Our Mini Crossword Hints — September 20, 2026

Across

1 Across: Tool for chopping woodHint

Hint 1: Think of a tool you'd use outdoors for cutting.
Hint 2: It's the sharp-bladed tool a lumberjack swings to split logs.
Hint 3: A cutting tool with a heavy blade on a handle, starts with A.

4 Across: Take on for a jobHint

Hint 1: This is about bringing someone onto a team.
Hint 2: It's what a company does when they employ a new worker.
Hint 3: To employ someone for work, starts with H.

5 Across: Olympic award for first, second, or third placeHint

Hint 1: Think about what athletes receive at the end of a competition.
Hint 2: It's the round metal disc hung around a winner's neck.
Hint 3: A prize given for placing in a competition, starts with M.

6 Across: Color between black and whiteHint

Hint 1: This is a color often associated with clouds or fog.
Hint 2: It's the neutral shade you get mixing black and white paint.
Hint 3: A dull, neutral color between light and dark, starts with G.

7 Across: Stylish, in 1960s slangHint

Hint 1: Think of retro slang from the swinging sixties in Britain.
Hint 2: It describes someone fashionable, often linked to sharp suits and scooters.
Hint 3: Old-fashioned slang for trendy or fashionable, starts with M.

Down

1 Down: Helped outHint

Hint 1: This describes giving someone assistance.
Hint 2: It's the past tense of lending a hand to someone in need.
Hint 3: Means gave assistance to someone, starts with A.

2 Down: Image taken to check for broken bonesHint

Hint 1: Think about what doctors use to look inside the body.
Hint 2: It's the black-and-white picture that reveals your skeleton.
Hint 3: A medical image used to spot fractures, starts with X.

3 Down: Slippery fishHint

Hint 1: Think of a long, slithery sea creature.
Hint 2: It's a snake-like fish known for being hard to hold onto.
Hint 3: A slimy, elongated fish, starts with E.

4 Down: Sandwich that's also a brave personHint

Hint 1: This clue has a double meaning involving food and courage.
Hint 2: It's a long sandwich as well as a word for a brave person or a movie protagonist.
Hint 3: Both a submarine sandwich and a courageous figure, starts with H.

5 Down: Movie studio with a roaring lion logoHint

Hint 1: Think of a famous Hollywood movie studio.
Hint 2: Its logo features a roaring big cat before the film starts.
Hint 3: A classic film studio known for its lion mascot, starts with M.

Before you open a hint

Mini #355 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, 7-Across, 3-Down and 5-Down; the four-letter slots are 4-Across, 6-Across, 2-Down and 4-Down; the five-letter slots are 5-Across and 1-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 1-Down, “Helped out”, at two words; the longest is 5-Across, “Olympic award for first, second, or third place”, at eight words.

More for September 20, 2026

Rather see the grid first? Play Mini #355. 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 #354 (September 19, 2026), opens with 1-Across, “Feel unwell”; the day after, Mini #356 (September 21, 2026), opens with 1-Across, “Sculpture of a head and shoulders”.

September 20, 2026 Mini Crossword hints FAQ

Are these hints for the September 20, 2026 Mini Crossword?

Yes. Every clue on this page is from our own September 20, 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/2026-09-20 reveals one answer at a time.