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Mini #343 · Tuesday

Our Mini Crossword Hints: September 8, 2026

Step-by-step hints for Mini #343, 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: Structure that holds back a riverHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about civil engineering structures built along waterways.
  2. Hint 2: This barrier is often built to control flooding or generate hydroelectric power.
  3. Hint 3: A wall built across a river to hold back water, starting with D.
4 Across: Diner handouts listing dishesHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about what a waiter brings you before you order food.
  2. Hint 2: These are the printed lists you look at to choose your meal at a restaurant.
  3. Hint 3: Multiple copies of a restaurant's food list, starting with M.
6 Across: Like milk you're told not to cry overHint
  1. Hint 1: This clue references a common saying about not dwelling on small mistakes.
  2. Hint 2: The phrase is 'don't cry over ___ milk,' referring to something already spilled.
  3. Hint 3: The past tense adjective describing milk that has already been knocked over, starting with S.
7 Across: Wandering desert dwellerHint
  1. Hint 1: Think of someone who travels from place to place in arid regions.
  2. Hint 2: This person has no fixed home and often travels with livestock across sandy landscapes.
  3. Hint 3: A wanderer of desert regions, often associated with camels, starting with N.
8 Across: Number after nineHint
  1. Hint 1: This is a simple math clue about counting.
  2. Hint 2: If nine comes before it, what number comes right after in the sequence?
  3. Hint 3: The number that follows nine in counting, starting with T.

Down

1 Down: Train stationHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about where you'd wait to catch a train.
  2. Hint 2: This is the building or platform area where trains arrive and depart.
  3. Hint 3: A place where trains stop for passengers, starting with D.
2 Down: Japanese animation styleHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about a popular style of animated shows and movies from Japan.
  2. Hint 2: This art style features distinctive character designs and is loved by fans worldwide.
  3. Hint 3: Japanese hand-drawn or computer animation, starting with A.
3 Down: Disney heroine who disguises herself as a soldierHint
  1. Hint 1: Think of a Disney movie about a woman who joins the army in her father's place.
  2. Hint 2: This heroine cuts her hair and dresses as a man to fight against the Huns.
  3. Hint 3: The Disney princess who becomes a warrior in disguise, starting with M.
4 Down: Microsoft's web portal, onceHint
  1. Hint 1: Think of an old-school internet service tied to a major tech company.
  2. Hint 2: This was once a popular email and homepage service before more modern platforms took over.
  3. Hint 3: Microsoft's early web portal abbreviation, starting with M.
5 Down: Sexually transmitted illness, for shortHint
  1. Hint 1: This is a health-related term often discussed in sex education classes.
  2. Hint 2: It's the common abbreviation for an infection passed between sexual partners.
  3. Hint 3: A shortened term for a sexually transmitted disease, starting 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 #343 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

  • 5-Down, “Sexually transmitted illness, for short”, is marked as a short form, so expect an abbreviated answer.

More for September 8, 2026

Rather see the grid first? Play Mini #343. 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 #342 (September 7, 2026), opens with 1-Across, “Out-of-focus photo”; the day after, Mini #344 (September 9, 2026), opens with 1-Across, “Dull and colorless”.

September 8, 2026 Mini Crossword hints FAQ

Are these hints for the September 8, 2026 Mini Crossword?
Yes. Every clue on this page is from our own September 8, 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/2026-09-08 reveals one answer at a time.