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Mini #320 · Sunday

Our Mini Crossword Hints — August 16, 2026

Step-by-step hints for Mini #320, 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
Spoiler-light

Across

1 Across: Deep singing voiceHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about the different vocal ranges used in choirs or singing groups.
  2. Hint 2: This is the lowest male singing voice, deeper than tenor or baritone.
  3. Hint 3: It's the term for a low-pitched voice or instrument, starts with B.
5 Across: Hunt of "Mission: Impossible," first nameHint
  1. Hint 1: This is a character's first name from a famous spy movie franchise.
  2. Hint 2: Tom Cruise plays this daring agent who often runs and jumps in action scenes.
  3. Hint 3: It's the first name of the Mission Impossible hero, starts with E.
7 Across: Sense of fashionHint
  1. Hint 1: This word describes how someone dresses or presents themselves.
  2. Hint 2: Think of the word used for flair, elegance, or a designer's signature look.
  3. Hint 3: It means a distinctive way of dressing or doing things, starts with S.
8 Across: Squares on a bathroom floorHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about what covers the floor or walls in a bathroom.
  2. Hint 2: These are the flat, often ceramic pieces arranged in a grid pattern on floors.
  3. Hint 3: It's the plural word for flooring squares, starts with T.
9 Across: Fluid-filled lump under the skinHint
  1. Hint 1: This is a medical term for a small bump that can form under the skin.
  2. Hint 2: It's a sac-like growth filled with liquid, often harmless but sometimes needing removal.
  3. Hint 3: It's the word for a fluid-filled skin lump, starts with C.

Down

1 Down: Better than all the restHint
  1. Hint 1: This word means the top choice or the finest option available.
  2. Hint 2: Think superlative form of 'good' — nothing beats it.
  3. Hint 3: It means unsurpassed or top-quality, starts with B.
2 Down: Storage space just under the roofHint
  1. Hint 1: This is a part of a house often used for storing old boxes and memories.
  2. Hint 2: It's the space right below the roof, sometimes with a small window.
  3. Hint 3: It's the word for a roof-level storage room, starts with A.
3 Down: In a bashful mannerHint
  1. Hint 1: This describes someone who is shy or timid in their behavior.
  2. Hint 2: Think of how someone acts when they're too embarrassed to speak up confidently.
  3. Hint 3: It means in a timid or modest way, starts with S.
4 Down: Retail transactions, or big store eventsHint
  1. Hint 1: This word relates to buying and selling, especially discounted events at stores.
  2. Hint 2: Think of what stores call their big discount events or the transactions themselves.
  3. Hint 3: It's the word for purchases or discount events, starts with S.
6 Down: Bird's cozy homeHint
  1. Hint 1: This is where a bird lives and lays its eggs.
  2. Hint 2: Think of a small, twig-woven shelter built high in a tree.
  3. Hint 3: It's the word for a bird's home, starts with N.

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 #320 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 four-letter slots are 1-Across, 9-Across, 1-Down and 6-Down; the five-letter slots are 5-Across, 7-Across, 8-Across, 2-Down, 3-Down and 4-Down.

Clues to try first

  • Some clues lean on a name or title, such as 5-Across, “Hunt of ‘Mission: Impossible,’ first name”; if one is unfamiliar, work its crossing answers first.

More for August 16, 2026

Rather see the grid first? Play Mini #320. When you're done, the answer key reveals one answer at a time, and the printable copy is there for paper solvers. The day before, Mini #319 (August 15, 2026), opens with 1-Across, “Composer of ‘The Well-Tempered Clavier’”; the day after, Mini #321 (August 17, 2026), opens with 1-Across, “Hint for a detective”.

August 16, 2026 Mini Crossword hints FAQ

Are these hints for the August 16, 2026 Mini Crossword?
Yes. Every clue on this page is from our own August 16, 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/2026-08-16 reveals one answer at a time.