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Mini #344 · Wednesday

Our Mini Crossword Hints — September 9, 2026

Step-by-step hints for Mini #344, 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: Dull and colorlessHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about how you'd describe a dreary, uninteresting room with no color or life.
  2. Hint 2: This word means lacking brightness or excitement, like a gray, boring day.
  3. Hint 3: It means dull or lackluster and starts with D.
5 Across: Intense furyHint
  1. Hint 1: This word describes a strong, overwhelming emotion tied to anger.
  2. Hint 2: Think of a synonym for fury so intense it feels uncontrollable.
  3. Hint 3: It means extreme anger and starts with R.
6 Across: Pretended, as an injuryHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about what someone does when they act like they're hurt but really aren't.
  2. Hint 2: This word means to fabricate or feign something, like faking a limp.
  3. Hint 3: It means pretended or simulated and starts with F.
7 Across: Sign of things to comeHint
  1. Hint 1: This is something people look for when trying to predict the future.
  2. Hint 2: Think of a word for a symbol or event that hints at what's coming, often used in superstition or prophecy.
  3. Hint 3: It means a forewarning or portent and starts with O.
8 Across: Direction of the sunriseHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about basic compass directions and where the sun appears each morning.
  2. Hint 2: This is the opposite of west, and it's the direction ships sail toward at dawn.
  3. Hint 3: It means the direction of sunrise and starts with E.

Down

1 Down: A soap opera has plenty of itHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about what fills the plot of an overly emotional TV show.
  2. Hint 2: This word describes intense conflict or tension, like what fuels a soap opera's storyline.
  3. Hint 3: It means a theatrical or emotional situation and starts with D.
2 Down: Garden tools for leavesHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about what you'd use in autumn to clean up your yard.
  2. Hint 2: These are tools with long handles and prongs, used to gather fallen leaves.
  3. Hint 3: It means garden tools for collecting leaves and starts with R.
3 Down: Secret spyHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about someone who works undercover, gathering secret information.
  2. Hint 2: This person might work for the CIA or MI6, operating in secrecy.
  3. Hint 3: It means a covert operative and starts with A.
4 Down: Where you sleepHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about the piece of furniture you use every night.
  2. Hint 2: This is where you rest your head and sleep, often with a mattress and pillows.
  3. Hint 3: It means a place for sleeping and starts with B.
6 Down: EnemyHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about the opposite of a friend or ally.
  2. Hint 2: This word describes someone who opposes or wishes harm to you.
  3. Hint 3: It means an adversary or opponent and starts with F.

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 #344 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 4-Down and 6-Down; the four-letter slots are 1-Across, 5-Across, 7-Across and 8-Across; the five-letter slots are 6-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 6-Down, “Enemy”, at one word; the longest is 1-Down, “A soap opera has plenty of it”, at seven words.

More for September 9, 2026

Rather see the grid first? Play Mini #344. 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 #343 (September 8, 2026), opens with 1-Across, “Structure that holds back a river”; the day after, Mini #345 (September 10, 2026), opens with 1-Across, “The opposite of bad”.

September 9, 2026 Mini Crossword hints FAQ

Are these hints for the September 9, 2026 Mini Crossword?
Yes. Every clue on this page is from our own September 9, 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/2026-09-09 reveals one answer at a time.