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Mini #339 · Friday

Our Mini Crossword Hints: September 4, 2026

Step-by-step hints for Mini #339, 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: Small shrub in a gardenHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about plants you'd find growing in a yard.
  2. Hint 2: It's a low, woody plant, smaller than a tree, often trimmed into shapes.
  3. Hint 3: A small woody plant in a garden, starts with B.
5 Across: In the lead, as in a raceHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about racing and who's winning.
  2. Hint 2: This phrase describes being in first place or ahead of everyone else.
  3. Hint 3: Being in the leading position, starts with O.
7 Across: Warm shawl worn over the shouldersHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about cold-weather accessories worn on the shoulders.
  2. Hint 2: It's a long piece of fabric or fur draped over the shoulders, often for warmth or fashion.
  3. Hint 3: A warm wrap worn over the shoulders, starts with S.
8 Across: Loud emergency alarm on an ambulanceHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about the sound emergency vehicles make.
  2. Hint 2: This is the wailing noise an ambulance or police car makes to warn others.
  3. Hint 3: A loud warning sound from an emergency vehicle, starts with S.
9 Across: Not as muchHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about comparing quantities.
  2. Hint 2: This word means a smaller amount than before, the opposite of 'more'.
  3. Hint 3: A word meaning a smaller amount, starts with L.

Down

1 Down: Person in charge at workHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about workplace hierarchy.
  2. Hint 2: This is the person who supervises employees and gives orders.
  3. Hint 3: The person in charge at a job, starts with B.
2 Down: Up to the time thatHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about how this phrase connects two events in time.
  2. Hint 2: It means 'up to the moment when something happens', like waiting for a deadline.
  3. Hint 3: A word meaning up till a certain time, starts with U.
3 Down: Shop where you buy thingsHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about where you go to purchase items.
  2. Hint 2: This is a general term for a retail location where goods are sold.
  3. Hint 3: A place where you buy goods, starts with S.
4 Down: Openings in a slice of Swiss cheeseHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about the texture of a certain type of cheese.
  2. Hint 2: These are the little gaps or bubbles you see in a slice of Swiss cheese.
  3. Hint 3: Openings or gaps in cheese, starts with H.
6 Down: Writing tools that are mightier than the sword?Hint
  1. Hint 1: Think about the famous saying about writing versus fighting.
  2. Hint 2: These are the tools used for writing, referenced in the phrase 'the pen is mightier than the sword'.
  3. Hint 3: Writing instruments, starts with P.

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 #339 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

  • 6-Down, “Writing tools that are mightier than the sword?”, ends in a question mark, which in crosswords usually signals wordplay.
  • Some clues lean on a name or title, such as 4-Down, “Openings in a slice of Swiss cheese”; if one is unfamiliar, work its crossing answers first.

More for September 4, 2026

Rather see the grid first? Play Mini #339. 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 #338 (September 3, 2026), opens with 1-Across, “Grub, informally”; the day after, Mini #340 (September 5, 2026), opens with 1-Across, “Place to deposit your paycheck”.

September 4, 2026 Mini Crossword hints FAQ

Are these hints for the September 4, 2026 Mini Crossword?
Yes. Every clue on this page is from our own September 4, 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/2026-09-04 reveals one answer at a time.