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Mini #352 · Thursday

Our Mini Crossword Hints — September 17, 2026

Step-by-step hints for Mini #352, 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: Hairstyle worn in a knotHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about a simple way to wear long hair pulled up.
  2. Hint 2: It's a round hairstyle often held with a tie or pins, also the name of a soft round bread roll.
  3. Hint 3: This hairstyle is a small round knot of hair; starts with B.
4 Across: Cash, casuallyHint
  1. Hint 1: This is slang for something you use to pay for things.
  2. Hint 2: Think of a casual, everyday word for dollars or funds.
  3. Hint 3: It means cash or funds in general; starts with M.
6 Across: Motion to unlock a credit cardHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about how you use a card at a payment machine.
  2. Hint 2: This is the quick motion you make to run a card through or tap it at a reader.
  3. Hint 3: It's the action of sliding a card to pay; starts with S.
7 Across: Brag about a victoryHint
  1. Hint 1: This describes someone who can't stop talking about their win.
  2. Hint 2: It's a strong word for boasting proudly and excessively about success.
  3. Hint 3: It means to boast smugly about a triumph; starts with G.
8 Across: Live comedy show with a weekly host and musical guest (abbr.)Hint
  1. Hint 1: This is a famous late-night sketch comedy program.
  2. Hint 2: It airs live and features a different celebrity host and musical guest each week.
  3. Hint 3: This is the long-running comedy show abbreviated by three letters; starts with S.

Down

1 Down: Deep dishes for cereal or soupHint
  1. Hint 1: Think of kitchenware you'd use for breakfast or soup.
  2. Hint 2: These are round, deep containers you eat cereal or soup out of.
  3. Hint 3: They're the round dishes used for cereal or soup; starts with B.
2 Down: Workers' organizationHint
  1. Hint 1: This is a group formed to protect workers' rights.
  2. Hint 2: It's the organization that negotiates on behalf of laborers for better pay and conditions.
  3. Hint 3: This is a workers' collective bargaining group; starts with U.
3 Down: Country home to Mount EverestHint
  1. Hint 1: This is a nation known for its towering mountain range.
  2. Hint 2: It's the country where the world's tallest peak is located, in the Himalayas.
  3. Hint 3: This is the country home to Mount Everest; starts with N.
4 Down: Flavor enhancer in some Chinese food (abbr.)Hint
  1. Hint 1: This is a common seasoning found in some Asian cooking.
  2. Hint 2: It's an abbreviation for a flavor-enhancing additive sometimes controversial in food.
  3. Hint 3: This is the abbreviation for monosodium glutamate; starts with M.
5 Down: So far; up to nowHint
  1. Hint 1: This word means something hasn't happened up to this point.
  2. Hint 2: It's a short word often paired with 'not' to mean 'up until now'.
  3. Hint 3: This means 'so far' or 'up to now'; starts with Y.

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 #352 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

  • 8-Across, “Live comedy show with a weekly host and musical guest (abbr.)”, is marked as a short form, so expect an abbreviated answer.
  • 4-Down, “Flavor enhancer in some Chinese food (abbr.)”, is marked as a short form, so expect an abbreviated answer.
  • Some clues lean on a name or title, such as 3-Down, “Country home to Mount Everest” and 4-Down, “Flavor enhancer in some Chinese food (abbr.)”; if one is unfamiliar, work its crossing answers first.

More for September 17, 2026

Rather see the grid first? Play Mini #352. 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 #351 (September 16, 2026), opens with 1-Across, “The alphabet, informally”; the day after, Mini #353 (September 18, 2026), opens with 1-Across, “Black-and-white whale also called a killer whale”.

September 17, 2026 Mini Crossword hints FAQ

Are these hints for the September 17, 2026 Mini Crossword?
Yes. Every clue on this page is from our own September 17, 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/2026-09-17 reveals one answer at a time.