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Mini #295 · Wednesday

Our Mini Crossword Hints: July 22, 2026

Step-by-step hints for Mini #295, our own daily mini crossword. Looking for the New York Times Mini? That’s a different puzzle, published on nytimes.com.

Play puzzle firstAnswer key
All hints
10 clues
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Across

1 Across: Smash success at the box officeHint
  1. Hint 1: This describes a movie or song that becomes hugely popular.
  2. Hint 2: Think of a chart-topping song or blockbuster film that everyone's talking about.
  3. Hint 3: It means a big popular success, and it starts with H.
4 Across: The Capitol's rounded topHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about famous government buildings and their architecture.
  2. Hint 2: This is the curved, roof-like structure often seen atop capitol buildings and cathedrals.
  3. Hint 3: It's a rounded architectural roof shape, and it starts with D.
5 Across: Black-and-white bear that loves bambooHint
  1. Hint 1: This is a well-known animal found in zoos, native to China.
  2. Hint 2: It's famous for munching on bamboo all day and has distinctive black-and-white fur.
  3. Hint 3: It's a bear known for eating bamboo, and it starts with P.
6 Across: Messy personHint
  1. Hint 1: This word describes someone who isn't very tidy.
  2. Hint 2: Think of a casual, somewhat rude term for a person who leaves clutter everywhere.
  3. Hint 3: It means an untidy, careless person, and it starts with S.
7 Across: What we breatheHint
  1. Hint 1: This is something essential to life that surrounds us constantly.
  2. Hint 2: It's the invisible mixture of gases we inhale and exhale every moment.
  3. Hint 3: It's the gas mixture we breathe, and it starts with A.

Down

1 Down: Award for distinguished serviceHint
  1. Hint 1: This is something given to recognize someone's achievements or bravery.
  2. Hint 2: Think of a medal or title bestowed for outstanding service or respect.
  3. Hint 3: It means a mark of respect or recognition, and it starts with H.
2 Down: Popular movie ratings websiteHint
  1. Hint 1: This is a go-to website for checking movie and TV show information.
  2. Hint 2: People use this site to look up actors, ratings, and reviews for films.
  3. Hint 3: It's a well-known movie database website, and it starts with I.
3 Down: Hot drink brewed from leavesHint
  1. Hint 1: This is a beverage enjoyed hot, often with milk or sugar.
  2. Hint 2: It's made by steeping leaves in hot water, popular in Britain and Asia.
  3. Hint 3: It's a hot drink made from steeped leaves, and it starts with T.
4 Down: Surrealist painter Salvador ___Hint
  1. Hint 1: This artist is known for his bizarre, dreamlike paintings and eccentric mustache.
  2. Hint 2: Think of the famous Spanish surrealist behind 'The Persistence of Memory.'
  3. Hint 3: It's the surname of a famous surrealist painter, and it starts with D.
5 Down: Public service announcement, for shortHint
  1. Hint 1: This is a short message aimed at informing or educating the public.
  2. Hint 2: You might hear one on TV encouraging safe driving or health awareness.
  3. Hint 3: It's an abbreviation for a public awareness message, and it starts with P.

Use hints slowly

Reveal the first hint, try the grid again, then come back only if the crossing letters still do not move.

See answers

Before you open a hint

Mini #295 has ten clues, so this page holds 30 hints. Hint 1 points you at the idea, hint 2 narrows it down, and hint 3 all but gives it away. On this date, all ten third hints name the answer's first letter.

Short answers have the fewest possible fills, so they make a good start. The three-letter slots are 1-Across, 7-Across, 3-Down and 5-Down; the four-letter slots are 4-Across, 6-Across, 2-Down and 4-Down; the five-letter slots are 5-Across and 1-Down.

Clues to try first

  • 4-Down, “Surrealist painter Salvador ___”, is a fill-in-the-blank: say the phrase out loud and the missing word often jumps out.
  • 5-Down, “Public service announcement, for short”, is marked as a short form, so expect an abbreviated answer.
  • Some clues lean on a name or title, such as 4-Across, “The Capitol's rounded top” and 4-Down, “Surrealist painter Salvador ___”; if one is unfamiliar, work its crossing answers first.

More for July 22, 2026

Rather see the grid first? Play Mini #295. When you're done, the answer key reveals one answer at a time, and the printable copy is there for paper solvers. The day after, Mini #296 (July 23, 2026), opens with 1-Across, “Shellfish in chowder”.

July 22, 2026 Mini Crossword hints FAQ

Are these hints for the July 22, 2026 Mini Crossword?
Yes. Every clue on this page is from our own July 22, 2026 puzzle, with three hints each, from a gentle nudge to a strong push. The answers themselves are on the answer key page.
Is this the NYT Mini hints page?
No. This is an independent daily mini crossword. It is not affiliated with, authorized by, sponsored by, or endorsed by The New York Times.
What is the difference between hints and the answer key?
Hints move you toward the answer one step at a time so you can still solve it yourself. If you want to see a solution outright, the answer key at /answers/2026-07-22 reveals one answer at a time.