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Mini #372 · Wednesday

Our Mini Crossword Hints — October 7, 2026

Step-by-step hints for Mini #372, 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
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Across

1 Across: Rubik's puzzle shapeHint
  1. Hint 1: Think of a classic twisty toy that comes in a geometric form.
  2. Hint 2: This shape has six equal square faces, like a die.
  3. Hint 3: It's a three-dimensional square-sided shape, starts with C.
5 Across: Space measured in square unitsHint
  1. Hint 1: This is a math term you'd use when talking about floor space or land size.
  2. Hint 2: It's what you calculate by multiplying length by width.
  3. Hint 3: The measurement of a surface's size, starts with A.
6 Across: Glowing bit left in a dying fireHint
  1. Hint 1: Picture what's left smoldering after a campfire dies down.
  2. Hint 2: It's a small piece of wood or coal still glowing with heat.
  3. Hint 3: A glowing fragment of ash or coal, starts with E.
7 Across: 365-day spanHint
  1. Hint 1: This is a basic unit of time you celebrate with a birthday.
  2. Hint 2: It's the time it takes Earth to orbit the sun once.
  3. Hint 3: A twelve-month period, starts with Y.
8 Across: Immeasurably long stretches of timeHint
  1. Hint 1: This word describes time so vast it's hard to imagine, often used in geology.
  2. Hint 2: Think of ages or epochs stretching far beyond a human lifetime.
  3. Hint 3: Extremely long periods of time, starts with E.

Down

1 Down: Brief appearance by a starHint
  1. Hint 1: This is a term from the entertainment world about a short role.
  2. Hint 2: It's when a famous actor pops up briefly in a movie or show.
  3. Hint 3: A short guest appearance by someone notable, starts with C.
2 Down: Relating to the city, not the countryHint
  1. Hint 1: This word contrasts with something rural or countryside-related.
  2. Hint 2: It describes anything related to cities and city life.
  3. Hint 3: Relating to towns and cities rather than the countryside, starts with U.
3 Down: Rounds at the pubHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about what friends might order one after another at a bar.
  2. Hint 2: It's the plural for alcoholic drinks served by the glass, often ordered as a buying tradition.
  3. Hint 3: Alcoholic beverages served in glasses, starts with B.
4 Down: Organ of hearingHint
  1. Hint 1: This is a body part located on the side of your head.
  2. Hint 2: It's what you use to listen to music or conversation.
  3. Hint 3: The organ used for hearing, starts with E.
6 Down: Organ of sightHint
  1. Hint 1: This is a body part found in pairs on your face.
  2. Hint 2: It's what you use to see the world around you.
  3. Hint 3: The organ used for seeing, 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.

See answers

Before you open a hint

Mini #372 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 4-Down and 6-Down; the four-letter slots are 1-Across, 5-Across, 7-Across and 8-Across; the five-letter slots are 6-Across, 1-Down, 2-Down and 3-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 7-Across, “365-day span”, at two words; the longest is 6-Across, “Glowing bit left in a dying fire”, at seven words.

More for October 7, 2026

Rather see the grid first? Play Mini #372. 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 #371 (October 6, 2026), opens with 1-Across, “Passing craze or trend”.

October 7, 2026 Mini Crossword hints FAQ

Are these hints for the October 7, 2026 Mini Crossword?
Yes. Every clue on this page is from our own October 7, 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/2026-10-07 reveals one answer at a time.