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Mini #327 · Sunday

Our Mini Crossword Hints — August 23, 2026

Step-by-step hints for Mini #327, 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: Pleads earnestlyHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about how someone might desperately ask for something.
  2. Hint 2: This is what you do when you implore or beg for mercy, almost like pleading on your knees.
  3. Hint 3: It means to plead earnestly, and it starts with B.
5 Across: 44th U.S. presidentHint
  1. Hint 1: This is about a recent American leader.
  2. Hint 2: He served two terms starting in 2009 and later won a Nobel Peace Prize.
  3. Hint 3: He was the 44th U.S. president, and his last name starts with O.
7 Across: Like ancient Rome, or a numeral like IVHint
  1. Hint 1: This word connects an ancient empire with a style of numbers.
  2. Hint 2: Think of the empire that built the Colosseum, and also numerals like I, V, X.
  3. Hint 3: It describes both ancient Rome and numerals like IV, and it starts with R.
8 Across: Choose by votingHint
  1. Hint 1: This is what happens during an election.
  2. Hint 2: It's the act of picking someone through voting, like choosing a president.
  3. Hint 3: It means to choose by voting, and it starts with E.
9 Across: Poses questionsHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about what someone does when curious.
  2. Hint 2: This is what you do when you pose questions to get information.
  3. Hint 3: It means to pose questions, and it starts with A.

Down

1 Down: Dull, tiresome personHint
  1. Hint 1: This describes someone who makes conversations feel endless.
  2. Hint 2: Think of a person who talks on and on until you're bored to tears.
  3. Hint 3: It means a dull, tiresome person, and it starts with B.
2 Down: Deadly virus with an outbreak in West AfricaHint
  1. Hint 1: This is a serious illness that made global headlines a while back.
  2. Hint 2: Think of a deadly virus that caused a major outbreak in West Africa around 2014.
  3. Hint 3: It's the name of that dangerous virus, and it starts with E.
3 Down: The Olympics, for shortHint
  1. Hint 1: This is a major international sports event held every few years.
  2. Hint 2: Think of gold medals, opening ceremonies, and athletes from many countries.
  3. Hint 3: It's another way to say the Olympics, and it starts with G.
4 Down: Loud kiss, or a sharp slapHint
  1. Hint 1: This word can describe either an affectionate act or a sudden strike.
  2. Hint 2: Think of the sound of a big kiss or the sound of a hand hitting something hard.
  3. Hint 3: It means a loud kiss or a sharp slap, and it starts with S.
6 Down: Picnic pestsHint
  1. Hint 1: These are tiny creatures that love to crash outdoor meals.
  2. Hint 2: Think of small insects that march in line and show up uninvited at your sandwich.
  3. Hint 3: They're the pests that often ruin picnics, and the word starts with A.

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 #327 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

  • 3-Down, “The Olympics, for short”, is marked as a short form, so expect an abbreviated answer.
  • Some clues lean on a name or title, such as 5-Across, “44th U.S. president”, 7-Across, “Like ancient Rome, or a numeral like IV”, 2-Down, “Deadly virus with an outbreak in West Africa” and 3-Down, “The Olympics, for short”; if one is unfamiliar, work its crossing answers first.

More for August 23, 2026

Rather see the grid first? Play Mini #327. 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 #326 (August 22, 2026), opens with 1-Across, “Org. for retired folks (abbr.)”; the day after, Mini #328 (August 24, 2026), opens with 1-Across, “In the middle of”.

August 23, 2026 Mini Crossword hints FAQ

Are these hints for the August 23, 2026 Mini Crossword?
Yes. Every clue on this page is from our own August 23, 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/2026-08-23 reveals one answer at a time.