Skip to main content
Mini #342 · Monday

Our Mini Crossword Hints — September 7, 2026

Step-by-step hints for Mini #342, 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: Out-of-focus photoHint
  1. Hint 1: The answer has 4 letters.
  2. Hint 2: It has 4 letters and starts with B.
  3. Hint 3: It has 4 letters, starts with B and ends with R.
5 Across: Lift upHint
  1. Hint 1: The answer has 5 letters.
  2. Hint 2: It has 5 letters and starts with R.
  3. Hint 3: It has 5 letters, starts with R and ends with E.
6 Across: Posed a questionHint
  1. Hint 1: The answer has 5 letters.
  2. Hint 2: It has 5 letters and starts with A.
  3. Hint 3: It has 5 letters, starts with A and ends with D.
7 Across: Layers of a wedding cakeHint
  1. Hint 1: The answer has 5 letters.
  2. Hint 2: It has 5 letters and starts with T.
  3. Hint 3: It has 5 letters, starts with T and ends with S.
8 Across: ConcludesHint
  1. Hint 1: The answer has 4 letters.
  2. Hint 2: It has 4 letters and starts with E.
  3. Hint 3: It has 4 letters, starts with E and ends with S.

Down

1 Down: Bathroom sinkHint
  1. Hint 1: The answer has 5 letters.
  2. Hint 2: It has 5 letters and starts with B.
  3. Hint 3: It has 5 letters, starts with B and ends with N.
2 Down: Enjoyed, as a bookHint
  1. Hint 1: The answer has 5 letters.
  2. Hint 2: It has 5 letters and starts with L.
  3. Hint 3: It has 5 letters, starts with L and ends with D.
3 Down: People on a websiteHint
  1. Hint 1: The answer has 5 letters.
  2. Hint 2: It has 5 letters and starts with U.
  3. Hint 3: It has 5 letters, starts with U and ends with S.
4 Down: Cincinnati baseball teamHint
  1. Hint 1: The answer has 4 letters.
  2. Hint 2: It has 4 letters and starts with R.
  3. Hint 3: It has 4 letters, starts with R and ends with S.
5 Down: Charge per unitHint
  1. Hint 1: The answer has 4 letters.
  2. Hint 2: It has 4 letters and starts with R.
  3. Hint 3: It has 4 letters, starts with R and ends with E.

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 #342 has ten clues. Written hints aren't available for this date, so each clue gets letter hints instead: the answer's length, then its first letter, then its first and last letters.

Short answers have the fewest possible fills, so they make a good start. The four-letter slots are 1-Across, 8-Across, 4-Down and 5-Down; the five-letter slots are 5-Across, 6-Across, 7-Across, 1-Down, 2-Down and 3-Down.

Clues to try first

None of the ten clues is a fill-in-the-blank, a quotation, a question-mark clue or a marked short form. Read each one as a plain definition first. The shortest clue is 8-Across, “Concludes”, at one word; the longest is 7-Across, “Layers of a wedding cake”, at five words.

More for September 7, 2026

Rather see the grid first? Play Mini #342. 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 #341 (September 6, 2026), opens with 1-Across, “Peaceful and relaxed”; the day after, Mini #343 (September 8, 2026), opens with 1-Across, “Structure that holds back a river”.

September 7, 2026 Mini Crossword hints FAQ

Are these hints for the September 7, 2026 Mini Crossword?
Yes. Every clue on this page is from our own September 7, 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/2026-09-07 reveals one answer at a time.