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Mini Crossword Hints — September 23, 2026

Open one clue at a time. Each row moves from gentle nudge to stronger help without revealing the full answer.

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All hints
10 clues
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Across

1 Across: A soak in the tubHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about a common way people relax and get clean at home.
  2. Hint 2: This is what you take when you fill a tub with warm water and soak.
  3. Hint 3: A wash in a tub of water, starts with B.
5 Across: Old MacDonald's refrainHint
  1. Hint 1: This comes from a well-known children's song about a farm.
  2. Hint 2: It's the repeated nonsense chorus sung between the animal sounds in that song.
  3. Hint 3: The classic sing-song refrain from the farm song, starts with E.
6 Across: Making use ofHint
  1. Hint 1: This describes putting something to work for a purpose.
  2. Hint 2: It's the verb form of 'to use,' meaning employing or utilizing something.
  3. Hint 3: Employing or utilizing something, starts with U.
7 Across: What a plant grows undergroundHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about the part of a plant you don't see above the soil.
  2. Hint 2: These are the underground parts that anchor a plant and absorb water and nutrients.
  3. Hint 3: The underground parts of a plant, starts with R.
8 Across: Burden or responsibilityHint
  1. Hint 1: This word describes a duty or weight someone has to carry.
  2. Hint 2: It's a formal word for a responsibility or obligation placed on someone.
  3. Hint 3: A burden or duty, starts with O.

Down

1 Down: Large shaggy plains animalHint
  1. Hint 1: Think of a big, furry animal that once roamed the American plains in huge herds.
  2. Hint 2: It's a shaggy, horned mammal closely associated with the American prairie.
  3. Hint 3: A large shaggy plains mammal, starts with B.
2 Down: The vowels, in orderHint
  1. Hint 1: This is a simple list you probably learned early in school.
  2. Hint 2: Think of the letters A, E, I, O, and U all put together in sequence.
  3. Hint 3: The vowels listed in order, starts with A.
3 Down: Shades of colorHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about subtle variations you might see on a paint color chart.
  2. Hint 2: These are slight variations or gradations of a particular hue.
  3. Hint 3: Light variations of color, starts with T.
4 Down: Farm animals that love mudHint
  1. Hint 1: Think of barnyard animals known for wallowing in the dirt.
  2. Hint 2: These pink farm animals are famous for rolling around in mud to cool off.
  3. Hint 3: Farm animals that enjoy mud, starts with H.
5 Down: Currency used in France and GermanyHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about the money used across much of Europe today.
  2. Hint 2: This is the shared currency adopted by many European Union countries, including France and Germany.
  3. Hint 3: The shared European currency, starts with E.

Use hints slowly

Reveal the first hint, try the grid again, then come back only if the crossing letters still do not move.

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September 23, 2026 Mini Crossword hints FAQ

Are these hints for the September 23, 2026 Mini Crossword?
Yes. Every clue on this page is for the September 23, 2026 puzzle, with three progressive hints each — from a gentle nudge to a stronger push, but never the full answer.
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/2026-09-23 reveals one answer at a time.