the title MailWord Small, the date 3 October 2026 and a Start game button on a light orange background

Tips

The fill-in-the-blank clues, like a film title or an actor's name, are often the fastest way in.
Answers given as two numbers, such as (3,2), are phrases; enter them without the space.
Work outward from a corner: in a dense grid each answer gives you letters for several others.
Leave error highlighting off until you are truly stuck.