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Mini #347 · Saturday

Our Mini Crossword Hints — September 12, 2026

Step-by-step hints for Mini #347, 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: Sounds from a disapproving crowdHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about what a crowd might yell when they dislike something on stage or in a game.
  2. Hint 2: It's the sound of jeering, like the opposite of cheering.
  3. Hint 3: A disapproving shout from a crowd, starts with B.
5 Across: Animals of a regionHint
  1. Hint 1: This word relates to nature, specifically wildlife in a particular place.
  2. Hint 2: It's the term used alongside 'flora' to describe animal life of an area.
  3. Hint 3: The animal life of a region, starts with F.
6 Across: Very into painting and crafts, informallyHint
  1. Hint 1: This describes someone who loves creative hobbies like painting or crafting.
  2. Hint 2: It's a casual way to say someone is creatively inclined or artistic.
  3. Hint 3: Informally describing someone into painting and crafts, starts with A.
7 Across: Points where lines connectHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about geometry or computer networks and where things intersect.
  2. Hint 2: These are the junctions where lines, connections, or paths meet.
  3. Hint 3: Points where lines connect, starts with N.
8 Across: Rude, snobby sortHint
  1. Hint 1: This describes someone who acts superior or looks down on others.
  2. Hint 2: It's a slangy insult for a snobbish, stuck-up person.
  3. Hint 3: A rude, snobby individual, starts with S.

Down

1 Down: Nobleman ranking below a countHint
  1. Hint 1: This is a title of nobility, ranking within the European aristocracy system.
  2. Hint 2: This rank sits just below a count or earl in the nobility hierarchy.
  3. Hint 3: A nobleman ranked below a count, starts with B.
2 Down: Beat in a contestHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about what happens when you win against someone in a competition.
  2. Hint 2: This means to surpass or defeat a rival in a contest.
  3. Hint 3: To beat someone in a competition, starts with O.
3 Down: The beginning of somethingHint
  1. Hint 1: This word describes the very start or initial phase of something.
  2. Hint 2: It's often used to describe the beginning stage of an illness or event.
  3. Hint 3: The start of something, starts with O.
4 Down: "Simon ___" (kids' game)Hint
  1. Hint 1: This is a classic children's game involving following commands.
  2. Hint 2: In this game, you must obey instructions only if they start with a specific phrase.
  3. Hint 3: Completes the phrase for the kids' command game 'Simon ___', starts with S.
5 Down: Enthusiastic supporters at a gameHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about people cheering loudly in the stands during a sports match.
  2. Hint 2: These are the enthusiastic spectators rooting for their team.
  3. Hint 3: Enthusiastic supporters at a game, 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 #347 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, 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

  • 4-Down, “‘Simon ___’ (kids' game)”, is a fill-in-the-blank: say the phrase out loud and the missing word often jumps out.

More for September 12, 2026

Rather see the grid first? Play Mini #347. 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 #346 (September 11, 2026), opens with 1-Across, “Received or obtained”; the day after, Mini #348 (September 13, 2026), opens with 1-Across, “Slightly open, as a door”.

September 12, 2026 Mini Crossword hints FAQ

Are these hints for the September 12, 2026 Mini Crossword?
Yes. Every clue on this page is from our own September 12, 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/2026-09-12 reveals one answer at a time.