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Mini #321 · Monday

Our Mini Crossword Hints — August 17, 2026

Step-by-step hints for Mini #321, 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: Hint for a detectiveHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about what a detective or puzzle solver looks for.
  2. Hint 2: This is the kind of thing a mystery reader or crossword itself relies on to make progress.
  3. Hint 3: A piece of evidence pointing to an answer, starts with C.
5 Across: Repeated phrase at a protestHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about what crowds do together at a rally.
  2. Hint 2: This is a rhythmic phrase people shout in unison to support a cause.
  3. Hint 3: A repeated slogan yelled by a crowd, starts with C.
6 Across: Green spot in the desertHint
  1. Hint 1: Picture a lush area surrounded by sand.
  2. Hint 2: Travelers crossing a desert dream of finding this with water and palm trees.
  3. Hint 3: A fertile spot in a desert with water, starts with O.
7 Across: Hazy, like a foggy morningHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about weather that makes it hard to see clearly.
  2. Hint 2: This describes air filled with fog or haze, blurring the view.
  3. Hint 3: A word for foggy or blurry conditions, starts with M.
8 Across: Brothers, informallyHint
  1. Hint 1: Think of a casual way to refer to male siblings or close friends.
  2. Hint 2: This is a shortened, informal version of a word for male siblings.
  3. Hint 3: A casual term for guys or brothers, starts with B.

Down

1 Down: Seat with a back and four legsHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about furniture you sit on.
  2. Hint 2: This piece of furniture usually has four legs and something to lean your back against.
  3. Hint 3: A single seat with a backrest, starts with C.
2 Down: Cowboy's roping ropeHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about tools used on a ranch.
  2. Hint 2: This is the loop of rope cowboys use to catch cattle or horses.
  3. Hint 3: A rope used for roping livestock, starts with L.
3 Down: Basic building blocks of measurementHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about how things are measured, like inches or grams.
  2. Hint 2: These are the standard amounts used to quantify things in math or science.
  3. Hint 3: The basic quantities used in measurement systems, starts with U.
4 Down: Online marketplace for handmade goodsHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about a popular website for crafts and vintage items.
  2. Hint 2: This online platform lets independent sellers offer handmade or unique goods.
  3. Hint 3: A well-known e-commerce site for crafters, starts with E.
5 Down: Tool for tidying your hairHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about a small tool used to style your hair.
  2. Hint 2: This flat tool with teeth helps smooth or detangle your hair.
  3. Hint 3: A hair-grooming tool with teeth, starts with C.

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 #321 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, 8-Across, 4-Down and 5-Down; the five-letter slots are 5-Across, 6-Across, 7-Across, 1-Down, 2-Down and 3-Down.

Clues to try first

None of the ten clues is a fill-in-the-blank, a quotation, a question-mark clue or a marked short form. Read each one as a plain definition first. The shortest clue is 8-Across, “Brothers, informally”, at two words; the longest is 1-Down, “Seat with a back and four legs”, at seven words.

More for August 17, 2026

Rather see the grid first? Play Mini #321. 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 #320 (August 16, 2026), opens with 1-Across, “Deep singing voice”; the day after, Mini #322 (August 18, 2026), opens with 1-Across, “Send a document over a phone line”.

August 17, 2026 Mini Crossword hints FAQ

Are these hints for the August 17, 2026 Mini Crossword?
Yes. Every clue on this page is from our own August 17, 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/2026-08-17 reveals one answer at a time.