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Mini #325 · Friday

Our Mini Crossword Hints — August 21, 2026

Step-by-step hints for Mini #325, 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: PurchaseHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about what you do at a store.
  2. Hint 2: This is the opposite of selling something.
  3. Hint 3: It means to acquire something with money, and it starts with B.
4 Across: Soy-based protein in vegetarian dishesHint
  1. Hint 1: This is a common meat substitute found in many cuisines.
  2. Hint 2: It's made from soybeans and often comes in blocks that absorb flavor.
  3. Hint 3: This protein source is popular in vegan cooking, and it starts with T.
5 Across: Excited shout of joyHint
  1. Hint 1: Picture someone jumping for joy.
  2. Hint 2: It's the sound you might make after winning something exciting.
  3. Hint 3: This is an exclamation of delight, and it starts with W.
6 Across: Round-bottomed pans for stir-fryingHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about kitchen tools used for Asian cooking.
  2. Hint 2: These pans have a curved shape perfect for quickly cooking vegetables and meat over high heat.
  3. Hint 3: This cookware is used for stir-frying, and it starts with W.
7 Across: Tax-collecting U.S. agency, in briefHint
  1. Hint 1: This is a government body most people deal with every April.
  2. Hint 2: It's the agency responsible for collecting federal income taxes in America.
  3. Hint 3: This abbreviation refers to the U.S. tax authority, and it starts with I.

Down

1 Down: Library's stockHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about what fills the shelves of a library.
  2. Hint 2: These are the physical items you borrow to read.
  3. Hint 3: This word refers to a library's collection, and it starts with B.
2 Down: Things some claim to spot in the sky, brieflyHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about mysterious sightings in the sky.
  2. Hint 2: People often report seeing these when they think they've spotted aliens.
  3. Hint 3: This abbreviation refers to unidentified flying objects, and it starts with U.
3 Down: "Yeah, sure"Hint
  1. Hint 1: This is a casual way to agree with someone.
  2. Hint 2: It's a relaxed, informal version of saying 'yes'.
  3. Hint 3: This word means agreement in a laid-back tone, and it starts with Y.
4 Down: Hammer-wielding Marvel superheroHint
  1. Hint 1: Think of an Avengers character with a famous weapon.
  2. Hint 2: This god of thunder wields a mighty hammer called Mjolnir.
  3. Hint 3: This Marvel superhero is Odin's son, and it starts with T.
5 Down: Conflict of 1914-1918, in briefHint
  1. Hint 1: This refers to a major global conflict in the early 20th century.
  2. Hint 2: It came before a second, even larger world conflict.
  3. Hint 3: This abbreviation stands for the first global war, and it starts with W.

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 #325 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

  • 3-Down, “Yeah, sure”, is written as a quotation, so the answer is usually something you could say with the same meaning.
  • 7-Across, “Tax-collecting U.S. agency, in brief”, is marked as a short form, so expect an abbreviated answer.
  • 2-Down, “Things some claim to spot in the sky, briefly”, is marked as a short form, so expect an abbreviated answer.
  • 5-Down, “Conflict of 1914-1918, in brief”, is marked as a short form, so expect an abbreviated answer.
  • Some clues lean on a name or title, such as 7-Across, “Tax-collecting U.S. agency, in brief” and 4-Down, “Hammer-wielding Marvel superhero”; if one is unfamiliar, work its crossing answers first.

More for August 21, 2026

Rather see the grid first? Play Mini #325. 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 #324 (August 20, 2026), opens with 1-Across, “Similar or related”; the day after, Mini #326 (August 22, 2026), opens with 1-Across, “Org. for retired folks (abbr.)”.

August 21, 2026 Mini Crossword hints FAQ

Are these hints for the August 21, 2026 Mini Crossword?
Yes. Every clue on this page is from our own August 21, 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/2026-08-21 reveals one answer at a time.