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Mini #380 · Thursday

Our Mini Crossword Hints — October 15, 2026

Step-by-step hints for Mini #380, 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: Shark's dorsal featureHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about a part of a sea creature that sticks up above the water.
  2. Hint 2: Sharks use this body part, which also appears on dolphins and some cars as a design feature, to slice through water.
  3. Hint 3: It's the pointed appendage on a shark's back, starts with F.
4 Across: Not yet an adultHint
  1. Hint 1: This describes someone who is still legally a child.
  2. Hint 2: In legal terms, this word refers to a person under the age required to vote or sign contracts.
  3. Hint 3: It means not yet grown up, starts with M.
6 Across: Door through which you enterHint
  1. Hint 1: Think about the pathway or opening you use to get inside somewhere.
  2. Hint 2: This word can mean both the physical doorway and the act of coming in.
  3. Hint 3: It's the way in, starts with E.
7 Across: Brief and to the pointHint
  1. Hint 1: This describes speech or writing that uses very few words.
  2. Hint 2: Someone who is blunt and economical with language, maybe even curt, fits this description.
  3. Hint 3: It means short and direct, starts with T.
8 Across: Fish eggsHint
  1. Hint 1: Think of a seafood delicacy often served on sushi or bagels.
  2. Hint 2: This is the mass of eggs found inside a female fish, often orange or red in color.
  3. Hint 3: It's fish eggs used in cooking, starts with R.

Down

1 Down: Of higher qualityHint
  1. Hint 1: This word describes something better in quality than something else.
  2. Hint 2: If one item is superior or more refined compared to another, this word applies.
  3. Hint 3: It means more superior, starts with F.
2 Down: Short opening to a songHint
  1. Hint 1: Think of the part of a song that plays before the main verses start.
  2. Hint 2: This is the short musical section that sets up a song before the lyrics begin.
  3. Hint 3: It's the opening section of a tune, starts with I.
3 Down: Of the Vikings and their languageHint
  1. Hint 1: This relates to a seafaring people from Scandinavia in medieval times.
  2. Hint 2: Think of Vikings and their language, often associated with longships and runes.
  3. Hint 3: It describes things related to Scandinavia's medieval raiders, starts with N.
4 Down: Bumped into, as an old friendHint
  1. Hint 1: This is a simple past-tense verb about encountering someone.
  2. Hint 2: If you ran into an old friend unexpectedly, this is what happened.
  3. Hint 3: It means encountered someone, starts with M.
5 Down: Grain used in some whiskeys and breadsHint
  1. Hint 1: This is a type of grain often used to make bread and certain spirits.
  2. Hint 2: Think of a grain that gives whiskey its distinct flavor and is also used for dense breads.
  3. Hint 3: It's a cereal grain, starts with R.

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 #380 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

  • Some clues lean on a name or title, such as 3-Down, “Of the Vikings and their language”; if one is unfamiliar, work its crossing answers first.

More for October 15, 2026

Rather see the grid first? Play Mini #380. 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 #379 (October 14, 2026), opens with 1-Across, “Exhale forcefully”.

October 15, 2026 Mini Crossword hints FAQ

Are these hints for the October 15, 2026 Mini Crossword?
Yes. Every clue on this page is from our own October 15, 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/2026-10-15 reveals one answer at a time.