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Mini #331 · Thursday

Our Mini Crossword Hints — August 27, 2026

Step-by-step hints for Mini #331, 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: Belonging to himHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about possessive pronouns used for a male person.
  2. Hint 2: If something belongs to a man, you'd say it is this word.
  3. Hint 3: Means 'belonging to that man'; starts with H.
4 Across: Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, e.g.Hint
  1. Hint 1: This is about a famous piece of classical music and its number in a series.
  2. Hint 2: Beethoven's most famous symphony, known for its 'Ode to Joy' finale, has this ordinal number.
  3. Hint 3: The ordinal number for nine; starts with N.
6 Across: Dome-shaped snow houseHint
  1. Hint 1: Think of a type of shelter built from a specific cold-weather material.
  2. Hint 2: This rounded shelter is traditionally built by Inuit people from blocks of packed snow.
  3. Hint 3: A snow house with a dome shape; starts with I.
7 Across: "Been ___, done that"Hint
  1. Hint 1: This phrase is often used to say you've already experienced something.
  2. Hint 2: It's the middle word in the common expression about having already done something before.
  3. Hint 3: Completes the phrase 'been ___, done that'; starts with T.
8 Across: Pig's penHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about where farm animals like pigs are kept.
  2. Hint 2: This is the enclosed area on a farm where pigs live and roll in mud.
  3. Hint 3: A pig's enclosure; starts with S.

Down

1 Down: Emotional peaksHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about strong emotional moments, especially good ones.
  2. Hint 2: These are the best, most exciting or joyful moments in life.
  3. Hint 3: Moments of great emotion or excitement; starts with H.
2 Down: Small arm of the seaHint
  1. Hint 1: Think of a geographic feature where the sea meets the land in a narrow way.
  2. Hint 2: This is a slender strip of water reaching into the land from a larger body of water.
  3. Hint 3: A narrow strip of water from the sea into land; starts with I.
3 Down: Tale told at bedtimeHint
  1. Hint 1: Think of what a parent might read to a child before sleep.
  2. Hint 2: This is a narrative told to help someone fall asleep, often with a happy ending.
  3. Hint 3: A tale told at night before sleep; starts with S.
4 Down: Tiny egg of a louseHint
  1. Hint 1: Think of something tiny that you really don't want in your hair.
  2. Hint 2: This is the small egg laid by a head lice.
  3. Hint 3: The egg of a louse; starts with N.
5 Down: Garden tool for weedingHint
  1. Hint 1: Think of a common tool used in gardening.
  2. Hint 2: This long-handled tool is used to remove unwanted plants from soil.
  3. Hint 3: A tool for weeding a garden; starts with H.

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 #331 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, 8-Across, 4-Down and 5-Down; the five-letter slots are 4-Across, 6-Across, 7-Across, 1-Down, 2-Down and 3-Down.

Clues to try first

  • 7-Across, “Been ___, done that”, is a fill-in-the-blank: say the phrase out loud and the missing word often jumps out.
  • Some clues lean on a name or title, such as 4-Across, “Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, e.g.”; if one is unfamiliar, work its crossing answers first.

More for August 27, 2026

Rather see the grid first? Play Mini #331. 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 #330 (August 26, 2026), opens with 1-Across, “Coffee ___ (a single one of these makes a cup)”; the day after, Mini #332 (August 28, 2026), opens with 1-Across, “Grocery shopper's checklist”.

August 27, 2026 Mini Crossword hints FAQ

Are these hints for the August 27, 2026 Mini Crossword?
Yes. Every clue on this page is from our own August 27, 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/2026-08-27 reveals one answer at a time.