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Mini #329 · Tuesday

Our Mini Crossword Hints — August 25, 2026

Step-by-step hints for Mini #329, 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: Block a drainHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about what happens when something gets stuck in a pipe.
  2. Hint 2: This is what a plumber might have to deal with when water won't flow.
  3. Hint 3: It means to block or obstruct something, and it starts with C.
5 Across: Member of our speciesHint
  1. Hint 1: This word describes what you and everyone reading this are.
  2. Hint 2: It's the biological term for people as a species, not an animal.
  3. Hint 3: It means a person or person-kind, and it starts with H.
7 Across: FoeHint
  1. Hint 1: Think of the opposite of a friend.
  2. Hint 2: This is someone who opposes or wishes harm to you, like a rival in war.
  3. Hint 3: It means an adversary, and it starts with E.
8 Across: Employee's earningsHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about what you get on payday.
  2. Hint 2: This is the money paid to a worker for their labor, often hourly.
  3. Hint 3: It means salary or pay, and it starts with W.
9 Across: UncommonHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about something that doesn't happen very often.
  2. Hint 2: This describes something scarce or unusual, the opposite of common.
  3. Hint 3: It means unusual or scarce, and it starts with R.

Down

1 Down: Munch onHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about what your teeth do to food.
  2. Hint 2: This is the action of biting and grinding food before swallowing.
  3. Hint 3: It means to bite and grind with your teeth, and it starts with C.
2 Down: Relating to the moonHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about something connected to the night sky's satellite.
  2. Hint 2: This word describes anything to do with Earth's natural satellite.
  3. Hint 3: It means relating to the moon, and it starts with L.
3 Down: Last letter of the Greek alphabetHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about the Greek alphabet's final symbol.
  2. Hint 2: This word is often used to mean 'the end' or the last one in a series.
  3. Hint 3: It's the last letter of the Greek alphabet, and it starts with O.
4 Down: One playing on a console?Hint
  1. Hint 1: Think about someone who spends hours with a controller in hand.
  2. Hint 2: This person plays video games, often on a console like PlayStation or Xbox.
  3. Hint 3: It means a video game player, and it starts with G.
6 Down: Wall Street exchange, for shortHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about where stocks are traded in a famous American city.
  2. Hint 2: This is the abbreviation for the major stock exchange located on Wall Street.
  3. Hint 3: It's the New York Stock Exchange's abbreviation, and it 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 #329 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

  • 4-Down, “One playing on a console?”, ends in a question mark, which in crosswords usually signals wordplay.
  • 6-Down, “Wall Street exchange, for short”, is marked as a short form, so expect an abbreviated answer.
  • Some clues lean on a name or title, such as 3-Down, “Last letter of the Greek alphabet” and 6-Down, “Wall Street exchange, for short”; if one is unfamiliar, work its crossing answers first.

More for August 25, 2026

Rather see the grid first? Play Mini #329. 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 #328 (August 24, 2026), opens with 1-Across, “In the middle of”; the day after, Mini #330 (August 26, 2026), opens with 1-Across, “Coffee ___ (a single one of these makes a cup)”.

August 25, 2026 Mini Crossword hints FAQ

Are these hints for the August 25, 2026 Mini Crossword?
Yes. Every clue on this page is from our own August 25, 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/2026-08-25 reveals one answer at a time.