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Mini #336 · Tuesday

Our Mini Crossword Hints — September 1, 2026

Step-by-step hints for Mini #336, 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: Vampire's pointy toothHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about the mouth of a classic horror movie creature.
  2. Hint 2: It's the sharp tooth that a vampire uses to bite necks, often shown dripping with blood in cartoons.
  3. Hint 3: This word means a long pointed tooth, especially a canine, and it starts with F.
5 Across: Beehive StateHint
  1. Hint 1: This is a nickname for a U.S. state, hinting at its geography or history.
  2. Hint 2: This state's nickname comes from the many beehive-shaped structures symbolizing hard work, tied to early Mormon settlers.
  3. Hint 3: This is the U.S. state whose capital is Salt Lake City, and it starts with U.
6 Across: Chevrolet models... or bright exploding starsHint
  1. Hint 1: This clue has a double meaning involving cars and astronomy.
  2. Hint 2: Think of a car brand's model name that also describes a star suddenly becoming much brighter.
  3. Hint 3: This word refers to stars that dramatically increase in brightness, and it starts with N.
8 Across: List of restaurant offeringsHint
  1. Hint 1: You'd ask a waiter for this before ordering food.
  2. Hint 2: It's the printed or digital list you look at to decide what to eat at a restaurant.
  3. Hint 3: This word means a list of food and drink options, and it starts with M.
9 Across: Thick slice of concrete or meatHint
  1. Hint 1: Think of construction materials or hearty food portions.
  2. Hint 2: It's a flat, thick piece, like a chunk of sidewalk material or a hefty cut of meat.
  3. Hint 3: This word describes a thick flat piece of something solid, and it starts with S.

Down

1 Down: A good timeHint
  1. Hint 1: This describes an enjoyable experience.
  2. Hint 2: It's what you have at a party or on a great vacation—pure enjoyment.
  3. Hint 3: This word simply means an enjoyable time, and it starts with F.
2 Down: Tiny building blocks of matterHint
  1. Hint 1: This is a science term about the smallest units of elements.
  2. Hint 2: These are the tiny particles that make up everything in the universe, studied in chemistry and physics.
  3. Hint 3: This word refers to the basic building blocks of matter, and it starts with A.
3 Down: Belly buttonHint
  1. Hint 1: This is a part of your body found in the middle of your torso.
  2. Hint 2: It's the small indentation on your stomach left over from before you were born.
  3. Hint 3: This word names your belly button, and it starts with N.
4 Down: West African country with capital AccraHint
  1. Hint 1: This is a country found on the African continent.
  2. Hint 2: Its capital is Accra, and it's known for cocoa production and its flag's black star.
  3. Hint 3: This is a West African nation, and it starts with G.
7 Down: Sandwich also called a hoagieHint
  1. Hint 1: This is a type of long sandwich with many regional names.
  2. Hint 2: It's often filled with meats and cheese, and people also call it a hoagie or grinder.
  3. Hint 3: This word names a long sandwich, and it starts with S.

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 #336 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-Down and 7-Down; the four-letter slots are 1-Across, 5-Across, 8-Across and 9-Across; the five-letter slots are 6-Across, 2-Down, 3-Down and 4-Down.

Clues to try first

  • Some clues lean on a name or title, such as 5-Across, “Beehive State” and 4-Down, “West African country with capital Accra”; if one is unfamiliar, work its crossing answers first.

More for September 1, 2026

Rather see the grid first? Play Mini #336. 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 #335 (August 31, 2026), opens with 1-Across, “First stop in baseball”; the day after, Mini #337 (September 2, 2026), opens with 1-Across, “Undergarment with cups”.

September 1, 2026 Mini Crossword hints FAQ

Are these hints for the September 1, 2026 Mini Crossword?
Yes. Every clue on this page is from our own September 1, 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/2026-09-01 reveals one answer at a time.