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Mini #374 · Friday

Our Mini Crossword Hints — October 9, 2026

Step-by-step hints for Mini #374, 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: Apple music player of the 2000sHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about a gadget from the early 2000s that changed how people listened to music on the go.
  2. Hint 2: This device was famous for letting you carry thousands of songs in your pocket, made by a well-known tech company.
  3. Hint 3: It's a portable music player released by Apple; starts with I.
5 Across: Big, heavy bookHint
  1. Hint 1: This word describes a book, but a very specific kind in terms of size.
  2. Hint 2: Think of a thick, hefty book you'd find on a dusty library shelf, often used to mean a large volume.
  3. Hint 3: It means a large, heavy book; starts with T.
6 Across: How fast something movesHint
  1. Hint 1: This word relates to motion and how quickly something covers distance.
  2. Hint 2: It's what a speedometer measures in a car.
  3. Hint 3: It means how fast something moves; starts with S.
8 Across: Reverse an action, as on a computerHint
  1. Hint 1: This is something you do on a computer when you make a mistake.
  2. Hint 2: Think of the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Z — what action does that perform?
  3. Hint 3: It means to reverse your last action; starts with U.
9 Across: "Hey, over here!" (whispered)Hint
  1. Hint 1: This is a quiet way to get someone's attention without speaking loudly.
  2. Hint 2: Picture someone whispering to get a friend's attention secretly.
  3. Hint 3: It's a hushed sound used to catch someone's notice; starts with P.

Down

1 Down: "___ a wrap!" (filming is done)Hint
  1. Hint 1: This is a short phrase said on a movie set when filming ends.
  2. Hint 2: A director might shout this phrase to signal the scene or shoot is finished.
  3. Hint 3: It's part of the phrase meaning filming has ended; starts with I.
2 Down: Window that suddenly appears on a screenHint
  1. Hint 1: This refers to something that appears unexpectedly on your screen while browsing.
  2. Hint 2: Think of an ad or notification window that suddenly opens over your current page.
  3. Hint 3: It's a sudden on-screen window, often an ad; starts with P.
3 Down: Signs of things to comeHint
  1. Hint 1: These are signals or hints about what might happen later.
  2. Hint 2: Fortune tellers might look for these as signs of the future.
  3. Hint 3: It means signs predicting future events; starts with O.
4 Down: Good ___ (kind acts)Hint
  1. Hint 1: This phrase is about doing something kind for others.
  2. Hint 2: Think of acts of kindness that make up good behavior.
  3. Hint 3: It means kind actions; starts with D.
7 Down: Period at the end of a sentenceHint
  1. Hint 1: This is a small punctuation mark you see at the end of sentences.
  2. Hint 2: It's also the symbol used in website addresses, like 'www.example.com'.
  3. Hint 3: It's the small mark ending a sentence; starts with D.

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 #374 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-Down and 7-Down; the four-letter slots are 1-Across, 5-Across, 8-Across and 9-Across; the five-letter slots are 6-Across, 2-Down, 3-Down and 4-Down.

Clues to try first

  • 1-Down, “‘___ a wrap!’ (filming is done)”, is a fill-in-the-blank: say the phrase out loud and the missing word often jumps out.
  • 4-Down, “Good ___ (kind acts)”, is a fill-in-the-blank: say the phrase out loud and the missing word often jumps out.

More for October 9, 2026

Rather see the grid first? Play Mini #374. 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 #373 (October 8, 2026), opens with 1-Across, “Yellow taxi”.

October 9, 2026 Mini Crossword hints FAQ

Are these hints for the October 9, 2026 Mini Crossword?
Yes. Every clue on this page is from our own October 9, 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/2026-10-09 reveals one answer at a time.