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Mini #361 · Saturday

Our Mini Crossword Hints — September 26, 2026

Step-by-step hints for Mini #361, 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: Managed-care plan, in briefHint
  1. Hint 1: This is an abbreviation used in healthcare insurance talk.
  2. Hint 2: It's a type of health insurance plan that requires you to use doctors within a specific network.
  3. Hint 3: A managed-care health plan abbreviation that starts with H.
4 Across: Sounds a car horn makesHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about noisy traffic and what drivers do to warn others.
  2. Hint 2: This is the plural sound effect word for honking, often written like an onomatopoeia.
  3. Hint 3: The sounds a car horn makes, starting with B.
6 Across: Espresso drink with steamed milkHint
  1. Hint 1: This is a popular coffee shop order.
  2. Hint 2: It's an espresso-based drink known for its milky foam, often ordered with flavored syrup.
  3. Hint 3: A steamed-milk espresso drink that starts with L.
7 Across: Distinguishing characteristicHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about what makes someone or something unique.
  2. Hint 2: This word describes a specific quality or feature that sets something apart, often used in genetics or personality talk.
  3. Hint 3: A distinguishing feature or quality that starts with T.
8 Across: Tender loving care, in briefHint
  1. Hint 1: This is a comforting phrase often used when caring for someone who's sick.
  2. Hint 2: It's the abbreviation for the kind of gentle, attentive care you'd give a loved one.
  3. Hint 3: An abbreviation for tender loving care that starts with T.

Down

1 Down: Organ that pumps bloodHint
  1. Hint 1: This is a vital organ in your chest.
  2. Hint 2: It's the muscle responsible for circulating blood throughout your body.
  3. Hint 3: The blood-pumping organ that starts with H.
2 Down: Iron or gold, for exampleHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about materials often found in the ground and used for jewelry or construction.
  2. Hint 2: This word describes a category of elements like copper, silver, or aluminum.
  3. Hint 3: A word for materials like iron or gold, starting with M.
3 Down: Relating to the eyeHint
  1. Hint 1: This word relates to vision and eyesight.
  2. Hint 2: It's the adjective form describing anything related to the eyes or lenses.
  3. Hint 3: An eye-related term that starts with O.
4 Down: Sandwich with bacon, in briefHint
  1. Hint 1: This is a classic sandwich abbreviation.
  2. Hint 2: It stands for a sandwich with bacon, lettuce, and tomato.
  3. Hint 3: A short way to say a bacon sandwich, starting with B.
5 Down: Ready, ___, go!Hint
  1. Hint 1: This word usually comes right before 'go' in a race.
  2. Hint 2: It's the second word in the phrase used to start a race, right after 'ready.'
  3. Hint 3: The word that completes 'Ready, ___, go,' starting with S.

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 #361 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

  • 5-Down, “Ready, ___, go!”, is a fill-in-the-blank: say the phrase out loud and the missing word often jumps out.
  • 1-Across, “Managed-care plan, in brief”, is marked as a short form, so expect an abbreviated answer.
  • 8-Across, “Tender loving care, in brief”, is marked as a short form, so expect an abbreviated answer.
  • 4-Down, “Sandwich with bacon, in brief”, is marked as a short form, so expect an abbreviated answer.

More for September 26, 2026

Rather see the grid first? Play Mini #361. 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 #360 (September 25, 2026), opens with 1-Across, “Have ___ there, done that”.

September 26, 2026 Mini Crossword hints FAQ

Are these hints for the September 26, 2026 Mini Crossword?
Yes. Every clue on this page is from our own September 26, 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/2026-09-26 reveals one answer at a time.